Air Raid Sirens in the '50s

I have to think real hard to remember what I had for supper last night but a whole lot of stuff from 60+ years ago still rattles around in my head.

It seems to me that in the early and mid-fifties - maybe one Saturday per month at noon - an air raid siren would go off. It would sound for maybe a minute. I don't recall an "all clear" being sounded.

Our house was on Farmbrook, between Frankfort and Southampton and the siren sounded close, so I figure the siren horns were on top of the fire station at E. Warren and Alter.

I Googled it yesterday. The sirens were powered by a Chrysler Hemi.

Am I wrong, right, or just totally confused?

You're right sir.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCivOpWhOP0

But, what was the reason for sounding the siren? Was it for frightening the children or just monthly preventive maintenance?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by turkeycall

But, what was the reason for sounding the siren? Was it for frightening the children or just monthly preventive maintenance?

---

To this day the air raid sirens, or as my generation calls them, "tornado sirens" are still tested on the first Saturday of the month at 1pm for several minutes.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by turkeycall

But, what was the reason for sounding the siren? Was it for frightening the children or just monthly preventive maintenance?

---

for frightening the children....

Here's a description of Oakland County's siren system: https://www.oakgov.com/homelandsecur...orn_siren.aspx

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

for frightening the children....

---

I wasn't frightened. I thought they were cool and wanted to go out and find them. But I followed PLC power lines for fun as a kind. Say what you will.

I grew up in the 60s & 70s in a city neighborhood -- and I remember them being tested each week. Are you sure they've stopped?

Some tornado sirens have been getting voice upgrades to issue more specific warnings. I heard one once in the distance but couldn't make out the words.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by turkeycall

But, what was the reason for sounding the siren? Was it for frightening the children or just monthly preventive maintenance?

---

That was the days of "The Cold War" so they were making sure that they were in good repair to warn us just before we were about to be vaporized.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Wesley Mouch

I wasn't frightened. I thought they were cool and wanted to go out and find them. But I followed PLC power lines for fun as a kind. Say what you will.

I grew up in the 60s & 70s in a city neighborhood -- and I remember them being tested each week. Are you sure they've stopped?

---

In Detroit they stopped for years due to neglect, incompetence, and lack of concern. During the Kirkpatrick Administration, the old school models were replaced with modern versions, and I have heard them being tested Saturdays around noon.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jimaz

Some tornado sirens have been getting voice upgrades to issue more specific warnings. I heard one once in the distance but couldn't make out the words.

---

Monroe county recently went the other way. They removed the speaker ones and replaced them with louder sirens. Monroe's sirens went off twice on Sunday for tornado sightings.

I remember the air raid sirens going off every Saturday at 1 PM for all of my childhood. There was one not far away from us, so it was very loud. Drowning out the very beginning of Tigers' games, college football games, etc. on TV.

Of course, I also remember going by the Nike bases on Belle Isle and down by the river near my grandmother's house on the eastside, and being excited any time we saw one on its launcher out of the silo. Also enjoyed the "duck and cover" drills in my Detroit Public School elementary school. We even had a game we made out of those drills called "air raid dodgeball."

Didn't consider the implications of all of this back then, of course. Now, in retrospect, I find its commonplace-ness in our lives chilling.

Still tested on the first Saturday of every month.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MikeM

Still tested on the first Saturday of every month.

---

Oakland County skips December, January, and February. Also, the April test isn't on the first Saturday, it's rescheduled for severe weather awareness week.

https://www.oakgov.com/homelandsecur...iren_test.aspx

We had them growing up in Minneapolis but they were,like mentioned,known as tornado warnings and tested weekly.

They were the same way in Kissimmee Fl when I lived there but removed because people complained of the noise when they tested them.

Two weeks later tornados came through the city in the middle
of the night and killed in excess of 250 because there was no way to warn anybody.

Really cool about the hemi powered ones.

I remember the duck-and-cover drill we had in my elementary school back in the late 1950’s and seeing the civil defense advertisements on the bus. They should explode one of those real big nuclear bombs off today somewhere out in the ocean so the young people can see what the end of the world is going to look like.

Attachment 31456
Attachment 31457

Duck and cover, baby:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKqXu-5jw60

It's interesting to me how quickly the Cold War fear and planning disappeared, and how quickly it passed from public consciousness. I'm amazed at how disbelieving younger people are now when I try to explain to them how it was. I think it just seems far-fetched and absurd if you weren't actually there.

Had those duck and cover drills when I was in Junior High School.

And 48397 is correct in calling them "tornado sirens". Out here in Washington [[state) we have no need for them.....we have flash flood sirens......but "tornado sirens" were what we called them in Ferndale. There was 1 on the fire station at 9 Mile and Livernois.

I thought they tested them once a month on a Saturday.

