Ww3 scare: how uk was given 10 minute warning to 'take refuge’

The clip came as part of the “Protect and Survive” campaign shown to UK citizens more than 40 years ago. It was released by Margaret Thatcher’s Government during the height of the Cold War

with the Soviet Union in the late Seventies and early Eighties. The purpose was to advise the public on how to act in the event of an imminent nuclear threat. The informative series was

issued through pamphlets, radio broadcasts and films. One of the videos, which was broadcasted on state TV, told Britons what to do if they heard a nuclear warning while they were away from

their homes.  The narrator says: “This is what you should do if you are outdoors during the warning sounds.  “Take cover at once when you hear the attack sound. “If you cannot reach home in

10 minutes, take cover in the nearest building.  “If there is no building try to find a solid cover.  “If there is no solid cover, lay flat in a ditch or a hole and cover your head, face and

hands as fast as you can with your clothes." The clip went on to detail what the public should do after the warning finishes. It added: “If you hear the fallout warning seek the

nearest and best cover as quickly as you can. “But before you enter, brush or shake off any fallout dust you may have picked up.  “Change your outer clothing if you can and stay undercover.

  “When the all-clear sounds it means that you are safe for attack for the time being.” Another part of the guide detailed how Britons should be prepared to stay in their homes for up to two

weeks after a nuclear attack. The narrator says: “Fallout dust gives off dangerous radiation, it cannot be seen or felt and it has no smell. “Anybody staying in reach of fallout for too

long can fall ill or die, so you must keep away until it is safe.  “This may mean staying in your fallout room for up to 14 days.  “Prepare yourself for this now by storing all the thing you

need – put them in your fallout room or stacked up within easy reach nearby.” The “Protect and Survive” campaign was released at a time when tensions between the Soviet Union and the

Western Bloc were at an all-time high.  US President Ronald Reagan's election victory in 1980 brought the world the closest it had been to nuclear war since the Cuban Missile Crisis of

1962, as his "evil empire" narrative proved to be particularly antagonising to the Soviet Politburo.  The Soviets racked up their defence and placed SS-30 missiles across eastern

Europe as a show of force. However, the US retaliated by convincing its allies in Europe to host its Pershing 2 ballistic missiles and ground-launched cruise missiles. The fate of the world

hung in the balance and Mrs Thatcher's determination to make sure Britons were prepared for the worst is a testament to how seriously the situation was taken at the time.