The Home Front
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The Home Front |
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Conscription | Air Raid Shelters | The Land Army | The WVS | The WI The NAAFI | Rationing | Money | Measures | Games | Songs |
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Conscription |
The British government re-introduced conscription in 1938 (it had been introduced in 1916 when more men were needed to fight in the trenches, but it was abandoned when the war ended).
When war broke out in September 1939, some men volunteered to join the armed services, but Britain could still only raise 875,000 men. Other European countries had kept conscription between the wars and were able to raise much larger armies than Britain. In October 1939, the British government announced that all men aged between 18 and 41 who were not working in 'reserved occupations' could be called to join the armed services if required. Conscription was by age, and in October 1939, men aged between 20 and 23 were required to register to serve in one of the armed forces. They were allowed to choose between the army, the navy and the airforce.
As the war continued men from the other registered age groups received their 'call-up' papers requiring them to serve in the armed forces.
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This legislation called up unmarried women aged between twenty and thirty. Later this was extended to married women, although pregnant women and mothers with young children were exempt from this work. One vital need was for women to work in munitions factories. Other women were conscripted to work in tank and aircraft factories, civil defence, nursing, transport and other key occupations. This involved jobs such as driving trains and operating anti-aircraft guns that had been traditionally seen as 'men's work'. Ernest Bevin, the Minister of Labour, attempted to persuade women to volunteer for war work. Making an urgent appeal to women to come forward for war work mainly in shell-filling factories, Mr. Bevin said he did not want them to wait for registration to take effect. He wanted a big response now, especially by those who might not have been in employment before. |
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There was a tendency to hang back and wait for instructions. If he could get the first 100,000 women to come forward in the next fortnight it would be priceless. "I have to tell the women that I cannot offer them a delightful life," said Mr. Bevin. "They will have to suffer some inconveniences. But I want them to come forward in the spirit of determination to help us through." In districts where married women had been in the habit of doing the work the Government had decided to assist them so far as the minding of children was concerned. They had arranged for the rapid expansion through local authorities of day nurseries and they were asking local authorities to prepare immediately a register of "minders". The married woman would pay only what she paid in pre-war days - about sixpence a day - and the Government would pay an additional sixpence a day for looking after the children. |
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Air Raid Shelters |
| The Anderson Shelter |
The familiar corrugated iron shelter, six foot high, 4' 6" wide and 6' 6" long was devised before the war, and named the Anderson shelter after Sir John Anderson, the Minister for Defence. They were usually dug 2' 6" into the ground, with the earth piled on top for greater protection. They were designed to resist nearby blast, but not a direct hit. To those with an income below £250 a year, they were issued free, and cost £7 for those with a higher income. They were often used to grow vegetables or flowers over them.
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The rear section put into place followed by the front, with provision for an entrance. The shelters were then covered in a thick layer of earth (18" was recommended). Soon after the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939, over 2 million families had shelters in their garden. By the time of the Blitz this had risen to two and a quarter million. Leaflets about home defence were pushed through letter-boxes during the summer of 1939, advising on how a cellar or basement might be converted into a refuge room, and how sandbags might be stacked to protect against bomb blast. |
| The Morrison Shelter |
In 1940, Herbert Morrison, the new Home Secretary, decided that another shelter was necessary, that could be used inside the house. The Morrison shelter was a complete revolution is sheltering, and completely changed people's lives. Instead of having to go outside into the cold and damp, mothers could simply bring their family under the shelter.
This saved a lot of hassle, and arguments about going to the Anderson shelter. Previously families would argue, about going to shelter, driving a wedge between the family, even though they should be pulling together at times of war.
