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Air raid shelters

There was one of those little shelters at the Jag factory Erdington for years, I often wondered what it was for?
 
That would have been a shadow factory during the war wouldn't it Frothy. Maybe that's where they were used
 
They were used, it seems, in many areas. coastal and inland by anyone who was keeping a watch. This would be home guard, sentries, air raid wardens and many security people at sensitive places.
 
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Think they must have been those areas outside the map below Bob. As I understand it there were 3 zones: evacuation, neutral and reception areas. I've started to pull together a few bits about what happened with the opening/closing/sharing of schools as a result of evacuation. Here's a start on a few of the 'neutral' schools. Viv.

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think i may have posted this one before but just in case....surface shelter at old square city centre

lyn

old square surface shelter 001.JPG
 
I gather that it is the construction of the shelters, which, it appears, were built over the subterranean toilets. The way in sign looks new as do the white markings on the brickwork and the mudguards of the truck. I notice the benches which were presumably to go in there.
 
Vivienne14 said:
Think they must have been those areas outside the map below Bob. As I understand it there were 3 zones: evacuation, neutral and reception areas. I've started to pull together a few bits about what happened with the opening/closing/sharing of schools as a result of evacuation. Here's a start on a few of the 'neutral' schools. Viv.

View attachment 123549
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Viv
Many thanks
Bob
 
Interesting Viv. I did read somewhere of a table made from steel that the occupants could sit under in the event of an air raid too.
 
I know that many of the houses that were built in during the first half of the twentieth century had a cupboard beneath their wooden staircases which many found useful as a temporary/makeshift shelter.
 
Radiorails said:
I know that many of the houses that were built in during the first half of the twentieth century had a cupboard beneath their wooden staircases which many found useful as a temporary/makeshift shelter.
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We had one of those we called it the Bogey Hole. We had bunk beds in there, me and my brother slept in there once the worst of the bombing was over. At the worst part we all slept in the Anderson shelter at the top of the back garden.
 
Eric Gibson said:
We had one of those we called it the Bogey Hole. We had bunk beds in there, me and my brother slept in there once the worst of the bombing was over. At the worst part we all slept in the Anderson shelter at the top of the back garden.
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must have been frightening eric especially for the adults i have read a few times that the children thought it was a big adventure which was probably a blessing that they did

lyn
 
My grandparents lived in Trittiford Road, Billesley and in the back garden was a brick built shed that was always referred to as the "Shelter". As a child I always wondered why and it wasn't until I was older that the truth dawned on me.
 
A hole dug to accommodate a garden air raid shelter in Thornhill Road, Sparkhill …. providing a temporary play area for my cousin.

Air raid shelter construction.jpg
 
Just goes to show how much effort was needed to install Andersons. Cute photo too Geoff ! Viv.
 
Thanks, Geoff - what a wonderful and historically significant image. And I agree, Viv. Such a lot of effort and much determination and sweat required.

A rather deeper hole than I should have expected. Difficult to see exactly how deep but more than enough to take half of the Anderson's height. And I assume it WAS for an Anderson, rather than a DIY effort by the head of the household which was the case at our home. (Still remember seeing my father standing in a similar hole as he shoveled concrete and reinforced the walls in winter 1938/39).

Chris
 
That picture is precisely how I remember ours being put in, all the neighbours got together and helped each other to dig the holes and they were just as deep as depicted in the photo, the soil removed was then shovelled back on top once the shelter was erected and bolted together.

Ours had a concrete floor and concrete 18 inches up the inside walls, bunk beds and oil lamps, we used it every night during the first and worst bombing raids.

When the war ended dad dug it out and re-erected it with some modifications as a shed.
 
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