asbestos was used in fire curtains

Asbestos was widely used as a heat shield material for a very long time. I believe it was also used as x-ray shielding. But I’m not quite sure what the significance is in that clip.

It’s not a WW2 thing, it’s a theatrical thing, Daffy is performing ‘on stage’.

In the history of theatre, many suffered from fatal fires due to (amongst other things) the use of gas lighting & fabric curtains.
Laws were introduced to require all theatres to have a fire curtain or ‘iron’ made usually of fireproof asbestos which cuts off an on-stage fire from the auditorium. Asbestos was written on the front to re-assure the audience that their (fire) safety was protected. There would have been little (and not then appreciated) risk from lung disease.

At the time the cartoon was made the viewers would have been familiar with the safety curtain as the law required that it must be shown to be working to each audience and theatre attendance was much greater before TV.

Asbestos was everywhere in the 1940′s era ,it was the best insolation and fireproofing available (really excellent working material,aside from the health risks).and they used it in everything early plastics,fiberglass,sound proofing, heat wrapping/sheilding,and anything that needed a heat/fire barrier including paint and clothing.

Yes, in the ships.