If your 1940s layout has houses and gardens in it, the odds are it will have an Anderson shelter amongst the fruit and veg. DAN EVASON unearths a range of techniques to create this fascinating scene.
As the Second World War loomed in the late 1930s, Britons were encouraged to have bomb shelters constructed in their gardens. When war broke out in 1939, keen to eke out the nation's food supply, the Government encouraged as many people as possible to grow their own produce in the Dig for Victory campaign. Householders embraced the need, with home-grown fruit and vegetables supplementing tightly controlled rations which provided a sufficient but often uninspiring diet to the nation.
Previously manicured lawns and flower beds were dug up and the soil turned over. With non-essentials in short supply (if they could be obtained at all), improvisation was the order of the day.
Above: Dan Evason’s latest 4mm scale project is this detailed wartime garden scene, ideal as a space filler on a layout or diorama.
