What’s in Mrs. Hale’s Receipts for Million 1857?

2555. Every one of these suggestions may be regarded as the centre of many others, which the earnest mind can not fail to discover.

Laughter the Best Civil Defense?

Having gone through the orange warning system and duck tape after 9-11, Americans tend to look back on WW II with a bit of nostalgia and belief that people did things right.  And took things very serious. While going through my dad’s papers a while ago, I came across this gem my mom sent to my granddad in Boise Idaho. At the time, my parents were living in Washington D.C. where my dad did secret scientific work for  Naval Ordnance.  Entitled “IMPORTANT!”, it is anything but serious.

Enjoy. Who said family history isn’t fun? My 96 year old mom agrees.

Air-Raid Instructions for Civilians 1941 (approx)

IMPORTANT!

AIR RAID INSTRUCTIONS FOR CIVILIANS

1.  AS SOON AS BOMBS START DROPPING, RUN LIKE HELL. IT DOESN’T MATTER   WHERE!  AS LONG AS YOU RUN!

WEAR TRACK SHOES IF POSSIBLE. IF THE PEOPLE RUNNING AHEAD OF YOU ARE SLOW OR FALL DOWN, YOU WON’T HAVE ANY TROUBLE PASSING THEM OR JUMPING OVER THEM.

2.  TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OPPORTUNITIES AFFORDED YOU WHEN THE AIR RAID SIRENS SOUND THE WARNING AT THE TIME OF ATTACK OR BLACKOUT. FOR EXAMPLE:

A.    IF IN A BAKERY, GRAB A PIE.

B.     IF IN A TAVERN, GRAB A BEER.

C.     IF IN A MOVIE, GRAB A BLONDE

3.  IF YOU FIND AN UNEXPLODED BOMB, PICK IT UP AND SHAKE IT.

MAYBE THE FIRING PIN IS STUCK.

4.  IF AN INCENDIARY BOMB IS FOUND BURNING IN A BUILDING, THROW GASOLINE ON IT—YOU CAN’T PUT IT OUT ANYHOW, SO YOU MIGHT JUST AS WELL HAVE A LITTLE FUN.

5.  WHEN THE FIRST BOMBS FALL, HOLLER BLOODY MURDER. IT WILL ADD TO THE FUN AND CONFUSION, AND SCARE HELL OUT OF THE KIDS.

6.  IT’S WELL TO HAVE HAVE ONIONS OR LIMBURGER HANDY AS A SNACK BEFORE ENTERING A CROWDED AIR-RAID SHELTER. IT MAY MAKE YOU VERY UNPOPULAR , BUT  YOU’LL HAVE LOTS MORE ROOM FOR YOURSELF.

7.  IF YOU SHOULD BE THE VICTIM OF A DIRECT HIT, DON’T GO TO PIECES—JUST LIE STILL AND THE SANITATION SQUAD WILL ATTEND TO YOU.

8.  IF AN AIR-RAID WARDEN STARTS TO TELL YOU WHAT TO DO—KNOCK HIM DOWN.

9.  WARDENS ALWAYS SAVE THE BEST SEATS FOR THEMSELVES and THEIR FRIENDS.