Thinking through how you'd protect your family in a war situation

[readytogo79]

Sorry this is not a nice conversation and is not meant to trigger anyone but its a bit weird to have this chat with people at school pick up or similar, so I'm wondering how others are thinking about this. I'll caveat this by saying I'm not "hysterical" (an insult I've seen flying about on here today), or dramatic, and not a conspiracy theorist or anything. I'm a professional academic, pretty moderate left, pretty pragmatic I like to think. I follow politics very closely and it's been a few weeks since I said to my husband that I think there is a case to be made that the US is no longer our ally and that we (the UK & Europe / Allies) should be preparing for the prospect of them being an adversary. I'm now pretty convinced of that.

In practice what could this mean? Article 5 and therefore NATO is looking likely to be rendered meaningless, - so an emboldened Russia invading Moldova, Lithuania, Finland... then Europe having to step up without the US, and potentially - worst case scenario but much more likely than 6 months ago - nuclear war.

I live in central London (zone 2) which my husband and child. I've been trying not to imagine this worst case scenario but given Russia are already attacking us with cyber attacks, undermining our democracy and of course the Skripol attacks etc, it's certainly a possibility one has to think about. If it started to look likely I've been thinking about what we'd do, how we could act fast and where we could go. It's a truly horrible thought and not something I ever thought I'd have to consider. But I've only got one child, and my husband and they are all I have in the world and I can already feel my protectiveness kicking in.

Even though London is our home I'd plan to leave and go somewhere in the UK less of a target. The Lake District, Snowdonia or the Highlands perhaps. I don't know how we would manage to do this but I just feel so strongly I'd want to protect my child and my family unit.

In all seriousness, has anyone thought through a scenario where we are at war, and what you would do to protect your family?

Stay where I am in rural Scotland away from the cities and towns. According to the nuclear city hit graphs, we are also outside the blast zones, although not sure how much I'd want to survive that!

We have lots of windfarms within a few miles, if WW3 were to ever happen I'm not sure if they'd be a target for bombing (now off to Google maps to calculate where the nearest turbine is!)

You're not the only one thinking about this. I'm an American living in London with a child and if things get crazy my plan is to get back to the states as soon as possible. Even though I'm not very happy with the current administration, I feel like my family would be safer there. If we can't get back there for whatever reason, then it's up to Scotland.

The Lake District is also a target (Sellafield) though I do think nuclear war is highly unlikely. I believe it’s sensible to start preparing for war, stocking up on food etc.

We’re retiring to a large flat in Perth (Scotland). If it came to it - which I do think is very unlikely - we would ask the kids and their family to join us.

I can’t see a situation where the UK would be under direct attack (other than cyber), though.

Yeah, been thinking this too. You express it really well. It's hard to even think of the uprooting involved (also central-ish London). Mindfk, and not being glib.

I can't think of much worse than surviving a nuclear war tbh.

I agree but I have visited Hiroshima and I don't think there could be anything worse than being involved with a nuclear explosion. Hundreds of thousands on the periphery didn't die instantly but lived through sheer hell on earth. And than was in 1945 when the bomb was still new technology.

It's highly unlikely we're going to be nuked so I'd stop worrying about it.

We live in rural East Anglia, with DS away at uni in a major city. I would encourage him to come home, although we are only 20 miles from Sizewell so that may be a target. I keep a slightly prepper home anyway- enough food for a long period- so that side of things is fairly well covered.

My main worry is conscription.

FWIW I don’t think any of this is going to happen, but unexpected things do happen so thinking through the options is sensible.

Fellow londoner with an only child here. Zone 3. All I can say is they nuked hiroshima and nagasaki not Tokyo.

My DCs are all of prime conscription age which worries me much more than the risk of anything happening to me. They do have a second nationality but I'm pretty sure that if the UK went to war so would the other country.

Unfortunately..realistically..probably die 😅 everyone will have the same idea to flee, gridlock traffic. I am not overly wealthy so cant buy my way out. I'm not overly sturdy so in the event of a crowded flurry I'd be squatted.

I choose dignity. If all fails I will cuddle my family and let them feel safe in my arms.

I don’t think our depleted army have the resources to train a load of young people that don’t want to be there in the first place. People will just refuse. It’s not 1940

That is just so sad @Wingingitnancy

So basically everyone in London will move to Scotland.

Yeah that'll work...

Yes I presumed conscription would be a thing of the past but that it could affect us in other ways. Mainly risk to life, but also in terms of deep depression, so curtailing of DC's opportunity in life, shortages etc etc

We live rurally, though I think if they nuke us then we're all doomed anyway.

Conscription worries me, though I think DH would be too old and DC would be too young (for a few more years).

I do take comfort in being rural. We grow veg (seasonal, but could ramp that up!), we have a wood burner to heat/cook and large amounts of wood stored/available, we have a well that collects rainwater and filters it through gravel etc. No help really in a nuclear war, but if electricity/water/gas was disrupted I would rather be in my situation than a city centre without those resources.

I just try not to worry about it!

I feel like trump has made Americans overseas sitting ducks. We were already unliked for existing and now people have an actual reason.

This. I would hope to be in the middle of the target if it’s going to happen tbh!

I think I’d just focus on the most painless and least traumatic way to kill the family and dog. I don’t want to live in a country that’s been bombed or invaded by Russia - not a country known for sticking to the Geneva convention.

if there were still planes flying it would be to get back to my home country on the other side of the world where we all hold passports but I think history (and every disaster movie ever made) shows me that by the time you realise you need to leave, it’s too late.

Changed user name as outing

One of my dc lives in Finland, the other is military so, what would I do? Panic springs to mind!

In reality by dc in Finland can fly home and my location is fairly ok, as much as anywhere in our small island is.

DH and I talked (only slightly seriously) about whether we should buy a house in Scotland. I have Scottish heritage and would be quite happy to live there.

We are currently in SE, just outside London.

I would want our adult children to join us, but I'm not sure how convinced they'd be! One is a computer scientist and thinks he'd be conscripted into a GCHQ type role, the other is already terrified about being conscripted into the army. I think we'd smuggle him away/hide him, and he could work on a Scottish croft as a conchie! He has a slight learning disability, so it might be accepted!

I really don't think there will be any escalation of war by Russia, however if there was the threat of WW3 or nuclear war, the I don't think staying in Central Scotland would be very safe. Trident missiles are located in Faslane which would surely be one of the first targets by an aggressor? Think I'd head over to rural Donegal to my uncles holiday cottage. Might be a bit of a squeeze though if all the family descended there 😂.

We’ll just all go The Winchester for a lock in until it all blows over.

Sellafield is in the process of being demolished.