The government also ordered houses windows to have thick black curtains so no light could escape. All street lights where turned off during the evening to prevent The German bombers from detecting Coventry from the air. The government also encouraged the covering of vehicle headlamps. For example they had to tape half of their headlights with black tape, which as a result greatly increased the amount of vehicle deaths.
Anti-aircraft guns where used to shoot down bombers that were flying towards Coventry. They were however unsuccessful because the planes where usually to fast to be shot. At the end of the war these guns had shot down only two planes. But the guns had their advantage; they increased the morale of the people of Coventry by making them think that they were “giving it” to the Germans.
Industrial factories were painted in the colour of the countryside to camouflage themselves from German pilots who were looking to destroy theses factories because they provided the army with vehicles to be used in the war.
Coombe pool was drained of its water because it was a major landmark for German pilots to find Coventry. This was because light reflected off the water and shined which gave the pilots a way of directing themselves to Coventry
The following methods were used to protect and prevent life loss in Coventry. The government instructed children to be sent off to live in countryside homes where they would be much safer as the German bombers usually attacked big cities because of their contribution to the war.
There were two types of air raid shelters public and private. There were two different private air raid shelters that people could buy. Anderson shelters were built in gardens and were usually expensive and they had to be constructed. The Morrison shelters where cheaper but much more simpler, being just a metal cage that would be placed under the family table.
The public air raid shelters where used for when people going about their daily day to day jobs heard the alarm signaling the attack of bombers. They had to stop whatever they where doing and then proceed to the nearest shelter.
The government also issued gas mask to the people of Britain because they where afraid that the Germans would use gas on their people just as they had done in the First World War. All people were required to carry their gas mask with them wherever they went. This advantage of this was that it reassured people that the government cared for their safety.
ARP wardens were people who volunteered to make sure that people obeyed the black out. They also had the job of sounding the siren and helping people get to shelters. As well as that they helped to clear the damage after the end of a bombing.
The government also introduced measures to deal with the after effects of the bombing. First aid shelters were introduced. These were small buildings that provided immediate help for people with minor injuries to reduce the burden on the hospitals. These were increasingly used as the hospitals was bombed during the war.
The AFS (auxiliary fire service) were volunteers who dealt with fires set off by incendiary fires. Many of the professional firemen were away at war, but even a full fire service would have trouble coping with the amount of damage and destruction caused due to the bombings.
