WW2 Anderson Air Raid Shelter
This World War Two Anderson air raid shelter saved a family’s life when houses close by were destroyed by a bomb in an air raid.
Around 3.6 million Anderson air raid shelters were distributed all over the United Kingdom as the Government expected cities and towns would be bombed during WW2. The 1937 bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War had shown the destruction that could be expected.
Very few of these air raid shelters are now known to survive. The shelters were named after Sir John Anderson who was in charge of Air Raid Precautions.
The Anderson shelter in Oval, South London is unusual for two reasons. First, it has a sturdy concrete base fixing it in position and second it is actually longer than the standard shelters. Both features may well be because the home’s owner during WW2 was a builder.
In the event of the exit being blocked by debris from the bombing, the cast iron panel at the far end of the shelter from the entrance could be removed so the occupants could tunnel their way out through the emergency exit. If the occupants could not self rescue, they would have to wait for the rescue squads to come and release them.
Anderson shelters did not guarantee protection. A direct hit would tear through the structure giving the occupants no chance of survival.
The corrugated iron is marked with the manufacturer’s name and logo. The name “Merino” and the side profile of a sheep can just be made out. The next line has the letters “H” and “O” (denoting Home Office) either side of a crown.
The two marks photographed can be seen in the 360 virtual view at the bottom of this page marked with pieces of paper.
Anderson shelters were covered in a thick layer of earth to protect the occupants from the flying debris caused by bombs. This shelter did its job and protected the occupants when 22 other people close by were killed in two separate incidents. On 27/28th September 1940 a bomb fell on Richborne Terrace killing nine and on 5th January 1945 a V1 flying bomb killing thirteen.
The corrugated iron was galvanised to make sure it did not rust away under the covering of earth.
There were also Morrison shelters which were strengthened cages to be sited indoors, designed to protect the occupants if the building collapsed around them.
The history of the Richborne Terrace air raid shelter is described in more detail on its own web page. The page has lots more detail on the bombing of Richborne Terrace in an air raid during The Blitz of World War Two.
The post-war block of flats to the right clearly show where bombs destroyed the original buildings of the same type as to the left of the picture.
360 Virtual Tour
The red bordered picture can be used like Google Street View to see the interior of the Anderson Air Raid Shelter located in Richborne Terrace.
