In View of the Outbreak of War...

Minutes of the Town Council of Aberdeen, 1935 – 1940 

 World War II began on the 1^st of September, 1939, when German forces invaded Poland. Though the United Kingdom’s declaration of war with Germany did not come until the 3^rd of September, the mobilisation of troops and evacuation of children from urban centres went into effect on that day. In Aberdeenshire, schools busied themselves to receive pupils from distant cities. In Aberdeen, the precautions put in place by the Council to safeguard the civilian population of the City from air attack were put into action.

Formation

As early as 1935 war was considered if not inevitable then at least distinctly possible, and the first Special (Air Raid Precaution) Committee was appointed in August of that year. Throughout the following years preparations were made to co-ordinate activities throughout all branches of the Council in order to effectively prioritise the protection and shelter of the civilian population, and to ensure the rapid return to good order of the city in the event of an air attack.

 Questions 

A great deal of effort was put into training Wardens and Fire-fighters in dealing with incendiary and gas bombs to counter the terrible effect of a potential gas attack on an urban population. Fortunately, no poison gas attacks were made on Britain.

At the outbreak of war, the Special Committee had to concentrate on establishing a clear set of priorities for defence and protection in the case of an air attack on the city – the wardens needed to be aware of the key locations in keeping the city’s population safe.

Priorities

After the outbreak of hostilities the Special Committee identified the areas of Aberdeen most strongly at risk in an enemy attack. The Harbour was marked out as an area particularly requiring protection.

Shelter

During the war 365 bombs, of which one hundred were incendiary (fire-generating), were to fall on Aberdeen in 28 attacks. One hundred and sixty-nine people were killed in Aberdeen during these attacks, and 592 were injured. Almost 200 houses were destroyed outright, and over twelve thousand buildings sustained damage.

[Originally our Document of the Month in September 2009]