What is happening? What are the dangers?

How well protected were the people of Britain from air raids?

By the end of this lesson you will... Be able to Describe the different forms of shelter available during WW2 Be able evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each form of shelter. Be able to analyse which shelters were the most effective and why.

It is September 1940. You are out with four friends when the air raid siren sounds. Each of your friends offers to take you with them to shelter. One has a Morrison shelter in his front room; another has an Anderson shelter in her garden; the third, who lives in a flat, usually goes to the brick shelter nearby; and the last one is going to go down the tube station. Assuming that the distance to each of the shelters is about the same, which would you choose to go to, and why?

How well were people protected? Good Points Good Points Bad Points Bad Points The Anderson Shelter The Morrison Shelter Good Points Good Points Bad Points Bad Points The Brick-Built Street Shelter The Tube Station

The Tube Station Many of London’s underground (‘tube’) stations were used as shelters. At first the government tried to stop people from sheltering in the stations, but public opinion forced them to change their mind. People would buy shelter platform tickets for a penny halfpenny, and stay there during the night. They were dry, warm, and (relatively) quiet. Some stations were completely closed to trains and just used as shelters. Stations were not completely safe. Some of the high-explosives used to Travel up to 50 feet below ground. Some tube stations were not very deep. 14th October 1940 a bomb hit the water mains next to Balham tube station. 68 people died due to flooding.

The Brick-Built Street Shelter These were built of one and a half thicknesses of brick and topped by a reinforced concrete roof. These shelters could protect up to 50 people. The government tended to build these shelters in areas where many people lived in blocks of flats. Rumours spread that a near miss could lead to the people sheltering inside being crushed by the concrete roof.

The Morrison Shelter This type of shelter did not need a garden. The Morrison shelter was kept indoors, and was essentially as super strong table made of steel. A Morrison shelter could protect a whole family If a house was hit, people inside the shelter could become trapped. Because they were kept inside people’s houses, you were able to keep warm and dry whilst sheltering. It was very dangerous to be inside a Morrison shelter if your house caught fire, as there was a risk that you would not be able to get out in time. The shelter could be used as a table when not giving protection from bombs.

The Anderson Shelter They were very effective bolt-together steel shelters that were built into the ground. When covered with a layer of earth (some people even used the top of their shelters to grow vegetables!) they would protect the people inside from bombs that landed within a few yards of the shelter. They could house up to 6 people. But....These shelters needed a relatively large garden in which to be built. They were given free to poor families. Men who earned more than £5 per week could buy one for £7. Because they were below ground, they were damp, and could be prone to flooding. When the Germans began bombing Britain at night, the government expected people to sleep in their shelters.

The Tube Station

The Brick-Built Street Shelter

The Morrison Shelter

The Anderson Shelter