The Anderson Shelter: Britain’s Backyard Protection During the Second World War

The Anderson Shelter: Britain’s Backyard Protection During the Second World War

Today I want to continue learning about what life was like on the British Home Front during the Second World War. I want to look at the Anderson shelter. The Anderson shelter became one of the most recognisable symbols of wartime Britain.

Before the war officially started, the British government was already worried that modern bombing would cause devastating destruction. People could still remember the First World War, but aircraft technology had advanced dramatically. Many experts believed that if war did come, large numbers of civilians could be killed in air raids. This fear influenced major preparations across the country.

In 1938, the government asked Sir John Anderson, who was responsible for air raid precautions, to help develop a shelter that could protect people at home. The result was the Anderson shelter, clearly named after him. It was designed to be simple and quick to build. But it also needed to be strong enough to help protect people from debris.

 

The shelter was made from corrugated steel sheets bolted together into a curved shape. It was partly buried in the ground, usually around four feet deep, the earth was piled on the top to help absorb any blast or shrapnel. Most were built in gardens or backyards. They were designed to hold about six people, but many families squeezed in more when needed.

From early 1939, shelters were distributed to households earning less than £250 a year for free, but others could buy one for £7. Having an Anderson shelter delivered must have made the threat of war feel very real. War was something that was being discussed in newspapers or on the radio. But this brought the fear right to their doorstep.

Building the shelter was not easy. Families had to dig the hole themselves, which must have been daunting as well as  exhausting, especially for older people or those without much help. It must have made them wonder. Why would they need something this strong unless something terrible was coming?

When war began on the 1st of September 1939 and the blackout started, and the shelters became all to familiar. People must have hoped they would never need them. But the bombing intensified, especially during the Blitz and many families were forced to spend countless nights in them.

The Anderson shelter was far from comfortable. They were cold, damp, dark, and smelled of wet mud. Rain sometimes got in, which left the walls wet and floors muddy. Winter must have been especially miserable. Families brought in blankets, candles, hot drinks, and sometimes mattresses to make things easier, but it did little to make people comfortable. Some people even decorated their shelters with curtains or pictures to make them a little more appealing.

Imagine being a parent trying to stay calm while bombs are falling. You might have been terrified, but you still had to reassure your children that everything would be alright. The emotional strain must have been enormous.

 Anderson shelters saved thousands of lives. Their curved steel design and earth covering gave surprisingly good protection against falling debris and nearby explosions. They gave families a fighting chance to survive the night.

 

Could you imagine having to spend night after night in one of those cramped shelters?