ONE MAN AIR RAID SHELTER.

These small air raid shelters were used on exposed sites such as docks, railway marshalling yards or as this one, Cambridge Pumping Station. They were also called Consol Firewatcher Shelter. The base dimension is small so the whole shelter can be placed on a roof. This one was manufactured in  the Second World War although it was a First World War design. This was subsequently used to store ice at the Mac Fisheries shop in Petty Cury, Cambridge. The air raid shelter, though claustrophobic, would give a degree of protection from flying debris during a bomb raid. The armoured figure on the door (right) could keep you company !  Consol Portable Shelter. K2 B.C.M. Slots  London. I don't know if I would rather take my chances than shut myself in there. What if the handle was knocked off or you were buried under rubble ?  As I couldn't get a clear shot of this due to obstructions I have used a picture belonging to the museum handbook written by David Stubbings whom I assumed took the photograph. It was too good to omit this unusual air raid shelter from my Old Pumping Station series.

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