This consisted of a large angle-steel box, with a steel top and mesh sides, which could be used as a table during the day, as it took up a lot of room. It was designed to absorb the impact of a bombed house falling on it by collapsing a few inches (but not enough to harm those sheltering inside). This was an innovative technique which saved steel in its construction. The Morrison shelter was also a great change in the lives of those who had no garden, and so no place for an Anderson shelter. They could now relax in the knowledge that they had some form of protection against the bombing. |
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The Land Army |
During the First World War the government established the Women's Land Army. With the country at war and all able-bodied men needed to fight, there was a shortage of labour to work on farms and in other jobs on the land. At the same time it was becoming increasingly difficult to get food imported from abroad, so more land needed to be farmed to provide homegrown food. The severe shortage of labour persuaded the government to reform the organization and by 1944 there were 80,000 women volunteers working on the land. The majority already lived in the countryside but around a third came from Britain's industrial cities. |
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Women in the Land Army wore green jerseys, brown breeches and brown felt slouch hats. They did a variety of jobs and a quarter were involved in milking and general farmwork. Others cut down trees, worked in sawmills and over a thousand women were employed as rat-catchers. The advertising slogan read, 'For a healthy, happy job join The Women's Land Army'. In reality, the work was hard and dirty and the hours were long. Some of the girls received training before they were sent to farms; the farmers themselves trained others. The Timber Corps was set up to teach women to make pit props, necessary for working in mines, which then had to be loaded onto lorries and transported to the mining areas. The girls of the land army looked after animals, ploughed the fields, dug up potatoes, harvested the crops, killed the rats, dug and hoed for 48 hours a week in the winter and 50 hours a week in the summer. As there was not enough machinery to go round they often had to work with old fashioned equipment, such as horse drawn hand ploughs, and to harvest crops by hand. Of course, all this heavy, outdoor work made them very hungry. One advantage was that extra rations were allocated to farm workers to give them the energy they needed to farm the land. |
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The WVS - Women's Voluntary Service |
As war threatened, Home Defence was at the forefront of people's minds. It was becoming obvious many attacks would come from the air and, in 1938, the Air Raid Precautions Department appealed for one million volunteers. The response gave the Home Secretary, Sir Samuel Hoare, the idea of setting up a women's organisation to help with the task. On 16th May 1938 the Women's Voluntary Service for Air Raid Precautions was founded. The Dowager Marchioness Lady Reading was appointed Chairman and the Queen and Queen Mary, The Queen Mother became joint patrons. The aim was that every woman should be given the opportunity to contribute to the defence of the country against enemy air attack. |
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They provided transport for hospital patients and staffed sick bays. They provided help and assistance wherever it was needed. Their watchword was “Never Say No”. They wore a uniform of grey/green skirts and jackets with a school styled hat. When war was declared on 3rd September, 1939, the WVS had 165,000 members drawn from groups unable to 'join up' or do essential war work. These were the elderly, the young, the housebound, or those with dependants. Men were not excluded and occasionally helped with jobs such as driving which not many women could do then. |
One of the first tasks the WVS had at the out set of war was to help evacuate 1.5 million children and mothers from major cities around the country. When refugees started to come to Britain, the WVS provided food and clothing for them. They helped gather information after an ‘air raid’ about who had lost their homes, lives, family etc, sometimes having to inform the loved ones about family losses. The WVS organised rest centres for those left homeless and helped provide furniture and belongings to people who had lost everything after a raid. Countless thousands of meals were served, washing facilities organised and clothing issued. As well as Civil Defence duties, WVS undertook unexpected jobs such as distributing 45 million ration books, cycling into harvest fields with pork pies, and darning the socks of the British Army. At the end of 1941, the WVS had enrolled its millionth member. Thrift became an absolute necessity and by 1942 a big economy drive was under way. Make-Do-and-Mend became a way of life: paper, string and food was hoarded and WVS members knitted socks from old sweaters. |
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As Britain greeted the American troops, WVS members learned to make coffee and ran 200 British Welcome Clubs which provided hospitality for allied troops, organising dances and sight-seeing tours. Members also worked in the Compassionate Leave Camps helping servicemen with domestic problems. By 1943 WVS members were staffing Incident Inquiry Points set up in the bombed localities to give information about the dead and injured. They often had to break bad news to the bereaved, even having to escort them to the mortuary to identify the dead. Members also took on lighter tasks and collected 56 million books for the troops, sorted the contents of 6 000 kitbags left by US Forces departing for Africa and distributed fruit juices. |
