Public health aspects of intensive air raids on a built-up area

Abstract

Summaryo1.A description is given of a built-up area which had been an air-raid target since August, 1940 and which suffered severe raids on consecutive nights in May, 1941.2.At the end of the raids many of the dwelling houses had been damaged with varying degrees of severity, many rest centres had been put out of action, and numbers of the population had been rendered homeless. In areas of the borough there was interference with the supply of water, gas, and electricity. Some damage was done to communications by railway and by main road. Casualties were relatively low.3.An account is given of the arrangements made to deal with the position thus produced, and attention has been drawn to the need for special temporary housing accommodation in built-up target areas and to the sanitary problem created by a nightly exodus from bombed areas.4.Mention is made of the special provision for the evacuation and care of expectant mothers, maternity cases, and accompanying young children.5.Tribute is paid to the efficiency and endurance of the personnel of the casualty services, whose task was made heavier by damage to their centres of work. A description is given of a built-up area which had been an air-raid target since August, 1940 and which suffered severe raids on consecutive nights in May, 1941. At the end of the raids many of the dwelling houses had been damaged with varying degrees of severity, many rest centres had been put out of action, and numbers of the population had been rendered homeless. In areas of the borough there was interference with the supply of water, gas, and electricity. Some damage was done to communications by railway and by main road. Casualties were relatively low. An account is given of the arrangements made to deal with the position thus produced, and attention has been drawn to the need for special temporary housing accommodation in built-up target areas and to the sanitary problem created by a nightly exodus from bombed areas. Mention is made of the special provision for the evacuation and care of expectant mothers, maternity cases, and accompanying young children. Tribute is paid to the efficiency and endurance of the personnel of the casualty services, whose task was made heavier by damage to their centres of work.