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Soldiers, emergency services, the Civil Defence Services, and ordinary people all pitched in together to help Merseyside recover each day from the previous night’s bombing. The ‘blackout’ was in effect all over the country. No lights were to be visible from outside after dark, to reduce the risk of being targeted by a German bomber.

Therefore any fires caused by the bombs had to be extinguished before nightfall, and as much emergency work had to be done in the daytime as possible. Dangerous ruins needed to be demolished and streets cleared, so that the emergency services could work as quickly and easily as possible when the next bombs came.

Over 70,000 people in Merseyside were made homeless during the ‘blitz’, and so Emergency Rest Centres were set up in every type of suitable building, including churches, church halls, schools and cinemas. Bootle was particularly badly affected in this respect. Around 80% of the housing in Bootle was badly damaged or destroyed, leaving some 25,000 people homeless. The problem was made worse as three-quarters of Emergency Rest Centre accommodation in Bootle was damaged badly enough to be put out of action.

Despite the ferocity of the attacks, the Port of Liverpool was never at any time put out of action by the air raids. Between six and seven thousand men were sent to Merseyside from the surrounding areas to help repair the damage, & to make sure that the Port facilities were staffed so that work could continue.
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