Taking
shelter from falling bombs
INTRODUCTION
As
war loomed a variety of shelters were devised to protect people from possible
bombing raids carried out by the Luftwaffe. They ranged from Trench
shelters to
the indoor Morrison shelter. The following focuses on the various types of
shelters available and how people coped with the sometimes difficult conditions
they presented.
THE
ANDERSON SHELTER
Hitler
was unable to launch an invasion on Britain so turned to bombing in the
hope that it would cripple the economy and the will of the British people.
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To protect civilians from
this kind of terror bombing Sir John Anderson devised a plan as early as
1938 that some kind of shelter should be produced. Sir John was given
responsibility for Air Raid Precaution and the Anderson Shelter was born.
It was so popular that by September 1940 2,300,000 had been distributed. The shelters were free to those that earned less than £250 a year
with a charge
of £7 made to those that were on a higher income.
PICTURE
ABOVE: A
lucky escape! Two civilians emerge unscathed from a battered Anderson
shelter.
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PICTURE ABOVE: Residents receiving their Anderson shelters in early 1940.
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NEWSPAPER
CUTTING: A headline from the Daily Express in May 1940 stressing
that shelters should be assembled |
The shelters themselves could
accommodate up to 6 people and was usually erected in the backyard of any home.
They were made up of curved corrugated steel sheets. First,
a shallow pit had to be dug in the ground of the backyard, this usually measured
about ten feet by four feet. Then you erected the six sides bolting them
together, the curved ends formed the roof of the shelter. Then the rear section
was put into place followed by the front in similar fashion except that
provision was made for an entrance. The shelters were then usually covered in a
thick layer of earth (15" was recommended).
The
Anderson Shelter could withstand anything but a direct hit. Families made the best of
their shelters and usually kept books, non perishable foods and toilet
facilities in the shelter. Although advised against it for health reasons,
toilets usually meant a bucket in the corner just in case!
It
is interesting to note that the Anderson Shelter was originally named after its designer Dr David A Anderson and not the Home Secretary Sir John Anderson.
Although in principle a good idea, this type of shelter only applied to some 27%
of the total population as many people did not have their own gardens in which
to erect
an Anderson Shelter.
THE
MORRISON SHELTER
| Another
type of shelter issued was the Morrison shelter. Introduced
in 1941, it was named after Herbert Morrison, Minister of Home Security.
A family shelter, free for most people, it could be
erected indoors. It had a steel plate on top, which could be used as
a table in the day time, and sides of wire mesh 2ft, 9in high. Over
half million had been distributed by 1941.
Below
is a comic view of the Morrison Shelter.
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CARTOON CAPTION:
"By
the way, did you remember to feed the canary?"
TAKING
A CHANCE!
 People
found the Anderson shelters cramped and uncomfortable with flooding a common
problem. It is true to say that people often spent more time bailing them out
than sheltering in them. Communal surface shelters were also considered uncomfortable because
they were often badly ventilated, cold, dark and damp. They were also unsafe
because they were often constructed in a hurry and due to shortages of cement.
A
force of a bomb nearby could see them collapse and people were too frightened to
use them. As for the Trench shelters they were impossible to keep waterproof
because lining materials were in short supply. Londoners turned to other cover
and this usually meant taking cover in deeper shelters such as the underground
stations. People felt safe in these types of shelters although many casualties
were caused as a result of direct hits on some of these stations.
It
is also true to say that a lot of people decided to stay indoors during a raid, often
hiding in a cupboard or under a table, preferring to stay close to each other and
with their children. Nevertheless the Anderson and Morrison shelters did play
their part in saving many lives and are looked back with thankful and fond memories.
AIR RAID SIRENS -
HOW DID THEY SOUND? Click
on the link below to hear a World War Two Air Raid Siren - time to take
cover! Apologies
- the
World War Two Air Raid Siren is currently not working! This problem
is in the process of being sorted. 
OTHER
TYPES OF SHELTERS
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PICTURE
LEFT: The erection of a brick street shelter. Until later modified they were
usually dark, dirty and dangerous places to take shelter. |
CARTOON BELOW: A
comic view of how some people tried to make life as comfortable as
possible in the underground stations. |
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(Caption
reads: - "What did I tell you? Give them an inch and they take a
mile!")
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Ó
hshf - last updated 02 July 2006
