Blount and Beyond Online Magazine - Magazine - Page 138
Morrison Shelter
The Morrison shelters, or, to use its official name, the 8Table (Morrison) Indoor Shelter9, was introduced in
the UK during World War II. By the UK9s Minister of Home Security Herbert Morrison.
John Baker designed the Morrison shelter and named it after Herbert Morrison. The shelters came in kits and
this is a copy of an instruction sheet that came with the shelters.
The shelters were made to be put together in the home with bolts and it had over 350 parts. It measured 6 feet
6 inches long, 4 feet wide, and 2 feet 6 inches high. The shelter was designed to be used as a table during the
day and a bed at night. The shelter had a steel top that made the tabletop and wire mesh sides. One of the
sides could be lifted and served as the door.
The shelter was not made to survive a direct hit from a bomb, but to protect people from the effects of a bomb
blast. The shelter was really effective at protecting families from the effects of a nearby bomb blast. Over
500,000 Morrison shelters were made and served as a type of air raid shelter. Morrison shelters were provided
for free to low-income households.
Public Domain photo of a family using the shelter bed.