Survival Advice for Air Raids
Written by Scarlett Adams, 1940
Introduction
How to Stay Safe
Step Two: It is essential that you find some sort of shelter in the event of an air raid. Throughout London, there are eight underground deep-level shelters. If you are taking shelter in a home, try to find the safest room with the least amount of windows, such as a basement. Broken glass fragments can cause serious injuries and wounds. If there is no room in your shelter house with minimal windows, try covering the inside of the window with a light colored cloth to prevent the glass from flying into the refuge room.
Step Three: If you can't reach shelter before the attack begins, you should try to stay as calm as possible. Avoid bodily contact with a solid wall, as you could be injured from the shock of the impact. Also, open your mouth slightly to stop your lungs from exploding due the blast. While splinters from a bomb fly upwards, the safest place to be is the ground. Lie flat on your face and support your head in your arms. If you can't lie down all the way, the next safest position is to sit, however lying down is recommended.
Step Four: Be aware of the gunned passengers riding in a bomber. Most passengers are equipped with machine guns, but to hit targets effectively the airplanes must not be flying at an altitude greater than about fifty feet above ground level. Therefore, this form of attack is rare among large cities with tall buildings like London, however this precaution should always be taken. A machine gun can fire once every ten to twelve seconds. If the plane is flying at 200 miles per hour, a bullet will be fired around every ten yards. Just know that most bullets will not be able to penetrate brick walls, so those in brick homes are safe if they keep away from windows. Likewise, keep out of sight of attacking planes, do not congregate in large groups, and take cover if possible.