| Air raid sirens & shelters Air raid sirens
first sounded the warning in London in September 1939. They became
an almost daily part of life in the capital a year later during the
height of 'the Blitz'.
When people heard the siren they would stop what they were doing and
make for a shelter. These might be Andersen shelters constructed
from corrugated iron which were built in gardens, or Morrison
shelters which were constructed inside the home. In London many
people crowded into tube stations and spent the raid underground.

Picture 'borrowed' from BBC Schools Web Pages
Often daily life would continue within the larger shelters - for
example, children continuing their lessons inside their school
shelter.
Transcript:
Now put your books down...and get your gasmasks out. Quietly. Now
take them carefully out of their boxes - no, no, Isobel, don't drag
at it...you show her how to do it, Margaret, will you. Now they're
all out, are they? I want you to put them on...and let's see if
everyone can get it right this time. Wait a minute. Remember, chin
in, right in first, before you begin to pull the straps over your
head. No don't rush at it Rosalie, take your time. There you are you
see, you'll have to begin all over again. Come here and I'll help
you. Now, now put your chin in...no, no, no...put your chin right
in. Push! There you are...that's more comfortable, isn't it? Now, is
everybody ready? I'll tell you what I want you to do. I want you to
get your knitting out and settle down comfortably at your desks,
then I want to see just how long you can sit there with your
gasmasks on. And when you're quite quiet, I'm going to read you a
story. Settle down, everybody. Ready? Well,
'Once upon a time, a
Queen sat sewing at her window .... '
WORLD WAR 2 1939-1945 Notes for
Doreen Wilkinson - November, 2007
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