An ex-forces friend once told me that there was a straight stretch at the Liverpool end of the M62 where the bridges were wired for demolition charges to turn it into a runway for Hercules serving an underground hospital for casualties from the front. Which I took with a large pinch of salt. That and the ex-police colleague who told me about the 'works unit only' refuges for VIPs in the event of being caught on the road when the balloon went up. Or down, depending on how you look at it...
The best genuine story I have is from the instructions for Exercise Arc (Area Radiological Control- UK Civil defence circa 1963). 'The exercise commences at H-10... at H Hour, you should simulate the detonation of the weapon by turning the lights off for a moment and making a loud bang.' I can supply the PRO reference if you're disbelieving enough to want to follow this up.
John
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