During the late 1930s, the British government began to prepare the civilian population for war.

As well as the widely expected and feared bombing raids, it was also thought that poison gas might be used against civilians. Gas masks were issued in 1938, and over 44 million had been distributed by the outbreak of war in September 1939.

The Air Raid Wardens Service was set up in 1937. Wardens were responsible for reporting incidents, reassuring the public and providing Air Raid Precautions (ARP) advice. They were also expected to extinguish small fires, administer first aid and investigate reports of unexploded bombs. The Women's Voluntary Service was set up in 1938 to involve women in ARP.

Photographs

Fire-watcher

As well as working in a factory and being a member of the Air Training Corps, 19 year old George Metcalfe also spends time as a fire watcher. He is on duty once every ten days, and can be seen here in tin hat and 'Fire Guard' brassard patrolling his 'beat' around Norwood, London.
© IWM D 17934
As well as working in a factory and being a member of the Air Training Corps, 19 year old George Metcalfe also spends time as a fire watcher.

A fire-watcher on duty at a factory in Upper Norwood, South London, 1944. German bombers usually dropped a combination of high explosive and incendiary bombs. Incendiaries would quickly start fierce fires unless they were extinguished immediately. To combat incendiaries, people were encouraged to volunteer as fire-watchers and to draw up rotas with their neighbours. Air raid wardens issued stirrup pumps and trained people how to use them. Factories and other work places also needed fire-watchers, and at the end of 1940, fire-watching duty became compulsory.

The first air raid shelters were distributed in 1938. People without the outside space needed to put one up were encouraged to use communal shelters instead. The government was initially reluctant to allow London Underground stations to be used as shelters, although they were later forced to back down.

From 1 September 1939, 'Blackout' was enforced. Curtains, cardboard and paint were used to prevent light escaping from houses, offices, factories or shops, which might be used by enemy bombers to locate their targets. Householders could be fined if they did not comply.

Messengers, ambulance drivers, Heavy Rescue teams and firefighters all proved essential to ARP – from 1941 officially termed Civil Defence - especially during the height of the Blitz.

Almost 7,000 Civil Defence workers were killed during the war.

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a composite image of a woman's face, seen in profile, and a woman's foot, both partly hidden in dark shadows. They are connected by a meandering broken red line. text: g.r. morris Wait! Count 15 slowly before moving in the Blackout Issued by THE NATIONAL 'SAFETY FIRST' ASSOCIATION (Inc.), Terminal House, 52, Grosvenor Gardens, London, S.W.1 BLC/9. PRINTED BY LOXLEY BROTHERS, LTD.
© IWM (Art.IWM PST 0096)
The Blitz

What To Do During An Air Raid

The National Health Service was introduced in 1948, giving free healthcare to all. The Family Allowance was established and secondary schools were available for all children over 11. However, there was still great austerity. 

The Blitz.
© IWM (HU 067287)
Second World War

Amazing Colour Footage Of London During The Blitz

From Piccadilly Circus to shop windows in Mayfair, discover what the scenes were like in London during The Blitz in these short clips filmed by amateur filmmaker Rosie Newman as part of her film Britain At War.

St Paul's Cathedral seen through smoke caused by a bombing raid on London in December 1940.
© IWM (HU 36220)
The Blitz

15 Powerful Photos Of The Blitz

Beginning in September 1940, the Blitz was an aerial bombing campaign conducted by the Luftwaffe against British cities. Over a period of nine months, over 43,500 civilians were killed in the raids, which focused on major cities and industrial centres. 

Discover 15 powerful photos of The Blitz.

Photograph of Frank Hurd in uniform.
IWM Documents.4833
The Blitz

Fireman Frank Hurd's Account Of The London Blitz

Frank Hurd was a 24-year-old Londoner from Islington. On 7 September 1940, the first night of the Blitz, Hurd was stationed at Euston Road fire station. Read about his account ''Blitz' over London - An impression of the first large scale night raid on the capital, 7/9/1940', told in his own words.

St Paul's Cathedral, rising above the bombed London skyline, is shrouded in smoke during the Blitz. The photograph was taken from the roof of the Daily Mail offices in Fleet Street.
© IWM (HU 36220A)
The Blitz

10 Incredible Stories Of Bravery During The Blitz

The huge volume of explosives that were dropped by the Luftwaffe (German Air Force) on Britain during the Blitz called for incredible feats of bravery. Targeted aerial attacks on towns and cities began on 7 September 1940 and wrought huge devastation until they temporarily drew to a close in May 1941.

Winston Churchill visiting the ruins of Coventry Cathedral
Second World War

Could the Blitz have made Britain surrender?

London, Coventry, Manchester and many more were bombed. But could the Blitz have worked?

In this episode of IWM Stories, Senior Curator Ian Kikuchi answers that very question by looking at one the deadliest nights of the Blitz, the bombing of Coventry.

Black and white image showing the aftermath of a bombing raid on the city of London.
© Public Domain - Wikimedia Commons
Second World War

Did the Blitz make London richer?

The Blitz, the German bombing campaign against Britain during the Second World War, had a profound impact on London. From September 1940, the German Luftwaffe dropped some 20,000 bombs on the city, killing thousands, and leaving many more homeless. But for all its human cost, new research has revealed that the London Blitz may also have had some positive effects on the capital. 

Nightly blackouts at Piccadilly Circus in 1940 during the Blitz.
© IWM D (000712)
The Blitz

The Blitz in photographs

The Blitz and its vivid collection of photographs is the sixth title in the new series showcasing the best of IWM’s photography collection and is available to buy from the IWM Shop. 

These striking photographs tell the stories of those who experienced the Blitz and highlight the bravery and determination of civilians in wartime Britain.