The government threatened to punish people for not carrying gas masks. People were encouraged to wear gas-masks for 15 minutes a day to get used to the experience. People reacted in the most uncivilised way because they were so certain that poison gas would be used by the Germans and there were not enough gas masks issued on that first delivery. Elsie was right about the gas masks, and several weeks later there was a mad panic for these frightful looking things at local school rooms, where they were being distributed. Fry, the local Councillor and her next-door neighbour, and he had told her in confidence that the first consignment of gas masks due to be delivered the following week would be far from adequate and it was a question of distribution. Joyce Storey lived in Bristol: 'Elsie remarked that she had spoken to Mr. (4) Neville Chamberlain went on to radio to explain the measures the government was taking: 'How horrible, fantastic, incredible, it is that we should be digging trenches and trying on gas masks here because of a quarrel in a far away country between people of whom we know nothing.' (5) Mickey Mouse gas mask (1939) People carried their gas masks in cardboard cases for many months. There were also gas helmets for babies into which mothers would have to pump air with a bellows. (3)Īdult gas masks were black whereas children had 'Micky Mouse' masks with red rubber pieces and bright eye piece rims. However, it was at late as May 2014 that the Health and Safety Executive issued a warning to schools that they should not let children touch or try on gas masks as they contained asbestos.

Tests showed that asbestos fibres can also be inhaled by wearing the masks. The gas masks were produced by a company in Blackburn and after the war factory workers making the masks started showing abnormally high numbers of deaths from cancer. (2) A child tries on a gas mask in school (1939) While the masks were effective in terms of being able to filter out poisonous gases like mustard gas, phosgene or chlorine gas, the filters were in fact very dangerous to humans as it was later discovered that exposure to asbestos could causes asbestosis, pleuritis, and lung cancer, as well as a number of other lethal and incurable diseases. Gas masks contained chrysotile (white asbestos) or crocidolite (blue asbestos) in their filters. Over 38 million gas masks were distributed to regional centres. It was therefore decided to issue a gas masks to everyone living in Britain. Hand bells will tell you when there is no longer any danger from poison gas.' (1) If you hear hand rattles do not leave your shelter until the poison gas has been cleared away. The government issued a warning on 3rd September, 1939, that people must go to their nearest air raid shelter during bombing attacks: 'If poison gas has been used, you will be warned by means of hand rattles. The British government believed that some form of poison gas would be used on the civilian population during the war.

British mickey mouse gas mask