What did people do during a blackout in Britain World War 2?

Answer 1

Black outs were like curfews. It was when everyone had to shut the thick curtains on their windows (called 'black out curtains') to keep light from showing through the windows and thus attracting bombers.

Answer 2

Simply, a blackout was when the lights were turned off in a city so enemy bombers could not see any recognizable sites that would help them know where to release their bombs. When the air raid horns sounded, this was a signal to turn off the lights and shut the shutters.

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The precaution extended to vehicle headlights, which had to be fitted with deflectors that allowed some illumination of the road just in front, but little else. Not that many people were going anywhere needlessly, as fuels were rationed. Steam railway-locomotives' cabs were fitted with heavy blackout curtains to shield the glare from the fireboxes. In some areas near large cities, decoy fires were lit in harmless patches of countryside in the hope that the Luftwaffe would be lured into dropping their bombs well away from the city. It had some success!

Some German U-boat commanders later admitted surprise on surfacing or using the periscope close to the N. American coast, to see so many lights on when Britain was under nocturnal black-out. This unwitting aid to navigation may have changed after enough ships were torpedoed so close in - one U-boat even sank a merchant ship within the St.Lawrence Seaway.

Answer 3

No light could be shown outside at night. This was especially true in Britain, where the German blitz was under way. The goal was to present the German pilots with an inky black void below, devoid of landmarks, so they could not find their targets.

So homeowners had to buy, or make, heavy black drapes to cover all windows, so no light could leak out. Air Raid Wardens on each block walked the streets at night looking for any telltale light leakage, and would swiftly knock on your door if they detected any from your residence. It was a criminal offense to show light.

Car headlights were almost completely covered, with only a tiny slit emitting a weak amount of light. The nighttime speed limit was 15 MPH, but nobody had any gas to drive any way. Streetlights were turned off for the duration. So were traffic signals, neon business signs. The cities were completely dark at night.
it was where all the people turned off there lights so the German bombers couldn't see where to bomb
During World War II, coast watchers would look for enemy aircraft approaching across the English Channel and radio warning of an impending attack .Cities in England would require blackouts where all lights were turned off or shades drawn. This was done to prevent enemy aircraft from locating target cities and population areas to attack.
In Britain the residences and business were blacked out at night with black fabric that was made into drapes, curtains and special made covers of special windows. People had to keep lights low in their homes. Any one driving had to cover the headlights on the car. Sadly, there were a lot of accidents in which some people were killed. The solution to the problem was to make "little hoods" over the car light and to turn selected street lights back on. The street lights were given special covers so the lights cast light downward.

The Home Guard and Air Raid Wardens policed the cooperation with the blackout rules. It did help when the Blitz started but did not prevent the V2 rockets from reading London and other cities/towns.
On September first, 1939, two days before the war, everyone had to cover their windows with blackout curtains. Streetlights were shutoff or dimmed, cars were fitted with special sleeves so the light would deflect down. all this was nessisary so they would not be aiding the enemy bomber planes. many people died in traffic accidents and were injured from lack of light to help them see.
A blackout was were you put up black paper or blinds to cover up all artificial light because if the German's saw some light they would bomb the place straight away.
A defense against bombers by turning off or hiding all the city lights. This went so far as banning the carrying of lit cigars and cigarettes in the open at night!

Answer 4

They turned off all the lights so that the enemy bomber planes couldn't see them>

Answer 5

Basically they sat in air-raid shelters until the all clear was sounded. I would imagine they talked among themselves and a good many of them prayed

Answer 6

The blackout is where the people 'blacked out' their windows during the war so that the enemy flying in aeroplanes could not see where the main cities were.