Key question 4- people coping with the experience of war

• Bombing of British cities

  Autumn 1940- luftwaffe began its bobbing of British cities
• Bombing of British cities

  London bombed every night from 7th September for 57 consecutive nights
• bombing of British cities

  over 15,000 people killed
• Bombing if British cities

  raids continued until 1941- restarted in 1944-1945)
• Bombing of British cities

  Londoners took shelter in underground stations (spirit of wartime friendship created)
• Bombing of British cities

  Swansea bombed for 3 nights on the 19th to the 21st of Februar (230 killed and 397 targeted. 7000 homes destroyed)
• Bombing of British cities 


  Belfast Birmingham Coventry Bristol Cardiff and Manchester also bombed
• The need for rationing 


  Introduced almost immediately once war declared
• The need for rationing

  Food, clothing, coal and petrol rationed
• The need for rationing

  Imported almost 40% of its food abroad
• The need for rationing

  Real threat from starvation from German U-boats
• The need for rationing

  march 1942- Germans sank 275 ships
• The need for rationing

  Rationing books issued to everyone and coupons used to get goods, meat, eggs and butter. (Children and pregnant women different coloured book)
• The need for rationing

  Some bought goods on the black market
• The need for rationing

  Ministry of food produced pamphlets with receipts and information on food waste
• The need for rationing

  ‘Dig for victory campaign’ suggested that people should grow their own food
• The need for rationing 


  Rationing improved diets of many people as they ate healthier and better food
• Evacuees in wales 


  1st September 1939- moved out of cities in danger of bombing
• Evacuees in wales 


  Children pregnant women and people with disabilities were evacuated
• Evacuees in wales 


  Allocated to host families
• Evacuees in wales 


  many schools evacuated and children travelled with teachers
• Evacuees in wales 


  1.5 million evacuated in the first waves
• Evacuees in wales


  Many had mixed experiences
• Evacuees in wales 


  Bad- treated badly, abused, wetting beds, nightmares, used as unpaid workers and saw little empathy
• Evacuees in wales 


  Good- treated as part of the family, developed string bombs, saw country for the first time and experienced better standards of living
• Evacuees in wales 


  Some evacuees remained with host families
• Contribution of women in the war

  1943- 57% Of workers were women
• Contribution of women in war

  Played vital roles within armed forces and land army
• Contribution of women in war


  1941 December- women aged 19-30 conscripted to work
• Contribution of women in the war

  1943- 17 million in forces or engaged in war work
• Contribution of women in war

  Propaganda urged women to aid war effort
• Contribution of women in war

  Enlisted in women auxiliary airforce, auxiliary territorial service and women’s naval service
• Contribution of women in war

  1945- 450,000 women in military
• Contribution of women in war

  Carried out essential work- mechanics, welders, pilots and carpenters
• Contribution of women in war


  Performed nursing roles. Many code breakers in Bletchley park
• Contribution of women in war

  salaries less that men
• Contribution of war 


  Women's land army helped ease shortage of male farmers