Your Gas Mask How to Keep it and How to Use it; Masking Your Windows
London: United Kingdom, Lord Privy Seal's Office, 1939. Presumed First Edition, First printing. Single sheet, printed on both sides. Sheet is approximately 11 inches by 8.5 inches, folded in half, with printing on all four sides/pages. Sheet has wear, soiling and some staining. Minor corner creasing. This has on the lower right corner of the last page the number 51-4154 [printer's code?]. This is Public Information Leaflet No. 2. The contents address taking care of one's gas mask, how to store it, how to put it on, how to take it off, and how to put one's mask away. Additionally, there is information relative to blackout requirements and how to mask one's windows and control interior lighting. There was a pointed reminder not to forget about skylights, for those structures with them. Air Raid Precautions (ARP) refers to a number of organizations and guidelines in the United Kingdom dedicated to the protection of civilians from the danger of air raids. Government consideration for air raid precautions increased in the 1920s and 30s, with the Raid Wardens' Service set up in 1937 to report on bombing incidents. Every local council was responsible for organizing ARP wardens, messengers, ambulance drivers, rescue parties, and liaison with police and fire brigades. From 1 September 1939, ARP wardens enforced the "blackout". Heavy curtains and shutters were required on all private residences, commercial premises, and factories to prevent light escaping and so making them a possible marker for enemy bombers to locate their targets. With increased enemy bombing during the Blitz, the ARP services were central in reporting and dealing with bombing incidents. They managed the air raid sirens and ensured people were directed to shelters. The fear of the use of poison gas by German aircraft was one of the paramount concerns of the Second World War. Although Britain, France and Germany had all renewed the Geneva Gas Protocol (1925), in September 1939 there were still concerns that the enemy might have employed gas against military or civilian personnel, and ARP personnel were trained to handle gas attacks and on anti-gas measures and protection. Several arms of the ARP services were directly concerned with gas. The Decontamination Service was the first, to decontaminate roads, buildings and materials contaminated by liquid or jelly gases, which would evaporate over time and these would have been dealt with by using a neutralizing agent against the liquid or jelly. Decontamination of people was carried out as part of first aid, while later decontamination personnel were trained in rescue work as well. Depots were set up as six depots per 100,000 people, with two decontamination squadrons per depot, each squadron consisting of six men with their equipment. The Cleansing Service was to clean people who had been exposed, through showers by mobile units with special vans and lorries. Clothing had to be boiled, if exposed, for varying lengths of time dependent on the material. Civilian clothing was the responsibility of the Ministry of Health. Each gas presented its own problems and required special counters, and the Gas Identification Service, with 3 personnel per 100,000 population provided where possible, was to identify the gas used in an attack. Condition: Fair.
Keywords: Civil Defense, Air Raid Precautions, A.R.P., Gas Mask, Black-out, Blackout, Window Masking, Public Information, Respirator, War Gases, Skylight, Emergency Procedures
[Book #83837]
Price: $50.00