Did the Tube run during the Blitz?

By the Second World War, the extensive use of bomber aircraft against London and major cities was widely anticipated. While there was an initial reluctance to use the Underground for sheltering again, the ferocity of air raids during the Blitz in 1940-41 drove people to Tube stations in large numbers.

Did the London underground flood World War 2?

Second World War The northbound platform tunnel partially collapsed and was filled with earth and water from the fractured water mains and sewers above, which also flowed through the cross-passages into the southbound platform tunnel, with the flooding and debris reaching to within 100 yards (91 m) of Clapham South.

What was the London Underground used for during the Blitz?

The tunnels of Tube stations were transformed into air raid shelters so people could escape the bombings during the Second World War. Crowds of Londoners would gather on the escalators, on the platforms and even on the tracks of the London Underground in a bid to keep safe.

What was it like inside an Anderson shelter?

What were Anderson Shelters like? The Anderson Shelters were dark and damp and people were reluctant to use them at night. In low-lying areas the shelters tended to flood and sleeping was difficult as they did not keep out the sound of the bombings. The shelter, made from heavy steel, could also be used as a table.

What was the underground in ww2?

resistance, also called Underground, in European history, any of various secret and clandestine groups that sprang up throughout German-occupied Europe during World War II to oppose Nazi rule.

What is a Morrison shelter ww2?

This type of indoor steel air raid shelter, named after the Home Secretary and Minister of Home Security, Herbert Morrison, became available to householders in 1941. It meant that people could then sleep in their own homes with a considerable degree of added safety.

What happened in the Balham Tube disaster?

On October 14, 1940, a bomb landed on the road above the northern end of Balham tube station’s platform tunnels, creating a large crater into which an out-of-service iconic London double decker bus crashed. During the Second World War, Balham was one of many deep tube stations people used as an air-raid shelter.

Is Balham a nice place to live?

It has the second lowest council tax in London, it is the last stop on the Northern Line where you can actually get a seat and it has a vibrant social and cultural scene that appeals to kids and big kids alike. That’s already four reasons why Balham is the best place to live in London.

What did ww2 smell like?

There was always the faint smell of wall plaster in the air from the wrecked houses and tumbledown walls, a dry dusty smell in fine weather and a damp more pungent smell after rain. After the major blitz on Coventry in November, fractured gas mains left a smell of gas which pervaded the outside air.

What did an Anderson shelter smell like?

They always smelled of damp. At each end of the shelter, there was a hessian curtain with an ‘Elsan’ closet in it – which was a toilet! It had a very ‘distinctive’ smell. On the night of the 27th April 1942, the first big raid on Norwich happened.