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  • Essay / Effects of the Blackout and Air Raid Precautions

    Douhet coined the phrase "the bomber will always get through", which resonated with many people. As a result, the British government established the Air Raid Precautions organization. Air Raid Precautions, better known as ARP, were established to protect British citizens from dangerous air raids. Stanley Baldwin, British Prime Minister, issued the Air Raid Precautions (ARP) in September 1935. Baldwin did this in order to invite local authorities to join us in protecting the British people during the war. Two years later, in April 1937, the British government created the Air Raid Wardens' Services. The following year, the government recruited up to 200,000 volunteers. The 200,000 volunteers were called Air Raid Precaution Wardens. These ARP guards had many jobs. “The main purpose of the ARP Wardens was to patrol the streets during the blackout and ensure that no lights were visible” (APR Wardens in WWII, pages 1-2) . Additionally, “guardians were responsible for sounding air raid sirens” (Spartacus Educational-Air Raid Wardens). When the air raid sirens sounded, everyone would be expected to take cover as quickly as possible before