Voices from Civil Defence Region 5: London

Peter Ciuffetti

24 May 2022

18 items

Shelter Life: I reached the second step from the top and it was impossible to move backward or forward. The pressure was terrible. Nothing was moving and all I could hear was screaming and shouting. Caroline Bryant, Bethnal Green, 1943 [...] Aftermath of Bombing: Several cases of looting after dark have already come to the notice of the authorities, some having reference to damaged houses and other, regrettably, in connection with dead bodies. Regional Officer, a report on Merton and Morden, 1941 [...] Evacuation: Dear Sir, Have been referred to you from County Hall. regarding death of my mother under evacuation scheme for aged people. J. Marshall, London, 1940 [...] Home Guard: Nevertheless it is extremely difficult for wardens to look after the safety of civilians if Home Guards take up this truculent attitude of non-co-operation and the air of being higher authorities than the wardens. Ministry of Information report on raw materials for London, 1940 [...] Rationing: A retail butcher on conviction for illicit slaughtering should invariably be warned that a repetition of the offence will be followed by the revocation of his licence. Ministry of Food Official Circular, 1941