Before the Second World War, British people feared that any future war would involve heavy aerial bombing of civilian areas. In December 1937, the British government passed the Air Raid Precautions (or ‘ARP’) Act, requiring local authorities to ready themselves in case of air attack.
One of the most visible forms of ‘ARP’ was the air raid warden. These wardens became the first link in a chain of ARP bodies that would include firefighters, rescue and first aid parties, ambulance crews and medics.
The wardens had a range of duties, such as advising local people on air raid precautions and enforcing the night time ‘blackout’ to ensure no artificial lights were visible from the air. During a raid, wardens were responsible for monitoring and reporting bomb damage, and for helping to coordinate the response of other civil defence services.
These eight objects are just some of the things an air raid warden might have needed during the Blitz.
