Packet of shell dressing, London, England, 1938
This packet of shell dressing was produced for the Home Office Air Raid Precautions Department a year before the outbreak of the Second World War. Packets like this were made to be issued to personnel involved with Civil Defence work as the aerial bombing of British towns and cities was expected to be a major part of the coming war. Inside the cotton package is a waterproof cover containing two bandages with a gauze pad and a safety pin to secure the bandage around the arm, leg, hand, foot or head. The label mentions how any bandaging must not interfere with a wounded person’s respirator – poison gas was also expected to be part of any enemy attack.
Object number:
1981-1578 Pt3
Related Themes and Topics
Glossary:
Glossary: dressings
Remedies and bandages used to dress or cover a sore, wound, or other lesion.