In 1938 Britain took several steps to prepare its citizens for the likely event of war.
Cigarette cards that usually depicted sportsmen or film stars were replaced in 1938 with an air raid precautions series (1). In total 48 collectable cards were produced by WA and AC Churchmen to raise public awareness of how to act if the enemy attacked.
Protection of Your Home During Air Raids (2) gave government advice on how to prepare for an air attack. The booklet offered instruction on darkening the house at night and preventing dangerous gases from entering the home using Air Raid Precaution Sealing Tape (3) to seal gaps around doors and windows. The tape could be stuck to windows to reduce the danger of flying glass from an explosion.
The total darkness of the Blackout resulted in hundreds of pedestrian accidents. Small pocket torches (4) were designed to help pedestrians see where they were going, but batteries were so expensive and scarce that they had limited use.
