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Anderson Shelter....
- Thread starter Eyemo
- Start date
Great Job Seimon,
I spent many happy summer holidays playing in the anderson shelter in my Nan's garden. We used to camp out in it too.
Great to know that some of the little kiddies will get the chance to see, and sit in one!
It's sad that my grandparents generation are increasingly not hear to tell their very important stories, and it's our responsibilty to tell future generations.
Good job Sir!
Ruf
I spent many happy summer holidays playing in the anderson shelter in my Nan's garden. We used to camp out in it too.
Great to know that some of the little kiddies will get the chance to see, and sit in one!
It's sad that my grandparents generation are increasingly not hear to tell their very important stories, and it's our responsibilty to tell future generations.
Good job Sir!
Ruf
The Wolf
Call Me a Cab
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The living history series "1940s House" showed the family making an Anderson shelter.
Off topic, they also got a package from the U.S. addressed from Santa Rosa a few blocks from me.
Sincerely, The Wolf
Off topic, they also got a package from the U.S. addressed from Santa Rosa a few blocks from me.
Sincerely, The Wolf
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Fleur De Guerre
Call Me a Cab
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That's brilliant Seimon!
Great stuff
Once it is up are you going to spend the night in it.
I did with a few friends once. Even though it was October with frost on the ground, being slow close together we were not cold.
(I am the one in the middle)
I was even said enough to write a webpage about it. Read it here
Once it is up are you going to spend the night in it.
I did with a few friends once. Even though it was October with frost on the ground, being slow close together we were not cold.
(I am the one in the middle)
I was even said enough to write a webpage about it. Read it here
Edward
Bartender
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What was the intended purpose of the shelters? It always seemed to me that they wre less than bomb proof.... I'm sure that part of it at least was to induce a greater feeling of security in people (even if that was more imagined than real), but I presume that there much have been some practical advantage too. Less structure to fall in on you if there was a hit close by?
They say if installed correctly an Anderson could survive all but a direct hit.
I had a look on Google for a famous image of a destroyed house, but the Anderson still in tacked.
The only image of the photo I could find was this one, which is rather small. But you get the general idea.
Harry
I had a look on Google for a famous image of a destroyed house, but the Anderson still in tacked.
The only image of the photo I could find was this one, which is rather small. But you get the general idea.
Harry
Update...Shelter almost finished. The lovely Moonlight (my Girlfriend) who instigated the project is seen leaning out of the window...
The inside represents a shelter that has a homemade feel about it (as opposed to government supplied bunks which you had to pay for). Room for two adults and two smaller bunks for a couple of children...
Cheers all!.. Eyemo and Moonlight..
The inside represents a shelter that has a homemade feel about it (as opposed to government supplied bunks which you had to pay for). Room for two adults and two smaller bunks for a couple of children...
Cheers all!.. Eyemo and Moonlight..
DutchIndo
A-List Customer
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We used to make Forts/Bunkers in our backyard to the dismay of our parents.
Ours were fairly easy though a 5-6 foot hole with a plywood roof. In our fort would be candles, cigarettes and Playboys ( Hey it was a "Man Cave" !). Our parents weren't about to crawl in our fort so it was cool.
Ours were fairly easy though a 5-6 foot hole with a plywood roof. In our fort would be candles, cigarettes and Playboys ( Hey it was a "Man Cave" !). Our parents weren't about to crawl in our fort so it was cool.
Hi Warden,Yes, the intention is to have a sleep-over. ..Thanks Fleur,Rufus and every one else for the kind comments. We've had a lot of positive response from this..Hope the kids will benefit...If not, it can be turned into the School staff room!lol
BTW Edward, my friends father survived an almost direct hit in one of these.
..Thanks Fleur,Rufus and every one else for the kind comments. We've had a lot of positive response from this..Hope the kids will benefit...If not, it can be turned into the School staff room!lolBTW Edward, my friends father survived an almost direct hit in one of these.
Mike1973
A-List Customer
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I wonder how many are left undiscovered in peoples gardens? My guess is hundreds, if not thousands!
Here is one I saw after just being discovered, somewhat unceremoneously, yesterday, while doing a site visit in Haslemere, Surrey.
Looked like it has just been buried after the war. Easier than pulling it down and removing it! The digger wasn't going to stop for me, so didn't get to look inside. In a few months there will be a driveway going over where it once stood.
BTW, good work with your reconstruction Glad there are some people out there preserving this very important part of our history.
Here is one I saw after just being discovered, somewhat unceremoneously, yesterday, while doing a site visit in Haslemere, Surrey.
Looked like it has just been buried after the war. Easier than pulling it down and removing it! The digger wasn't going to stop for me, so didn't get to look inside. In a few months there will be a driveway going over where it once stood.
BTW, good work with your reconstruction
Glad there are some people out there preserving this very important part of our history.
Chas
One Too Many
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Now all you need is some German reenactors to fly planes over your place and drop things.
Just kidding.
Just kidding.
Mike1973
A-List Customer
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Eyemo said:OOOhhhhh Noooo!!...
Sorry Seimon, I wasn't in a position to doing any saving...
The site is over an hour away and us and my boss was on a tight schedule. I didn't even get a chance to stick my nose inside.
D
Dudleydoright
Guest
Shelters
Interesting thread.
Both my parents earliest memories concern being bombed as kids !
My Dad's earliest memory was being in the Anderson whilst being bombed and seeing the door of the shelter blow inwards for a foot before being sucked back out by a bomb which took their house out and left them with only what they had in the shelter. So it saved his (and therefore my) bacon !
My Mum remembers hiding under the 'Big Table' in the corner by the stairs in her grandparents house during the Blitz.
