Shelters To Re Made Gas-Proof

Northern Advocate, 10 December 1940, Page 10

Shelters To Re Made Gas-Proof

Authorities responsible for public air raid shelter’s have, it is understood, been told to examine their arrangements for gas-proofing the shelters in accordance with schemes prepared some time ago.

Military authorities along the South Coast have for some time been instructing the forces in their command in gas precautions in view of ' the possibilities! at any time now of an attempt at invasion by the enemy. It is considered possible that the Germans may include the use of poison gas as part of the preliminaries 'for an invasion. Enemy Plans. The possibility that submarines might be used for such an attack from the Channel has not been overlooked. It is believed that meteorological investigations have been made by the enemy of factors affecting the strategic use of poison gas. With the approach of colder weather there is some public concern about the risks of illness through having to spend whole nights in cold and perhaps damp air-raid shelters ,and various methods of keeping shelters dry and warm have been investigated. Heating Problem. The heating of shelters cannot, however, be combined with gas-proofing because of ventilation difficulties. At the moment the Ministry of Home Security is more concerned with urging the authorities to hasten with the work of gas-proofing the shelters for the public. Ways of making Anderson and brick private shelters as gas-proof as possible have been described in various official handbooks and leaflets issued fromi time to time.

The simplest form of gas curtain is a blanket soaked in water and hung across the entrance.