Not a lot to say about this – very, very unsettling, even with nearly 20 years of time between us and the end of the cold war and the treat of M.A.D. The threat of Nuclear War was a nagging, but distant threat at a time when I was aware of the consequences of such an event. The British Governments plans for coping with the aftermath of a Nuclear Strike on the UK are revealed in the following BBC broadcast;
This is the transcript from the broadcast;
“This is the wartime broadcasting service. This country has been attacked by nuclear weapons. Communications has been severely disrupted and the number of casualties and the extent of the damage are not yet known. We shall bring you further information as soon as possible. Meanwhile stay tuned to this wavelength, stay calm and stay in your house. Remember, there’s nothing to be gained by by trying to get away. By leaving your house you could be exposing yourselves to greater danger. If you leave, you might find yourselves without food, without water, without accommodations, and without protection. We shall be on the air every hour, on the hour. Stay tuned to this wavelength but switch your radios off now to save batteries. That is the end of this broadcast.”
More resources;
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4565880.stm
http://conelrad.com/newswire.php?id=P241
http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2008/oct/03/radio.nuclear
Note – for those who don’t know MAD is an acronym for the phrase Mutually Assured Destruction;
those we left behind 