British Man Builds World War II-Era Anderson Shelter in His Back Garden
A World War II enthusiast has created a historical man cave by building a sunken Anderson Shelter in his back garden in Dorset, United Kingdom. Trad Casey, 58, uses his retro retreat as a place to escape from the 21st century. While he works in the high-tech and glamorous world of super-yachts for Sunseeker International, he very much loves the simplicity of the 1940s.
Complete with a bed, a wood-burning stove, a comfy chair and numerous wartime essentials, including a tin hat, gas mask and many historical items from the 1940s, the man cave began as a project to pass the time during restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Designed in 1938, Anderson Shelters were made from heavy galvanized corrugated steel and designed to be partially buried in people’s gardens to shelter from Luftwaffe air raids. Casey discovered for himself what it was like to install the shelter, saying, “You have to dig a hole three or four feet deep, and then pile all the soil you have excavated over the top of the sheet metal.”
He adds, “It’s very hard work. The soil here is clay and very heavy. It did take some time and certainly it was something that you would need the help of neighbors or friends, in order to install one. The real materials were much heavier gauge than the ones I could get hold of.”
The front section was original and came from the Chapelhay area of Weymouth, which was bombed heavily during the Second World War. Named after Sir John Anderson, who was the minister responsible for civil defense at the time, around 1.5 million were distributed between February 1939 and the start of the war in September of that year.
Households with low incomes were given them for free; others had to pay the princely fee of £7 each (or around £500 today). Another 2.1 million were erected before September 1945, increasing the overall total around Britain to 3.5 million.
Along with the shelter, Casey has certainly got the collection bug; the many other items in his collection are scattered in several rooms throughout his 1985 home. He admits that his wife, Vanessa, is very patient and puts up with his hobby.
Casey can be seen driving one of his old cars around town, and he can also be seen riding a wartime butcher’s bicycle in parades around the area, like the annual Veterans Day events that are held each year.
When the 21st century gets too much? Casey can be found in his shelter, drinking a beer or brewing up tea and cooking up his favorite of Spam and cheese for a snack.
Casey’s also planning his next project. He’d like to build a much bigger concrete and brick shelter under his garden. However, he’s fast running out of space, both in his garden and also around his house, and Vanessa’s sure to have a say about that.