The Anderson and Morrison Shelters

One day, Grandad Tony came to my house and started to dig a big hole in the garden. We all helped by filling sacks with the soil from the hole we dug out. Even Ruff and Tumble helped!

Grandad explained that the hole was for an Anderson Shelter. A big lorry delivered large pieces of crinkly metal which was fitted into the hole. A rounded roof made the shelter complete. The roof was then covered over with soil and grass. Mum later planted the roof with plants and vegetables.

Grandad found an old outhouse door which he fitted onto the doorway. He then made some wooden bunkbeds and put a chair and bedding into the shelter. He explained that it was for us to shelter in when there was an air raid, so it was important that it was comfortable and cosy as sometimes we would need to spend whole nights in there when Coventry was bombed.

Mum also bought a Morrison shelter for the house. It looked like a big iron table with a bed underneath, and looked like a table tennis table and of course I enjoyed playing table tennis with my friend after school.

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