Air raid sirens

[crazylegs]

Me and a mate got a talking about the old world war II air raid sirens and how loud they actually were, he said he would love to get hold of one and take it to a rave, I said it would have to be an old hand crank one but would probably still be to big to carry around at a rave without becoming extremely tired!

So I went looking as you do when something makes you curious and of course I turns to good old Google for starters. Well I couldn't believe what we turned up and learnt about the good old Air raid siren..

This particular Siren is still in situ 60 odd years later...Amazing!

Then there was this beast the loudest siren in the world, can be heard 30 miles away and stand 100 feet in front of it and bye bye hearing, hello permanent silence..

Its actually run by a V8 Hemi and can turn fog to water droplets, it also expels the compressed air forced into it at 400mph so no standing in front either to feel the force.. Just unbelievable

Its amazing things Google turn up, sorry I know its only a thread on Air raid sirens but I found some things about them fascinating!

 

[Anon_F]

Still many around these days mostly as they were in case of a nuclear war back in the 1980's in the days of the Cold War and possible attacks from Russia.

 

[Taffycat]

Interesting linkys CL.

When we first moved here in the 1970s, an air raid siren would go off about once each week (usually on a Wednesday evening, if memory serves.) It would be sounding the "all clear" rather than the "grab a tin helmet and duck" wailings, and even though I was not born until six years after the war, the sound would always give me chills.

Anyway, that went on for years, but then stopped happening, but your post has reminded me of it.

 

[EvanDavis]

sorry I know its only a thread on Air raid sirens but I found some things about them fascinating!

No need to appologise CL. I find stuff like this very interesting. Compared to some of the folk on here I am but a kid. OUCH! I can feel the ear bashing I am heading for

 

[nivrip]

When we first moved here in the 1970s, an air raid siren would go off about once each week (usually on a Wednesday evening, if memory serves.) It would be sounding the "all clear"

WHY ???????

 

[Taffycat]

WHY ???????

Well I know this will sound daft, Niv, .... but we never managed to find out!

Compared to some of the folk on here I am but a kid. OUCH!

Oops! Soz Evan... did my toecap accidentally make contact your shin...?

 

[EvanDavis]

Oops! Soz Evan... did my toecap accidentally make contact your shin...?

Yes the bit right between my and just higher than my knee caps

 

[floppybootstomp]

I can vaguely remember hearing air raid sirens as well.

And I can also remember, at about the age of 4 or 5, seeing a barrage balloon tethered on the site which was to become my secondary school. They wuz a bit slow taking them things down.

Talking of sirens, when I first started me disco way back in the ice age I managed to get hold of an American Diesel train hooter which I'd let off occasionally at gigs. man, that was LOUD

Unfortunately it didn't last because being only 20 years old at the time I didn't realise them USA peeps use 110 volts whilst we knights of the round table use 240 volts. So eventually it blew.

 

[bootneck02]

Mine is the tin bowler

I found your bit on the air raid siren very interesting. I was in the AFS ( Auxiliary Fire Service) in the early 1960's we were trained for Nuclear Warfare as part of the training. The idea was that if war was declared the professional Fire service would be evacuated to a place of safety and we would man the fire stations. When the balloon went up it would be us that copped the radiation, blast etc but commence in fighting fires and rescues and not them. They would return and finish the job off, I suppose we would be dying of radiation poisoning or dead by then. The siren was sounded every week as the all clear to ensure that the siren was operational if it did not sound a report was sent to the Home Office and they would send someone to repair it. I was at the time working in a large factory and we had the hand portable ones at the fire points so we could evacuate, no one had thought about air raid shelters so I expect it was a case put your head between your knees and kiss your a*** good-by. I think the AFS was wound up with the CD(Civil Defence Corps) in 1963/4 with the partial disbandoment of the Observer Corps who by then were there to monitor the spread of radiation in the case of war, I think they disbanded completly in the 1980's.

 

[floppybootstomp]

Duck and Cover boys and girls.

Just remember, a good citizen should always trust the British Goverment

You know it makes sense.

