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Named after the Home Secretary, Herbert Morrison, the shelters were made of very heavy steel and could be put in the living room and used as a table. One wire side lifted up for people to crawl underneath and get inside. Morrison shelters were fairly large and provided sleeping space for two or three people.

What was inside a Morrison Shelter?

The Morrison shelter was effectively a metal cage, in which the occupants would lie until an air raid subsided. Often doubling as a kitchen table, Morrison shelters were supplied flat-packed for D.I.Y. assembly.

What are air raid shelters made out of?

These shelters were half buried in the ground with earth heaped on top to protect them from bomb blasts. They were made from six corrugated iron sheets bolted together at the top, with steel plates at either end, and measured 6ft 6in by 4ft 6in (1.95m by 1.35m).

How big was a Morrison Shelter?

Morrison shelters were 2 metres in length, 1.2 metres in width and 75 cm tall. It was designed to be slept under at night and used as a table for the rest of the time.

What are Morrisons shelters?

The indoor steel air raid shelters, named after the Home Secretary and Minister of Home Security, Herbert Morrison, became available to householders in 1941, and it meant that people could now sleep in their own homes with a considerable degree of added safety. Over one million were in use by 1945.

What are the disadvantages of a Morrison Shelter?

In low-lying areas they tended to flood and sleeping was difficult as they did not keep out the sound of the bombings. Another problem was that the majority of people living in industrial areas did not have gardens where they could erect their shelters.

How was the Morrison Shelter made?

The shelters came in assembly kits, to be bolted together inside the home. They were approximately 2 m long, 1.2 m wide and 0.75 m high, had a solid 3 mm steel plate “table” top, welded wire mesh sides, and a metal lath “mattress”- type floor.

Did Morrison shelters save lives?

In one examination of 44 severely damaged houses it was found that three people had been killed, 13 seriously injured, and 16 slightly injured out of a total of 136 people who had occupied Morrison shelters; thus 120 out of 136 escaped from severely bomb-damaged houses without serious injury.

Who built air raid shelters?

The shelter was virtually undamaged and the volunteer survived to tell the tale. The Anderson air raid shelter, made of curved corrugated steel sheet, saved many lives during the Blitz of the major cities. Designed by the British Steelworks Association in early 1939, the structure was 6ft.

How many people could a Morrison Shelter fit?

The Morrison shelter It was basically a steel cage, holding four people at a squeeze. Its flat top was good for table tennis and it made a fine den for children's games, but it was a lifesaver too.