Shelter Disasters Flashcards
Did being in a shelter make you safe ?
Not really but sort of
A direct hit could penetrate where people where sheltering
When and what happened in the South Hallsville disaster ?
11 September 1940
600 people, many children, waiting in South Hallsville school in the east end
- A parachute mine was dropped on the school and it caused severe damage and casualties
- 77 bodies were recovered
What was the reaction of the government to the Hallsville disaster ?
They feared the publics reaction and possible damage to morale so they tried to hide it
Where the government prepared for the victims of the blitz ?
Not particularly
The recently homeless people got treated poorly although
By the end of October most areas in London had centres with food and medical care which could help people recover
What and when was the Bethnal Green disaster ?
7 march 1943
-Air raid sirens sound and people rush into the Tube
-Anti air gun nearby is fired which scares people causing a mass crowd surge
-At the bottom a woman fell over and subsequently others did too causing many too be trampled due to the panic and chaos
What was the result of Bethnal Green and why did it happen?
173 dead via suffocation
Due to there only being a rope handrail which was not sufficient and the nearby anti air gun/ rocket being fired
What was the impact of the shelter disasters ?
The newspapers had agreed they wouldn’t print anything that could affect morale
The result ended up being people trusting newspapers less and turning to rumours
