It was early in 1938 that the problems of air raid precautions were first considered by the Committee of Lloyd’s and the question of providing adequate shelters for the occupants of Lloyd’s Building and Royal Mail House, whose numbers were estimated to be 3,700.
In consultation with Sir Edwin Cooper, R.A., Lloyd’s Architect, the Committee decided not only to reinforce with steel and heavy timbers all the corridors in the sub-basements and a large part of the Royal Mail House basement, but in addition to provide a bomb-proof shelter strong enough to withstand almost any load of debris and any force of blast.
The Committee made provision for Underwriters’ “boxes” which contained telephones, bookshelves, and bunks for sleeping in. The desks of the “boxes” consisted of table-tops fitted on two-tier bunks, providing accommodation for almost 400 people to work and 200 people to sleep without having constantly to remove desks and bunks.
The main shelter was built in the sub-basement of Royal Mail House through the courtesy of Royal Mail Lines who agreed to the removal of their document storage to another floor.
All the shelters were fitted with gas filtration units and air locks as a means of forced ventilation and as a protection against poison gas. Should the electricity main supply be cut off, two Diesel engines were installed in the main shelter, capable of generating sufficient power to light, heat and ventilate all the shelters, to serve pilot lights on the staircases, and to drive the motors of the fire pumps and printing machinery.
Two escape shafts were also constructed of the same strength as the shelter. These shafts were 40 feet in depth, with iron vertical ladders fixed to the sides.
The shelter was equipped with internal telephones, loudspeakers, acetylene cutting plant, sick bay equipment, collapsible seats and provisions.
Items such as 1,400 tins of corned beef and 200 tins of biscuits, together with condensed milk, Bovril, sardines, chocolate, tea and coffee were specially packed in air-tight containers.
Work on the shelters was only just completed when the war broke out and had intensive bombing started on that first day, Lloyd’s would have been ready to meet the worst.
