As the Second World War continued, parts of the Canterbury population ran out of patience for lengthy periods in air-raid shelters, and began to delay taking cover until the last moment. It became desirable to distinguish levels of threat, so that citizens could first be roused or made ready, before delivering a more insistent alarm if the threatened attack materialised. At the end of January 1941 the Canterbury Emergency Committee obtained a steam whistle (on trial from Pulsometer Engineering) to install at the Gas Works, adjoining Canterbury Castle, as an imminent danger signal. (Here, of course, there was a ready supply of steam to sound the whistle.) The whistle, which was sounded every fifteen minutes while enemy aircraft were overhead, was replaced in September of that year, and raised six feet to improve audibility. It sounded like a ship’s ‘hooter’, and was popularly christened ‘Tugboat Annie’. The siren mechanism was replaced in September 1942 and raised six feet to improve audibility.
Owner : Unknown
Publicly accessible : Unknown
How accessed for survey :
Tourism Potential :
Condition : Destroyed
Date of visit :

Canterbury City Council Emergency Committee, 01/01/39, Canterbury City Council Emergency Committee Minute Books 1 to 6 (Unpublished document). SKE14842.

Canterbury City Council Emergency Committee, 01/01/39, Canterbury City Council Emergency Committee Minute Books 1 to 6 (Unpublished document). Ske14842.