In the nazi time, why did you have to carry gas masks? What did ARP wardens do? What were Morrison shelter?

ThanksIn the nazi time, why did you have to carry gas masks? What did ARP wardens do? What were Morrison shelter?
Wen the war satrted we where all issued with gas masks in case of a guess attack.verybody here carried one,An Air Raid Warden was any one who hadnt yet beencalled up or was to old had to do patrol duties during air raids to help where required.The Home Secretary at the time was Herbert Morrison and decreed that every one could have a corrogated iron shelter in his garden for bomb protection and it was called a Morrison shelter.Some people still have them today as garden sheds.I was 14 then and was a messenger boy cos I had a bike and went where the warden told me to take messages to the ambulances or fire stations.In the nazi time, why did you have to carry gas masks? What did ARP wardens do? What were Morrison shelter?
1)


By September 1939 some 38 million gas masks had been given out, house to house, to families. They were never to be needed.





Why were people given gas masks during the war?





Everyone in Britain was given a gas mask in a cardboard box, to protect them from gas bombs, which could be dropped during air raids





Why did people fear that chemical weapons might be used in World War Two?





Gas had been used a great deal in the First World War and many soldiers had died or been injured in gas attacks. Mustard gas was the most deadly of all the poisonous chemicals used during World War I. It was almost odourless (could not be smelt easily) and took 12 hours to take effect. It was so powerful that only small amounts needed to be added to weapons like high explosive shells to have devastating effects.





There was a fear that it would be used against ordinary people at home in Britain (civilians).





Posters





Posters reminded people to carry their gas mask at all times. People were fined if they were caught without their gas masks.





2)Air Raid Precaution


ARP wardens or air-raid wardens had the task of patrolling the streets during blackout, to ensure that no light was visible. It was essential to black out the lights of the city so the German bombers would not be able to locate their intended targets.





3)


In November 1938, Chamberlain placed Sir John Anderson in charge of Air Raid Precautions (ARP). He immediately commissioned the engineer, William Patterson, to design a small and cheap shelter that could be erected in people's gardens. Within a few months nearly one and a half million of what became known as Anderson Shelters were distributed to people living in areas expected to be bombed by the Luftwaffe.





Made from six curved sheets bolted together at the top, with steel plates at either end, and measuring 6ft 6in by 4ft 6in (1.95m by 1.35m) the shelter could accommodate six people. These shelters were half buried in the ground with earth heaped on top. The entrance was protected by a steel shield and an earthen blast wall.





Anderson shelters were dark and damp and people were reluctant to use them at night. In low-lying areas they tended to flood and sleeping was difficult as they did not keep out the sound of the bombings. Another problem was that the majority of people living in industrial areas did not have gardens where they could erect their shelters.





A census held in November 1940 discovered that the majority of people in London did not use specially created shelters. The survey revealed that of those interviewed, 27 per cent used Anderson shelters, 9 per cent slept in public shelters whereas 4 per cent used underground railway stations (4 per cent). The rest of those interviewed were either on duty at night or slept in their own homes.





Ellen Wilkinson was made responsible for air raid shelters and was instrumental in the introduction of the Morrison Shelter in March 1941. Named after the Home Secretary, Herbert Morrison, the shelters were made of very heavy steel and could be put in the living room and used as a table. One wire side lifted up for people to crawl underneath and get inside. Morrison shelters were fairly large and provided sleeping space for two or three people





see site below for pictures of it