Britain had been expecting air raids long before Adolf Hitler ordered his Luftwaffe to bomb the city of Londonon the 7th September 1940 and had taken many precautions to protect themselves from the bombs.

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Describe the effects on everyday life in Britain

Britain had been expecting air raids long before Adolf Hitler ordered his Luftwaffe to bomb the city of London on the 7th September 1940 and had taken many precautions to protect themselves from the bombs.

The government had predicted that 100000 tonnes of bombs would fall on London in the first fortnight of the war. They expected thousands of civilians would be killed and injured. Many cardboard coffins were made and lime pits were dug for mass burial. It was presumed that the Germans would use gas, as they had done in the First World War; therefore gas masks were distributed to all of the population and were to be carried at all times.

Many people built shelters in their gardens, in the cities people would hide under the stairs or they were supplied with Morrison shelters which could be set up under the table. Over 100000 people living in London decided that the safest place to shelter was in the tube.

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Many children were evacuated to the countryside, however many became homesick and fled back to the dangers of where the bombs were dropping.

The blackout rule was enforced by the Air Raids Precaution, everyone was afraid that the German bombers would see the lights and would drop bombs on the houses. People had to buy thick dark curtains, others stuck brown paper over the window. In some factories the windows were painted black. All the street lights were turned off and car headlights were blacked out except for a tiny cross in the middle. The amount of casualties caused by ...

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