World War Two brought an untold menace to the towns and villages of the United Kingdom. For the first time, war was being waged from the skies on a huge scale and aerial bombing brought new terror to civilian life. In response, a government department known as Air Raid Precautions was established to sound air-raid sirens in the event of imminent threat, evacuate people to safety, report unexploded bombs and place cordons around them to protect the public, as well as help rescue people from destroyed and damaged buildings. Thousands were trained in this role, which often involved dangerous work, particularly when supporting bomb disposal squads. This book provides an overview of the work of these volunteers through countless stories reported in newspapers and official reports through the war years. From identifying unexploded bomb locations, protecting crashed aircraft sites and educating children about the dangers of bombs, to an explanation of the work of the scientists who decoded the mechanisms that triggered bombs to explode, this account gives an insight into extraordinary times in recent history.