I grew up in Lincoln Park. In Hoover Elementary we had the air raid, fire and tornado drills. On top of the Hudsons Budget store at Fort and Emmons was one of the old Civil Defense air raid sirens. Tested on the 1st Saturday of the month at 1pm. Also another one on top of city hall at Southfield and Fort Park. No problem hearing them. A few years back they were replaced with the latest technology, the ones that could transmit voice. The one behind Hoover school has not worked in years. No one seems to know what the problem is. With the old one, if it went off anytime other than the test day, you went inside and turned on the radio or TV to see what was going on. Sometimes older is better.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

for frightening the children....

---

Scared me ... used to hear them on the occasional visit, once when my folks were in Hudson's ... the video brought back forgettable memories ... lived in Hawai`i decades ago - tsunami siren went off - deja vu all over again :eek:

Air Raid sirens are being tested in Detroit right now. They're no where near as loud as when I was a kid. [[hearing going?)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jimaz

Some tornado sirens have been getting voice upgrades to issue more specific warnings. I heard one once in the distance but couldn't make out the words.

---

I have to correct this now. Today [[Saturday) I heard the sirens at 1PM and could clearly hear the voice announcing that this was only a test. Maybe this siren was recently added.

Here's a video by a guy who made his own siren out of wood: Building the air raid siren. He explains how it works.

Testing the air raid siren

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jimaz

I have to correct this now. Today [[Saturday) I heard the sirens at 1PM and could clearly hear the voice announcing that this was only a test. Maybe this siren was recently added.

Here's a video by a guy who made his own siren out of wood: Building the air raid siren. He explains how it works.

Testing the air raid siren

---

Are you in Detroit? If you are, you must live underneath one. I was hard pressed to hear the siren let alone voices in my neck of the City. [[though occasionally I do hear voices but I'll save that for another post) If there had been wind, rain, and thunder, I'm sure I wouldn't have heard it. I hope the phone goes off with one of those annoying red alert sounds, otherwise I'll be doing the scene from The Wizard of Oz.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

Are you in Detroit?

---

No, Utica, although the siren voice said it was for Sterling Heights.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

...you must live underneath one.

---

I don't know exactly where it is yet but I intend to look for it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

...I'll be doing the scene from The Wizard of Oz.

---

These sirens always remind me of the movie The Time Machine with those creepy Morlocks.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jimaz

No, Utica, although the siren voice said it was for Sterling Heights.

I don't know exactly where it is yet but I intend to look for it.

These sirens always remind me of the movie The Time Machine with those creepy Morlocks.

---

No harm meant Jimaz, I just wondered. I thought I heard it, and had to turn down the stereo to listen, it was just background music. Either they're a different type by your place, or maybe they weren't turned all the way up by mine. I remember, [[I think) with the older ones there was no mistaking they were running.

As far as your film clip, I did notice groups of people walking aimlessly while the sirens were going off this afternoon.

The fire station on the SW corner of Davison and Mt. Elliott was the one we heard.

I go back to the real air raid sirens of the early '40s. I lived in a small Midwest town, not remotely a possible target of the Nazis bombers.

Nevertheless, we had frequent air raid drills, usually in early evening or maybe as late as 11 pm. Everyone was required to have "blackout" shades on their windows which had to be pulled down at night so there would be no light to guide the Nazi bombers to the target.

There was an appointed "air ward warden" on every block who would go out and make sure your blackout curtains were pulled down; if not he woke you up and reported you.

As school children we had an occasional class in school during which we were trained to identify Nazi warplanes by their shapes. I guess we were supposed to call them in someplace to warn of an attack. A terrible burden to place on young kids.

It must have worked as we never invaded.

Those were the days.

Duck & cover......why even bother. ;)

When I was in basic [[1969), during a lecture drill sgt. asked what do you do when there is a sudden blinding flash? Remeka, my buddy from Chicago raised his hand, DI called on him.

He says "the only thing you can do is bend over, put your head between your legs & kiss your ass goodbye".

Which was basically true, but wrong answer in the Army. I think he did about 100 push-ups for that one. ;)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mikefmich

Duck & cover......why even bother. ;)

When I was in basic [[1969), during a lecture drill sgt. asked what do you do when there is a sudden blinding flash? Remeka, my buddy from Chicago raised his hand, DI called on him.

He says "the only thing you can do is bend over, put your head between your legs & kiss your ass goodbye"....

---

This video mocks Duck & Cover: Something Weird Exploitica 14. Hilarious.

Burt's dead. <GASP> ;)

Not sure when they changed the air raid sirens to just tornado sirens... but when I grew up in the 60s we had them 1PM first Saturday of every month... still do. Used to drive the dogs in the neighborhoods nuts... as they were howling along with the sirens. :)

We never climbed under our desks... but we did have air raid drills in the basement of our grade school [[Marquette School, next to Balduck Park in Detroit). I remember how clean the floor of the basement was... they must have kept them clean and polished for our regular air raid drills.

