Air Raid Shelters

Top: Anderson Shelter

Bottom: Morrison Shelter

Air raid shelters were built starting around 1935, when the British prime minister of the time invited local authorities to make plans to protect their towns in the event of a war. In response, public air raid shelters were arranged. These shelters were made of brick, and their roofs were built of reinforced concrete. In 1938, the British government really began to fear a war with Germany. A group of volunteers called the Air Raid Precautions (ARP) was mobilized. Air raid shelters were made from cellars, basements, and large trenches dug in public parks. That same year, Sir John Anderson was placed in charge of the ARP. He called for an engineer to create small, cheap shelters that people could erect in their gardens. These "Anderson shelters" measured only 6ft. 6in. by 4ft. 6in. but could accommodate six people. They were made from six curved sheets bolted together at the top with steel plates at the ends and were half-buried in the earth with a steel shield and an earthen blast wall protecting the entrance. These shelters were made in bulk, and they were very cheap to buy—around £7 for people who earned some money and free to the very poor. Anderson shelters were made in bulk because they were cheap and convenient. Many people had a garden in which to erect such a shelter, and with the threat of a bombing it was much safer to have a shelter right in their own backyard than have to rush to a public shelter when the alarm was sounded.

Morrison shelters—named after home Secretary Herbert Morrison—began to be issued in 1941 after a census discovered that the majority of people did not use specially created shelters. Instead, most people slept in their own homes. Morrison shelters were made of heavy steel and designed to fit in the living room of a home, where they would be used as a table. People could lift up one wire side and crawl inside to hide. These shelters were fairly large in that they could provide sleeping space for two to three people.

In my opinion, Morrison shelters would be a much more successful shelter for the government to invest in than Anderson shelters. While both are convenient, Morrison shelters have an added convenience of being in the home. Many people had gardens where they could erect Anderson shelters, but everyone with a home had a living room in which to put a Morrison shelter. Also, Anderson shelters—having taken advantage of the earth as cover—were damp, cold, and—because of their small area—crowded. Morrison shelters were fit for three people to sleep in comfortably, as well as being inside—warm and dry. The census of 1940 showed that domestic shelters—such as Anderson shelters—were only being used by 27% of people. Obviously, the focus needed to be shifted to a new kind of shelter that would have the same level of safety but be more appealing to take cover in.