The Royal Observer Corps played an important part in defending Britain by informing the authorities of impending attacks. Many of Britain’s cities were attacked, including Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow. The Blitz had killed 43,000 by May 1941 and made homeless 1.4 million people. Contrary to expectations, the number of suicides dropped and drunkenness declined during the war years. Civilians coped surprisingly well in the face of bombings. Faced with little other option, people developed a “wartime spirit” to boost morale during the Blitz. The government attempted to boost morale during this time through different forms of media. The Luftwaffe managed to get to London relatively easily despite the blackouts thanks to the Thames, which they followed to the East End’s docks. Use of the underground as a shelter peaked on 27 September 1940, when 177,000 people across London sought safety in the stations. To start with the government underestimated the potential use of the underground stations. However, the biggest nuisance is the inability to shop, get a bath, haircut or go to church without being disturbed by the raids.” Nearly all the main-line and suburban stations are closed. Many folk have packed up and left here recently and I don’t blame them. “I must confess that the long weary hours of waiting and listening through the night, quite alone in the house with not a soul to talk to, are very trying, but I am profoundly glad that Rube and the kiddies are away. In a letter to his brother in Wales he describes the first weeks of the Blitz: Will, an ARP (Air-Raid Precautions) warden and schoolteacher, lived in Leytonstone, London, during the war. Communal shelters were used by one seventh of London residents.
However, faced with unrelenting pressure, the government opened up the stations to civilians. At the start of the campaign, the government was concerned that people would refuse to leave underground stations if they were used for shelters, so they chained the doors during raids.
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