 

[bootneck02]

Mine is the tin bowler

I found your bit on the air raid siren very interesting. I was in the AFS ( Auxiliary Fire Service) in the early 1960's we were trained for Nuclear Warfare as part of the training. The idea was that if war was declared the professional Fire service would be evacuated to a place of safety and we would man the fire stations. When the balloon went up it would be us that copped the radiation, blast etc but commence in fighting fires and rescues and not them. They would return and finish the job off, I suppose we would be dying of radiation poisoning or dead by then. The siren was sounded every week as the all clear to ensure that the siren was operational if it did not sound a report was sent to the Home Office and they would send someone to repair it. I was at the time working in a large factory and we had the hand portable ones at the fire points so we could evacuate, no one had thought about air raid shelters so I expect it was a case put your head between your knees and kiss your a*** good-by. I think the AFS was wound up with the CD(Civil Defence Corps) in 1963/4 with the partial disbandoment of the Observer Corps who by then were there to monitor the spread of radiation in the case of war, I think they disbanded completly in the 1980's.

 

[crazylegs]

Maybe Bootnecks observations on when they wound it all up and disbanded it would tally up with TC's sirens being sounded every week and then suddenly stopping...Does that sound about right TC 1963-64ish

I do remeber reading somewhere that lots of these air raid sirens were kept operational in the event of a nuclear war, and remember them being sounded now and again in the early 80's over the Airfield where I used to live which was still MOD at that point I might add..

Anyone remember the TV programme THREADS about the nuclear holocaust hitting Britain and what would happen, I was shocked when I first saw it..

 

[Taffycat]

...Does that sound about right TC 1963-64ish

No, a wee bit later, we moved into our current home in 1974... I think it ended in the early 1980s, or thereabouts. Difficult to pinpoint exactly when... it just dawned on us one day, that we hadn't heard it in a while.

 

[crazylegs]

No, a wee bit later, we moved into our current home in 1974... I think it ended in the early 1980s, or thereabouts. Difficult to pinpoint exactly when... it just dawned on us one day, that we hadn't heard it in a while.

80's you say!

That ties in with the sirens still being sounded over at the old MOD airfield across the road from where we used to live...Hmmm interesting!

Its rather ventured into other territory has this thread but still interesting all the same..

 

[bootneck02]

Just watched Threads yes horrifying isn't it, I went up to Morton in the Marsh when I was in the AFS on a couple of courses and what the film showed was what we were expecting. Now looking back on the training and the TV program I have just watched, I don't think at the time it sunk in how it would be. I think the older people in the AFS and Civil Defence who had been through the WW2 knew and realised what it would mean should it happen. Thank whichever god you believe in it did not happen and sense prevailed.

 

[crazylegs]

Just watched Threads yes horrifying isn't it, I went up to Morton in the Marsh when I was in the AFS on a couple of courses and what the film showed was what we were expecting. Now looking back on the training and the TV program I have just watched, I don't think at the time it sunk in how it would be. I think the older people in the AFS and Civil Defence who had been through the WW2 knew and realised what it would mean should it happen. Thank whichever god you believe in it did not happen and sense prevailed.

Yeah heck of a programme even 26 years down the road, I watched some of it again and made me realise even now I could never understand the full horror of something like that if it happened!

 

[bootneck02]

Strange how this thread has run not usual conversation for a techie forum but interesting.

 

[Urmas]

Here, general alarm systems are tested every month's first Monday @12:00.

http://www.hel.fi/hki/pela/en/Civil+defence/Alerting+the+public

HOWTO (Flash animation)

(As for the radiation... the Defence Forces rain "poncho" was nicknamed "magic cape" – according to conscript training manual, in case of a mushroom cloud, magic cape on, duck, wait, grab fir twig, dust off cape, proceed.)

 

[bootneck02]

Unfortunately this country is now poorly equipped and manned for a major emergency now as we have got rid of our volunteers such as the AFS and CD. Should we have a major emergency we would have to rely on the professional services. Luckily we still have got St Johns Ambulance and the Red Cross which are funded by public donations. The previous governments in the 1960's as the cold war started to recede they made the decision to cut the AFS & DC to save money.

 

[floppybootstomp]

I'd imagine if the UK was hit by a major nuclear strike it could pretty well be obliterated, it's such a tiny island and the cpability of present day warheads is huge.

But who, realistically, would hit us right now with a nuclear strike?

I think it's safe to discount the so-called Real IRA and the Russkies have discovered organised crime, gambling and pimping since communism was abolished so they is too busy to wage war so that leaves - The Middle East.

More specifically Al Qeda and Iran.

Any warheads coming from their direction that managed to hit home in the UK would almost certainly be on London and I doubt very much if they'd have the resources or finances to level our whole island.

In which case, there would be a need for emergency services and measures.

As for warning sirens if a great big missile with a nuclear nosecone was winging it's way towards Big Ben and the air raid sirens sounded they would translate roughly as 'No mater how fast you run or drive within ten minutes you will be vapourisd'.

Fun scenario eh?