Government preparations for war
wardeclared publicity through cigarette cards publicity through posters reserved occupations teaching: an alternative to the forces mining: an alternative to the forces
The British World War Two home front in ARP cigarette card pictures
About cigarette cards and cigarette card albums
For many years it was the practice for cigarette manufacturers to put what was called a 'cigarette card' inside each packet of cigarettes.
Layout of pages.
There were various themes to the cards, and children would pressurise adults to buy more cigarettes so that they could collect complete sets. Presumably this increased sales, which was why the cigarette manufacturers bothered with the practice - and indeed why it has now been discontinued! On one side of the cards was a picture and on the other some written information about the picture. Albums for the sets of cards could be bought very cheaply from tobacconists.
This page shows a set of cigarette cards on the theme of protecting the home front from the air raids of the Second World War. The set was produced by the cigarette company 'Wills', in collaboration with the ARP (Air Raid Precautions), an organisation dedicated to the protection of civilians from the danger of air-raids. The album was photographed in Lincolnsfields Children's Centre in Bushey.
In 1939 leaflets describing the preparations 'if war should come' were distributed to the public.
World War Two home front - themed cigarette cards
The following pictures would be as near as possible of a size to fit into a packet of ten cigarettes.
Types of splinter-proof wall: brick; rubble in corrugate iron and cardboard boxes of rubble, to protect against bomb blast.
Protecting walls and windows of a 'refuge room' with sandbags stacked outside, to protect against bomb blast.
Equipping a 'refuge room': the area for living, eating, drinking, reading and listening to the radio.
Stage in the production of an Anderson shelter in a back garden. This one has an extra gas-proof filtration facility which can be worked by electrical or manual treadle labour.
French-style inflatable 'balloon' shelter. Said to be quick to inflate but expensive. [I think it very unlikely that it would be quick to inflate!]
Putting out an incendiary bomb with water from a hose pipe.
Carrying water in a buckets
in a human chain.
A type of manual pump for two people.
A hose-laying lorry.
Emergency heavy pump unit.
A medium-weight power pump in action.
A power pump for towing on a car trailer.
Gas mask (known as a respirator) for civilians.
How to put on and adjust a gas mask.
Air raid wardens with a civilian despatch driver.
Volunteer mobile corps of owner drivers.
A first aid party.
Civilian anti-gas school.
Mobile gas vans.
Decontamination workers in training.
Air Defence Control Room.
Anti-Aircraft search light.
A height finder for the Anti-Aircraft Gun Section.
A light-weight, portable fire extinguisher.
Putting out an incendiary bomb by scooping it into a portable container.
Inside a gas-proofed shelter.
A light-weight power pump in action.
Supply depot for gas masks.
How to take off a gas mask.
Civilian duty gas mask.
Testing for gas contamination.
Rubber clothing.
Anti-Aircraft gun.
Pilots running to take off.
How to recognise an incendiary bomb which causes fires.
Gloucester Gauntlet interception fighter planes.
Gas mask for the services - with a longer active period than civilian gas masks.
The badge of Air Raid Precautions, a civilian service.
Window of strengthened glass (left) and celluloid (right) to prevent shattering.
Anti-Aircraft sound locator.
If you can add anything to this page or provide a photo, I would be pleased if you would contact me.
