Home Front - the civilian war effort
Air Raid Shelters
Air raid shelters were provided as places of safety during bombing raids. The steel garden shelter was called an Anderson shelter after the Home Secretary, Sir John Anderson.
Measuring 6ft 6in x 4ft 6in, the shelter arrived in pieces and had to be erected by the homeowner who sunk it down into the ground and covered it with soil. It could sleep up to six adults.
You can use the conversion tables below to work out the size of the shelter in meters.
If you didn't have a garden you would be issued with a Morrison shelter, named after Herbert Morrison, the Minister of Home Security. A Morrison shelter was a reinforced box shape with meshed sides to protect the occupant. These could be used as a table during the day.
Public shelters were built and cellars of private and public buildings were equipped to deal with emergencies. Information on what you should have in your shelter or refuge room was published in a Home Office booklet entitled
The Protection of your Home against Air Raids.
Learning article provided by:
World of James Herriot |
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