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TOWN OF DEERFIELD
DEPT. OF CIVIL DEFENSE
CARLOS ALLEN, Director

PROTECT YOUR FAMILY

LEARN THE AIR RAID WARNING SIGNALS

FOLLOW OFFICIAL INSTRUCTIONS ONLY

JOIN YOUR LOCAL CIVIL DEFENSE GROUP

CIVIL DEFENSE IS CD IS YOUR BUSINESS

 

REMEMBER THESE CD WARNING SIGNALS

RED ALERT

EXPECT AN ATTACK ANY MOMENT

SIRENS, HORNS OR WHISTLES

ONE 3-MINUTE WARBLING SIGNAL
OR SERIES OF SHORT BLASTS

FOLLOW OFFICIAL INSTRUCTIONS ONLY

ALL-CLEAR SIGNAL

ENEMY AIRCRAFT NO LONGER IN THE AREA

1 MINUTE
BLAST
2 MINUTES
SILENCE
1 MINUTE
BLAST
2 MINUTES
SILENCE

1 MINUTE
BLAST

THREE 1-MINUTE BLASTS

TWO MINUTES OF SILENCE BETWEEN

PUBLISHED BY THE FEDERAL CIVIL DEFENSE ADMINISTRATION

 

 

CUT OUT
AND CARRY
THESE SMALL CARDS

 

 

REMEMBER THESE CD WARNING SIGNALS

RED ALERT

EXPECT AN ATTACK ANY MOMENT

SIRENS, HORNS OR WHISTLES

ONE 3-MINUTE WARBLING SIGNAL
OR SERIES OF SHORT BLASTS

FOLLOW OFFICIAL INSTRUCTIONS ONLY

ALL-CLEAR SIGNAL

ENEMY AIRCRAFT NO LONGER IN THE AREA

1 MINUTE
BLAST
2 MINUTES
SILENCE
1 MINUTE
BLAST
2 MINUTES
SILENCE

1 MINUTE
BLAST

THREE 1-MINUTE BLASTS

TWO MINUTES OF SILENCE BETWEEN

PUBLISHED BY THE FEDERAL CIVIL DEFENSE ADMINISTRATION

 

(c) Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield MA. All rights reserved.
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The most important part of civilian defense was air raid protection, and by November of 1941, all the states and thousands of towns and cities had set up defense councils, and local air raid wardens and auxiliary firemen were appointed. The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) issued pamphlets containing air raid warning instructions. These instructions were sent to the town of Deerfield, Massachusetts. The sheets describe a Red Alert signal ("Expect an attack any moment") that would sound like a three-minute warbling signal or a series of short blasts, by sirens, horns or whistles; and an All Clear signal ("Enemy aircraft no longer in the area") that would sound like three one-minute blasts with two minutes of silence between. The instructions tell Americans what they should do in case of an attack - with or without warning -at home, work, school, in the open, and in cars, busses or trolleys. In general, people were instructed to drop to the floor and find cover if they had no warning, or go to a shelter if they did have warning. People were further instructed to share this list of instructions with each member of their family.

 

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WWII Air Raid Warning Instructions

printer   Government Printing Office
date   c. 1941
location   Washington D.C.
height   11.0"
width   8.5"
process/materials   printed paper, ink
item type   Legal Documents/Government/Society Records
accession #   #L05.171


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See Also...

WWII CD Warden's Report Form

WWII Air Raid Warning Instructions Card

WWII Blackout Memo Deerfield Residents


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