Air Raid Sirens

The sounding of air raid sirens was arranged by the Air Raid Wardens when the Luftwaffe (German air force) approached the British coast. The first siren was sounded before an air raid happened. People were expected to expect to take cover in air raid shelters immediately, before the actual raid started. People working on things important for the war effort were told to ignore the first siren telling them that aircraft were approaching. They were only allowed to take cover once the second siren sounded, when enemy aircraft were directly overhead. Another siren was sounded when it was safe to exit the shelters. This system of multiple sirens allowed ordinary people to be forewarned and safely out of the way, but let people working in essential jobs to keep working for as long as possible. It also provided a means of communication that could reach people even inside their air raid shelters, telling them that it was safe to leave.