Also, one carryover tradition was the WWII War Bond drives that they had at schools and even movie theatres... by the 60s the teachers promoted US Savings Bonds... and you used to buy stamps [[similar to S&H or Gold Bell supermarket stamps) to fill your book so that you could trade them in for US Savings Bonds when the books were full. I vaguely remember the $25 Savings Bond.

Third grade, it was my job, along with a few others who sat near the windows to lower the shades when air raid drills happened. Our teacher mentioned that the storage building at City Airport with the "Gas Is Best" motto, visible in the distance, might be a target. I remember that even at that age I knew that it didn't matter, and lowering the shades and filing into the hallway, sitting against the inside wall with our heads covered with our hands was useless if a nuclear attack happened. Perhaps that is when my distrust of authority was born! We hear sirens first Saturday of the month at 1:00 pm here.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bobl

Third grade, it was my job, along with a few others who sat near the windows to lower the shades when air raid drills happened. Our teacher mentioned that the storage building at City Airport with the "Gas Is Best" motto, visible in the distance, might be a target. I remember that even at that age I knew that it didn't matter, and lowering the shades and filing into the hallway, sitting against the inside wall with our heads covered with our hands was useless if a nuclear attack happened. Perhaps that is when my distrust of authority was born! We hear sirens first Saturday of the month at 1:00 pm here.

---

We did the same drill. My mom bought me a dog tag to wear to school. Had my name, address, her name, and religion stamped on it. Same look as a military dog tag. Since we could see part of the school from our house, I wondered how she would somehow survive to identify my charred remains. Life in the 50's.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gistok

Not sure when they changed the air raid sirens to just tornado sirens... but when I grew up in the 60s we had them 1PM first Saturday of every month... still do. Used to drive the dogs in the neighborhoods nuts... as they were howling along with the sirens. :)

We never climbed under our desks... but we did have air raid drills in the basement of our grade school [[Marquette School, next to Balduck Park in Detroit). I remember how clean the floor of the basement was... they must have kept them clean and polished for our regular air raid drills.

Also, one carryover tradition was the WWII War Bond drives that they had at schools and even movie theatres... by the 60s the teachers promoted US Savings Bonds... and you used to buy stamps [[similar to S&H or Gold Bell supermarket stamps) to fill your book so that you could trade them in for US Savings Bonds when the books were full. I vaguely remember the $25 Savings Bond.

---

I will second those memories, Gistok. In addition, when I lived in the Warren Woods area of Warren, my mother told me the air raid sirens were because we lived near the GM Tech Center and the Dodge Truck plant. She said if the Russians bombed us that they would be one of the first places to go. Yikes! I'm more unnerved now than I was then.

Only a few were powered by the Chrysler V-8 engines, some are still in existence, can't get to it right now but there are a couple YouTube videos for them. They were the true air raid sirens. the nieghborhood ones, while still loud, were powered by electric motors. There is a very loud one at Kyte Monroe park in St. Clair Shores.

I always thought to myself that if I was the enemy I would just launch an attack at 1 PM on the first Saturday of the month. Hummmmmm

Speaking of cold war relics, remember Nike missile bases in the Detroit area?

http://nikehercules.tripod.com/sitemenu.html

As a kid we used to drive by the one in Riverview. Fort and Pennsylvania road were the barracks and offices. Missile silos were on Sibley west of Fort. Don't know if the missile [[Nike Hercules I think) is still on display by the Riverview Fire Station.

Air raid sirens in the near future will signal us to seek shelter underground only to be eaten by the Morlocks. :)

Attachment 31733

What would it look like if a bomb hit Detroit?

Brian Manzullo, Detroit Free Press 9:55 p.m. EDT August 5, 2015

“Here's a visualization of a W-87 bomb, in the United States' arsenal at 300 kilotons, detonating in Detroit. While the radiation radius [[the green area) doesn't expand much, the air blast radius [[gray) and thermal radiation radius [[orange/yellow) extend much further, well into Windsor and as far north as Hamtramck. In this scenario, approximately 143,070 people would die and 305,690 would be injured.”

The theory of “duck & cover” was to save lives in the area outside the orange/yellow radius area. It’s like the tornado response instructions we’re given about seeking protective cover. If you’re at the center of the bomb blast or the tornado, then you have little chance of survival.
Attachment 31734

"If you’re at the center of the bomb blast or the tornado, then you have little chance of survival."

Don't be so pessimistic: the survivor closest to ground zero in Hiroshima was only 500' away. The survival rate at the telephone exchange building a quarter mile from the blast center was 97%.

Is there any defense manufacturing left in Detroit outside of the tank plant ??

An old Civil Defense poster from a Detroit city bus.

Attachment 31747