The War Years and Rising Costs: 1942–47

Abstract

In January the army departed for a more permanent airplane spotting location and the Observatory was able to return to normal operation. In March blackouts were held in various areas. It was an eerie sight to see the valley lights go out and total darkness envelop large areas of the countryside. Blackout curtains were installed throughout the Observatory in July; no outside lights were permitted, except flashlights, and the top halves of automobile headlights were painted. These precautions were necessary, otherwise vessels close to the coast were silhouetted against sky-light from large metropolitan areas and thereby could become targets for submarines. Living at the Observatory was made more comfortable by the installation of a used electric cook stove.