Gas Mask

From the summer of 1939 onwards the British Government was convinced that the Nazis would attack with gas bombs, and so every single person in Britain was supplied with a ‘respirator’ – even babies. This gas mask is an example of the standard issue gas mark distributed to every adult civilian.

Government propaganda posters encouraged everyone to ‘carry your gas mask at all times’ and fines were issued to those who were caught without their respirators. Schoolchildren were encouraged to practice putting on and taking off their gas masks on a regular basis.