The most important part of civilian defense was air raid protection and by November of 1941, civil defense councils could be found in every state, with local air raid wardens and auxiliary firemen appointed. The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) issued pamphlets containing air raid warning instructions such as this one sent to the town of Deerfield, Massachusetts. The sheets describe a Red Alert signal (“Expect an attack any moment”)- a three-minute warbling signal or a series of short blasts by sirens, horns, or whistles; and an All Clear signal (“Enemy aircraft no longer in the area”)- three one-minute blasts with two minutes of silence between. The instructions tell Americans what they should do in case of an attack – with or without warning -at home, work, school, in the open, and in cars, busses, or trolleys. People were instructed to go to a shelter if they received warning, or drop to the floor and find cover if they had not. They were further instructed to share this list of instructions with each member of their family.
Government Printing Office. WWII Air Raid Warning Instructions. ca. 1941. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/l05-171/. Accessed on October 16, 2024.
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