Life during the war

• What was Hitler's aims for the Blitz?

  To bomb Britain into submission and break the morale of the British people
• When was London the main target for bombing?


  Between 2nd September- 2nd November 1940. London was bombed every night
• How many people were killed during the bombing of London in 1940?

  15,000
• What happened on May 10th 1941 in London?

  Hit worst by the blitz. Thousands of people were left without electricity, gas and water
• Where did German bombing aim to hit?

  Highly populated areas and cities
• When was Coventry hit worst by the blitz?

  14th November 1940 where 554 people were killed in one night and 50,000 houses were destroyed
• What happened after Coventry suffered their worst hit of the blitz in November 1940?

  Just 5 days after, all factories were back in production and contributing to the war effort
• Why was Swansea important during the war?

  It had a port and docks where they would receive wartime import and export of coal
• What did Swansea do in preparation for war?

  Swansea council before 1939:

  • Provided Police and Fire-service with anti gas training
  • 500 communal air raid shelters were built
  • ARP department was set up in 1938
  • 6549 Anderson shelters were distributed
• What was the luftwaffe?

  German air force who were responsible for the blitz
• When did Swansea experience high explosive bombing from the Luftwaffe?

  27th June 1940
• What happened 8 months after the Swansea bombing?

  The Luftwaffe returned, it's now known as "The Three Nights blitz". 230 died and 387 were injured
• How many homes were destroyed in the Three nights blitz?

  7,000
• How did Swansea cope with the aftermath of the Three nights blitz?

  Communal feeding stations, water tank lorries and photographs of the damage were censored
• When did evacuation begin?

  1st September 1939
• What was evacuation?

  Where all women and children who lived in likely target areas like London would move to safer environments in the countryside. It wasn't compulsory, but encouraged
• Between 1939 and 1940, 1.5 million children , pregnant women and breast feeding women were evacuated
• What was a limitation of evacuation?

  There was a lack of bombing during the first year of the war so some children drifted back home by the end of 1939
• Who often accompanied the evacuated children to the countryside?

  Their teachers so they could carry on teaching
• Where were many evacuees sent?

  South Wales valleys
• How were children assigned to different families in evacuation?

  They would gather in Church halls where they were selected by families. A background check wasn't required so some children ended up going to abusive households
• What were the families called who took in evacuees?

  Host families
• What was the positive side of evacuation?

  Most children were made to feel apart of the family and enjoyed a better standard of living
• Welsh speakers were worried about the arrival of evacuees and it damaging the Welsh language, and they wouldn't be able to understand. This actually helped people become fluent in Welsh
• Why did rationing come into place?

  Britain was facing food shortages because 40% of supplies came from abroad
• What also became in short supply?

  Cosmetics, fuel and textiles
• How was food production increased?

  People began to grow fruit and vegetables on allotments and school fields, Dig for victory campaign
• Who was rationing run by?

  The Ministry of food
• When did rationing begin?

  1939. Households had to fill out a form of details which specified how many people lived in their house.
• What did the government do after households filled out a form about rationing?


  Each household was assigned an identity card and a ration book which contained food coupons. These had to be handed to the shopkeeper every time the household bought produce
• What did rationing mean?

  Households could only buy the amount of produce they were allowed
• What are some examples of food that were rationed?

  Meat, butter, sugar, tea chocolate, eggs
• How was rationing designed?

  In collaboration with nutritionists to determine a suitable diet for all would be still sustained
• From 1942, anyone with a private car was unable to access petrol
• People were only allowed a bath once a week with 13cm of water due to rationing
• What else was rationed aside from food?

  Water, clothing, petrol
• How were people encouraged to mend their clothes?

  By wearing utility clothing as it uses less material, and children had to find scrap materials to patch up their clothes
• What had became a criminal offence by 1940?

  Wasting food
• What was the WVS?

  Women's Voluntary Service
• What did the WVS do?


  An organisation which provided women with voluntary work to help with the war effort