Air Raids

The threat of invasion during the Second World War led to units of Local Defence Volunteers (later known as the Home Guard) being formed to support the regular Army in the event of attack. Air Raid Precaution (ARP) units had already been set up before 1939, with ARP patrols locating bomb “incidents” and co-ordinating responses by fire and rescue services.

Police, Auxiliary Fire Service (AFS), heavy rescue and stretcher teams were often needed to recover the dead and wounded from buildings damaged by air raids. Women served alongside men in a range of civil defence roles. 

The new Marton Gasworks, Blackpool, 1940. The gasworks were bombed by the Germans on September 18th, 1940, a low-flying bomber swooped at dusk from the rain-clouds and dropped 20 incendiary bombs around the buildings.

They were gallantly extinguished by the fireguards before any serious damage was done.