FACTSHEETS

THE BLACKOUT

The Blackout began on the 1st September 1939, two days before the outbreak of World War II. Streetlamps were turned off and railway and road signs were taken down; even car headlights and glowing cigarettes were banned.

At home, everyone had to cover their windows at night with black cotton material. The government had to make sure that there was enough blackout material for each household and that everyone could afford to buy it. Many people used paint or cardboard instead though to keep costs down.

Families could spend a lot of time putting up blackout material only to find that it was not thick enough to keep in the light. Businesses were also affected. Some factories had glass roofs and these had to be painted black which was extremely expensive. Shops had to think of ways to allow customers to leave without the light from inside the shop showing. In many cases they used two sets of doors, one to keep the light in and an outer set of doors onto the pavement.

ARP (Air Raid Patrol) wardens were in charge of making sure that the rules were adhered to and people were fined or could appear in court if they did not do as they were told.

Deaths from traffic accidents and drowning increased as people could not see where they were going. By 1940, torches were allowed to be used as long as they pointed towards the floor and the beam was covered with black tissue paper. In the same year, the speed limit was reduced to 20mph and central white lines were painted on the roads – these are still used today. Curb edges on pavements were also painted white although, by this time, there were fewer cars around due to petrol rationing and by 1942 there was no petrol at all for private cars.

In 1944, the Dim Out was introduced. This meant that the equivalent of moon light was allowed to be seen, although a full black out was expected if the air raid siren was heard.

At the end of the war, in 1945, streetlamps were turned back on and this dramatically improved people’s morale.