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The home front - Coggle Diagram
The home front
ARP/gas masks
Air raid precautions were organised by the national government and delivered by the local authorities. The aim was to protect civilians from danger of air-raids.
Their main purpose of ARP wardens was to patrol the streets during the blackout and to ensure that no light was visible.
There were 1.4 million ARP wardens in Britain, most of who were part time volunteers who had full time jobs. You could recognise them by the helmets that they wore; they had a big W on the front.
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Everybody was given a gas mask in a cardboard box, to protect them from gas bombs, which could be dropped during air raids.
Blackout
The blackout was when everyone had to cover their windows and doors at night with heavy blackout curtains cardboard or paint.
They covered their windows to prevent any glimmer of light from escaping and aiding enemy aircraft during the bombing raids
Street lights were switched off or dimmed and shielded to deflect the light downwards. Traffic lights and vehicle headlights were fitted with slotted covers to deflect the beam down to the floor.
Thousands of people died in car crashes. They increased because of the lack of street lighting and the dimmed traffic lights.
Evacuation
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Evacuation was a potentially traumatic occurrence and the government tried to lessen its impact by issuing advice to all of those impacted by evacuation.
Heavy bombing was expected in Britain's large industrial centres. The government thought that people would be safer in the country so plans were drawn up to evacuate people from the cities.
Britain was divided into three zones: evacuation areas, where heavy bombing was expected. Reception areas, mostly country areas, safe from bombing. The evacuees would move here and stay with local families. Neutral areas, which might suffer light attacks. Nobody would evacuate from or into these areas.
Home guard
The home guard was originally formed as the local defence volunteers in 1940 and was responsible for guarding coastal areas and factories from invasion. It was disbanded in 1945.
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Many of the men who joined the home guard who could not join the regular army because their day time jobs were necessary to keep the country running. They included farm workers, bakers and teachers.
Rationing
Rationing was introduced at the tail end of WW1 in 1918 because of the shortage of food and other house hold products.
Due to their allies and Germans stopping or delaying important goods and foods being imported to Britain.
Rationing was very importantin WW1 because without it many people in Britain wouldn't of had enough or a fair share of food.
Air raid shelters
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Several different types of raid shelters were used by the people of Britain during the Blitz of WW2.
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