Civil Protection The Application of the Civil Defence Act and Other Government Requirements for Air Raid Shelters Etc. by Samuely, Felix J & Hamann, Conrad W - 1939

London, UK: The Architectural Press, 1939. Hardcover. Fine/No Jacket. 9.25" x 12.5. H/B 165 pages plus index and 32 pages of advertisers of bomb shelters. This book was published at the outbreak of war in 1939. It details the Air-Raid Precautions Act 1937 and The Civil Defence Act 1939. It goes on to give details of the technical applications of the act and detailed plans for the construction of bomb shelters. A fascinating book which shows little sign of wear. The off-white cloth covers are slightly dirty but the book is remarkably well preserved. "When this book was written there was still peace - although most people felt that it hung on a slender thread. Since then, war has broken out and the need for protection has become even more urgent. The first chapter of this book deals with legal provisions. The Civil Defence Act, 1939, and the Air Raid Precautions Act, 1937, are not superceded in any way by the emergency laws passed by Parliament during the first few days of war. The standard of protection has been fixed by the Government, and has been set out in a number of official publications. At present there is no reason to believe that this standard will be altered in any way, and Chapters 2 to 12, which contain a description of all that the technician should know of Civil Protection, will enable him to give assistance not only in the more usual cases but also where incidental problems require special attention. The most important document for the technician is the Revised Code for 'Air Raid Shelters for Persons working in Factories, Mines and Commercial Buildings,' which was published by the Government at the end of August, 1939. We are gratified that a great many of the suggestions made previously in our analysis of the Government standards in 'The Architect's Journal' of June 1 and 8 have been incorporated. The text of the Code, together with the texts of those other Government publications which are of direct importance to the technician, has been reproduced in full. Special attention is drawn to Chapter 11, which deals with public shelters. The knowledge of how to arrange public shelters so that they fulfill their obligations, that is to say, that they are within easy distance of everybody who may be in need of protection, is not widely spread, and this chapter has been particularly devoted to this subject. Many arguments have been put forward for and against bomb-proof shelters, and while we do not want to enter into this controversy, the fact may have to be faced that, sooner or later, bomb-proof shelters may become essential in certain cases. Therefore, all available material for the design of such shelters, has been collected and formulae for the thickness of slabs, walls, etc., have been set out. The collecting of these formulae was simplified by the publication by the Government in the middle of June, 1939, of Handbook No 5, which gives certain valuable data. Some of the graphs and formulae given in the Handbook have been reproduced. It was found to be most practicable to present the facts in the following manner :- In Chapter 13, the main actions of bombs have been set out, while Chapter 14 deals with the incidental effects, in alphabetical order. Chapter 15 describes the various types of bomb-proof shelters. These Chapters, and particularly the tables at the end of Chapter 13, should enable any engineer to design bomb-proof shelters, if he is called upon to do so." Contents:- Legal - Air Raid Precautions Act, 1937. The Civil Defence Act, 1939. Technical Applications of the Acts (Code). General Requirements for Shelters. Incidental Matters . Other Governmental Recommendations. Extracts from Handbook No. 5 Structural Defence. Handbook No. 6 Air-Raid Precautions in Factories and Business Premises. Handbook No. 9 Incendiary Bombs and Fire Precautions. Memorandum No. 10 Shelters in Basements (Small Buildings). Domestic Surface Shelters. Lighting Restrictions. Handbook No. 11 Camoflage. Shelters in Hospitals. Expert Advice. Supplementary Information. Public Shelters. Miscellaneous Considerations (N