What's An Anderson Shelter?

An Anderson Shelter was a type of air raid shelter built during the second world war to protect people against air raids.  

It was designed by William Paterson and Oscar Carl Kerrison as a response to a request from the Home Office and name after Sir John Anderson, who was at the time Lord Privy Seal.  

An Anderson shelter could accommodate up to 6 people and was constructed from corrugated steel panels that were curved and bolted together at the top, with straight sheets making up the sides and each end, one of which contained a door.

If a household had an income of less than £250 per year, rthey were issued free, otherwise the cost was £7.  There were 150,000 shelters distributed prior to the outbreak of the war in 1938 with a further 2.1 million being errected during the war.

After the war, many were dug up (they were buried 4feet deep in the soil), and made into garden sheds for gardens and allotments.