Before the Second World War started, many people feared that there would be devastating bombing attacks on British cities when the fighting broke out. As part of the preparations for war, sirens were therefore set up to warn people of approaching enemy aircraft. This siren was mounted on the roof of Kingston Police Station, and was used throughout the war.

Like other sirens, it was kept in working order until the 1980s as part of nuclear attack warning system. Have you ever heard an air raid siren?

History Air Raid Precautions (ARP) organisations were set up before the war began. Members worked to ensure that everyone was prepared for air raids. Once the war began they helped those affected by air raids. They included air raid wardens (whose duties included checking that blackout regulations were enforced or that people's gas masks were properly fitted, and who were the first people on the scene in the event of a bombing raid); first aid parties (who would look after any casualties caused in air raids); rescue teams (who rescued people trapped under the rubble of bombed buildings); and messengers.

History During the war, there were 1581 air raid alerts in Portsmouth - when the sirens were sounded - and 67 actual raids, as some alerts were false alarms, or the aircraft passed by on their way to another target. There were 930 civilian casualties in the city, 1216 hospital cases, and 1621 people received less serious injuries.

air raids ARP civilians fear home front Portsmouth UK warnings

The sound of air raid sirens (BBC website)

Air raid sirens (Spartacus website)

Air raid sirens (NBCD website)