If War Should Come

Some things you should know if war should come. That's going to get your attention, isn't it? Although the second page of this four-page pamphlet assures the reader that, "This does not mean that war is expected now" most people would probably assume that it's going to be coming along fairly soon.

This British Government pamphlet dates from just before World War Two.

This was Public Information Leaflet No.1, which in itself suggests that things are gearing up. You don't bother setting up the Civil Defence organisation and printing what is self-evidently the first in a series of documents unless you think there's a need.

After promising that "The Government are taking all possible measures for the defence of the country, and have made plans for protecting you and helping you to protect yourselves, so far as may be" [my italics], it quickly gets down to brass tacks.

First up, air raids. There are three paragraphs on warnings sirens and "hooters". Then a section that conjures very sinister images.

"If poison gas has been used, you will be warned by means of hand rattles."

Imagine it. You're just coming out of the butcher's shop or the pub and you hear a sound normally associated with football matches. Only this time you have just a few seconds to throw on your gas mask before your lungs start to blister.

"Hand bells will be rung when there is no longer any danger." Accompanied, presumably, by calls of "bring out your dead".

The next section encourages you to keep your gas mask with you at all times. But frankly, the section I've just mentioned should have been scary enough for that advice to be superfluous. Of course, as the war progressed, and gas wasn't used, it was well known that people started using their gas mask cases as shoulder bags or handbags (that's purses for you Americans).

Page 3 has very brief instructions for the blackout - the bane of people's lives and the cause of a massive increase in street crime in England's cities throughout the war.

Then there are instructions for firefighting, including moving incendiary materials from your attics. What were people keeping up there? It mentions lumber, but what kind of nut keeps lumber in the most inaccessible part of the house?

"Have some buckets handy" it helpfully suggests. Yeah, that'll teach the Luftwaffe to mess with us.

Next, it mentions arrangements for the voluntary evacuation of children out of 'certain parts' of London. Later, that would not be nearly so voluntary.

The final page asks people to carry around some form of identification - presumably this is before mandatory ID cards were introduced. It suggests a luggage label, and that's a very sound idea. It's much easier to tie around your toe when they pull your body from the rubble.

And then there's the matter of food. It only hints at the much-hated rationing that would soon be introduced. Instead, it leans heavily on the concept of fair play. Here, then, we see the first faint glimmers of that eternal myth, the Spirit of the Blitz.