What do you do in case of an air raid?

What do you do in case of an air raid?

If you cannot find an underground shelter, take shelter in the lowest part of a building. Stay away from windows. Have windows covered with protective plastic sheeting and tape, if possible. If there are no buildings immediately accessible, find the lowest area of ground, e.g. ditch, and lay low.

How did people protect themselves during an air raid?

People carried gas masks to protect themselves against a possible gas attack. People built air raid shelters in their gardens. All windows and doors were blacked out to make it harder for the enemy planes to spot where they lived.

What do you need in an air raid shelter?

These shelters were half buried in the ground with earth heaped on top to protect them from bomb blasts. They were made from six corrugated iron sheets bolted together at the top, with steel plates at either end, and measured 6ft 6in by 4ft 6in (1.95m by 1.35m).

How did civilians prepare for air raids?

Civilians were instructed in how to protect themselves against poison gas attacks and issued with gas masks, which they were encouraged to carry on all journeys. Fortunately, poison gas was never used as a weapon in Britain. They were also given materials to build air raid shelters in the backyards.

Do air raids still happen?

The aerial bombing of cities in warfare is an optional element of strategic bombing which became widespread during World War I. The bombing of cities grew to a vast scale in World War II, and is still practiced today.

What is the purpose of an air raid siren?

A civil defense siren (also known as an air-raid siren) is a siren used to provide an emergency population warning to the general population of approaching danger. It is sometimes sounded again to indicate the danger has passed.

What were the air raid shelters called in ww2?

Anderson shelters
Anderson shelters were named after Sir John Anderson, the lord privy seal in charge of air raid precautions in 1938, and were made from corrugated steel or iron panels that formed a semi-circular shape. They were designed to be dug into people’s gardens to protect families from air raids.

What was the primary purpose of the air raid wardens during WWII?

During a raid, wardens were responsible for monitoring and reporting bomb damage, and for helping to coordinate the response of other civil defence services. These eight objects are just some of the things an air raid warden might have needed during the Blitz.

What is the purpose of an air raid shelter?

Air raid shelters, are structures for the protection of non-combatants as well as combatants against enemy attacks from the air. They are similar to bunkers in many regards, although they are not designed to defend against ground attack (but many have been used as defensive structures in such situations).

What type of air raid shelter was kept in the house?

It was an indoor steel ‘table’ shelter, assembled from a ‘kit of parts’ and bolted together inside the house. The steel top doubled as a table, and there were wire mesh panels around the four sides, with an entry door through one of the panels.

Why did the government want the home front to dig for plenty?

A Ministry of Agriculture food production poster using the slogan ‘Dig for Plenty’. Those who dug up half their lawn for vegetables had done it partly in response to the government campaign and partly because they feared rises in food prices. It was also a leisure interest.

What was life like on the homefront?

The Home Front during World War One refers to life in Britain during the war itself. The Home Front saw a massive change in the role of women, rationing, the bombing of parts of Britain by the Germans (the first time civilians were targeted in war), conscientious objectors and strikes by discontented workers.

What should you do in case of air raid?

All Wardens must study the booklet to householders entitled “How to Provide Raid Shelter and Protection from Flying Glass” and should make sure that people in their areas are familiar with its contents. In houses that cannot provide an air-raid shelter, the safest room should be prepared for an emergency.

When did they start building air raid shelters?

In March 1940 the government began to build communal shelters designed to protect around fifty people living in the same area. Made of brick and concrete they provided more protection than garden shelters.

Why did people sleep in Anderson shelters during World War 2?

When the Luftwaffe changed from daylight to night bombing raids, the government expected people to sleep in their Anderson shelters. Each night the wailing of the air raid sirens announced the approach of the German bombers and ensured that most people had time to take cover before the raid actually started.

What happens to shells in an air raid?

Anti-aircraft shells are designed to explode in the air, and the fragments of metal, including the heavy nose-cap, will descend on the country below. Machine-gun bullets fired from aeroplanes will also fall to the ground. Even if the raid is a considerable distance away, shell fragments may fall many miles from the scene of action.