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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Making safe houses damaged in WW1 Air Raids


Guest Ian Bowbrick

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Guest Ian Bowbrick

I found the original thrust of the 'Sky on Fire' thread extremely interesting and it did raise a question in my mind that I would be grateful if someone could answer. I have a letter sent to my great-grandmother by the Police instructing her to make her house safe after it had been damaged in an air raid in WW2. It stipulates that to not do so would render her open to prosecution and a hefty fine. Obviously this was to discourage looting, which I have been told occured all too frequently. Now for my question - did the same laws or ules apply in WW1 to houses or property damaged in WW1?

Thanks - Ian

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Ian

Not that I am an expert in personal dealings with the long arm of the law but, from what dealings I have had (at work), they usually quote the statutory authority under which they are acting. Does the letter make any reference to the Act? If it was enacted during WW1 then it would have applied. Equally, the Act may well make reference to any earlier piece of legislation.

If there's nothing, then it may be reasonably safe to assume that it did not apply during WW1. There would, presumably, have been an obligation under civil law, to make safe a property so that it could not injure others.

John

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Compensation was paid out to everyone who had property damaged as a result of enemy action, on mainland Britain, in WW1.

Local, council-led, committees were set up fairly quickly (days) after a raid. I am still researching this area, but the compensation appears to come close to the quote(s) for repair/replacement. The sums appear to have been paid by the government.

There are a few surviving compensation cases to be found at the PRO. Look at PROCAT under 'air raid' and Treasury (?).

There was also two insurance policies against air raid damage (and coastal attack); the Daily Mail policy - I have a clipping of the advert which I will dig out - and the type of policy underwritten by the mainstream insurance companies. I have not seen anything, with respect to payments, from the latter. So I have no idea how generous the compensation was.

Some payments were not made, however, until the mid 1920s, and a few were argued in law. Where the evidence for these late cases still exists, it always seems to be where a party disagreed with the compensation/pension being offered by the government.

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