Incidentally my Dad and his sister and my Grandmother were also bombed out of their temporary accommodation in '44 by a Doodlebug. Hitler really had it in for my family ! My Grandad was 'on holiday in Normandy' at the time and got a telegram telling him his family had been bombed and he had a 48 hour pass to find out if they were alive or not. Due to bad weather, he was delayed returning to his unti on the English side of the Channel. Within hours of being technically AWOL my Nan had lost her new accommodation and her ration books and was cast out with the two kids ! Only a few days after being bombed out. After my Grandad turned up at his unit and had a 'chit' explaining the reason for his delay, my Nan was found and given back her house and ration books.
My Grandad had only his three war medals (which he threw out upon receipt) and my Nan got none.
Dudley
Interesting thread.
Both my parents earliest memories concern being bombed as kids !
My Dad's earliest memory was being in the Anderson whilst being bombed and seeing the door of the shelter blow inwards for a foot before being sucked back out by a bomb which took their house out and left them with only what they had in the shelter. So it saved his (and therefore my) bacon !
My Mum remembers hiding under the 'Big Table' in the corner by the stairs in her grandparents house during the Blitz.
Incidentally my Dad and his sister and my Grandmother were also bombed out of their temporary accommodation in '44 by a Doodlebug. Hitler really had it in for my family ! My Grandad was 'on holiday in Normandy' at the time and got a telegram telling him his family had been bombed and he had a 48 hour pass to find out if they were alive or not. Due to bad weather, he was delayed returning to his unti on the English side of the Channel. Within hours of being technically AWOL my Nan had lost her new accommodation and her ration books and was cast out with the two kids ! Only a few days after being bombed out. After my Grandad turned up at his unit and had a 'chit' explaining the reason for his delay, my Nan was found and given back her house and ration books.
My Grandad had only his three war medals (which he threw out upon receipt) and my Nan got none.
Dudley
Edward
Bartender
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Interesting comments, all - I had no idea that the Andersons were so protective!
Dudley, alas theree seem to have been all too many cases of military personnel being disillusioned by treatment of them and their families at home.... My primary school headmaster was an ex-RAF bomber pilot; he had escaped from a POW camp, through occupied France, and felt the Brits treated him worse on his return than had the Germans. Also once branded 'LMF' by superiors because he turned tale and flew back to England to save his crew when they were sent out in a plane that turned out to have only one engine functioning. Even as late as the 80s, he refused to have anything to do with Rememberance Sunday, and boycotted Robinson's products (marmalade, etc) as they were owned by one of the commanding officers responsible for his treatment.
Dudley, alas theree seem to have been all too many cases of military personnel being disillusioned by treatment of them and their families at home.... My primary school headmaster was an ex-RAF bomber pilot; he had escaped from a POW camp, through occupied France, and felt the Brits treated him worse on his return than had the Germans. Also once branded 'LMF' by superiors because he turned tale and flew back to England to save his crew when they were sent out in a plane that turned out to have only one engine functioning. Even as late as the 80s, he refused to have anything to do with Rememberance Sunday, and boycotted Robinson's products (marmalade, etc) as they were owned by one of the commanding officers responsible for his treatment.
Dudleydoright
A-List Customer
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LMF
Lack Of Moral Fibre. I HATE that phrase/ euphorism for coward. Usually given to someone who had (temporarily or permanently) had enough and had given their all by someone who hadn't a clue what it took to put yourself in harms way repeatedly.
My grandad was a Royal Engineer attached to a Canadian Division and was in action from 7th June until the end of the war. He lost 6 close friends. That has to mark a man in many ways. My Nan only ever said that he had 'not had a good war'. My Grandad never talked about his service until I was in myself and then only about training and away from the front line. Shortly before he died whilst we were watching a programme on TV that showed Tibetan prayer flags he, out of the blue, just said that it reminded him of France in WW2. When I asked in what way, he said that whilst walking up to the front line one day he saw lots of white cloth in the trees and then realised that it was human flesh that had been truned fat side out and was hanging there for all to see. No wonder he didn't like to talk about it ! RIP old fella.
DDR
Lack Of Moral Fibre. I HATE that phrase/ euphorism for coward. Usually given to someone who had (temporarily or permanently) had enough and had given their all by someone who hadn't a clue what it took to put yourself in harms way repeatedly.
My grandad was a Royal Engineer attached to a Canadian Division and was in action from 7th June until the end of the war. He lost 6 close friends. That has to mark a man in many ways. My Nan only ever said that he had 'not had a good war'. My Grandad never talked about his service until I was in myself and then only about training and away from the front line. Shortly before he died whilst we were watching a programme on TV that showed Tibetan prayer flags he, out of the blue, just said that it reminded him of France in WW2. When I asked in what way, he said that whilst walking up to the front line one day he saw lots of white cloth in the trees and then realised that it was human flesh that had been truned fat side out and was hanging there for all to see. No wonder he didn't like to talk about it ! RIP old fella.
DDR
Edward
Bartender
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It's hard to imagine what a lot of folks must have gone through back then - not something that has changed, either: my Big Issue seller is ex-forces, did nine months in Iraq, and I gather saw some horrific stuff. I'm not sure how thins have changed - for the better, I hope, in some way - but I do often wonder how many people were left badly psychologically scarred by service the World Wars, and went untreated due to less being understood about it back then. Hell, how many were executed in WW2 for what were ultimately the symptoms of what we'd now know (and treat) as PTSD?
Anyhow, sorry for goingfftopic: folks. On the matter of air raid shelters, nxt time I'm over with my parents, I'll photograph the one that still stands in the grounds of their church.
Anyhow, sorry for going
fftopic: folks. On the matter of air raid shelters, nxt time I'm over with my parents, I'll photograph the one that still stands in the grounds of their church.
