Inside the Anderson Shelter

Mary Dunnett's engraving shows a family taking refuge in an Anderson air raid Shelter in the garden of their home in Swiss Cottage. Nearly all are asleep.

The Anderson shelter was designed in 1938 by William Paterson and Oscar Carl (Karl) Kerrison in response to a Home Office request. It was named after Sir John Anderson, then Lord Privy Seal. Designed to accommodate up to six people, Anderson Shelters were constructed from 14 panels of galvanised corrugated steel. The shelters were 6 feet (1.8 metres) high but were buried in 4 feet (1.2 metres) of soil, and consequently flooded regularly. Their roofs also required a minimum coverage of almost half a metre of soil. Internal fittings were left to the owner, resulting in wide variations in comfort.

From February 1939 to the outbreak of the Second World War, 150,000 Anderson shelters were distributed. They were free to all householders who earned less than £250 a year; those on higher incomes were charged £7. A further 2.1 million shelters were erected during the war.