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In 1944 raids continued on London and East Anglia. Mobile canteens were set up to help with the evacuation of affected areas. In September Germany was invaded and the WVS was asked to take on Services Welfare there. Before the end of the year the WVS had launched two campaigns - training in household repair work; and encouraging thrift in fuel consumption. The Household Gifts Scheme was started with members collecting and distributing gifts of furniture to bombed-out families. The WVS had coped with unimaginable difficulties and some members had received many awards for gallantry, including two British Empire Medals, five George Medals and seventy-eight Empire Awards. Sadly, 241 members had died whilst on duty. |
Today’s nurseries and crèches have evolved from the National Day Nurseries set up by the WVS so that women with small children were able to go to work and help the war effort. |
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The Women's Institute |
In 1938, the NFWI was asked by the government to assist with the preparations for the evacuation of children to the countryside in the event of war. At the outbreak of war in September 1939, 1.25 million children and mothers were evacuated from urban areas over a period of three days. On this occasion the Women’s Voluntary Service (WVS) arranged transport and escorts to the country; once in the country many children and mothers were billeted on WI members. The experience of evacuation often proved traumatic for both the children and their hosts. There were many reports of country people being shocked by the state of the children; many had head lice for example (which was perhaps partly because they were evacuated at the end of the school holiday and had not been inspected by the school nurse for several weeks). |
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There were also reports of children who did not know how to use a knife and fork and whose preferred diet was chips. Equally the town children, and their mothers, were horrified by what they considered primitive conditions of some of the country houses where there was no piped water or electricity. WIs provided encouragement, through the Produce Guild, for schemes of production of vegetables, fruit, rabbits, poultry, pigs and many more. They also helped with the Ministry’s scheme for the repair of rubber boots for agricultural workers. They helped with the supply of part-time labour on the land and provided hospitality for Women’s Land Army. The WI assisted with the School Meals scheme, particularly in small villages and helped by providing teachers for the “Domestic Front” campaign. The WI took part in propaganda work in connection with developments, both at home and overseas, through press, broadcasting etc and provided hospitality to American troops. WI members collected medicinal herbs and the NFWI co-operated with the Vegetable Drugs Committee of the Ministry of Supply and the County Federations with the County Herb Committees. They also contributed to publicity work for salvage of scrap iron and paper. The WI took part in welfare work for ATS (AA units), WAAFs and Home Guard. In 1940 WI members made 1,631 tons of preserves. In subsequent years the Government allocated sugar to the WI for jam making so that surplus produce should not go to waste. Federations also bought canning machines to loan out, and some were sent from USA and Canada. All the preserved and canned food went into the national food supply. In 1946 the WI decided to record the work done by women in a huge tapestry. This was made co-operatively and the finished hanging was displayed at the Victoria and Albert Museum where it took pride of place at the WI exhibition of handicrafts in March 1952. The Work of Women in Wartime wall hanging is now deposited in the Imperial War Museum. |
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The NAAFI |
The Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI ~ pronounced 'Naffy') is an organisation created by the British government in 1921 to run recreational establishments needed by the British Armed Forces, and to sell goods to servicemen and their families. NAAFI personnel serving aboard ship are part of the Naval Canteen Service (NCS), wear naval uniform and have action stations, but remain civilians. NAAFI personnel can also join the Expeditionary Forces Institute (EFI), which provides NAAFI facilities in war zones. Prior to 1914, each unit ran its own canteen, mostly contracted out to private firms. In Victorian times they had a reputation for being expensive, corrupt, unpleasant, and selling inferior goods. In 1894, three Army officers founded the Canteen and MessCo-operative Society, which improved the situation immensely. It bought canteen goods in bulk and sold them on to the regimental canteens. During the First World War the Expeditionary Force Canteens were created for service overseas, run by uniformed members of the Army Service Corps and absorbing the Canteen and Mess Co-operative Society. The NAAFI's greatest contribution was during the Second World War. By April 1944 the NAAFI ran 7,000 canteens and had 96,000 personnel (expanded from fewer than 600 canteens and 4,000 personnel in 1939). It also controlled ENSA, the forces entertainment organisation. In the 1940 Battle of France alone, the EFI had nearly 3,000 personnel and 230 canteens. |
On 1st January, 1917, the ArmyCanteen Committee was created to take over canteens at home, later becoming the Navy and Army Canteen Board. In 1919 this also took over the Expeditionary Force Canteens. On 1st January, 1921, the Navy and Army Canteen Board formed the nucleus of the NAAFI. The NAAFI's greatest contribution was during the Second World War. By April 1944 the NAAFI ran 7,000 canteens and had 96,000 personnel (expanded from fewer than 600 canteens and 4,000 personnel in 1939). It also controlled ENSA, the forces entertainment organisation. In the 1940 Battle of France alone, the EFI had nearly 3,000 personnel and 230 canteens. |
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Male EFI personnel were members of the Royal Army Service Corps until 1965, then the Royal Army Ordnance Corps. Since 1993 they have been members of the Royal Logistic Corps. Female personnel were members of the Auxiliary Territorial Service until 1949, then the Women's Royal Army Corps until 1992, when they joined the RAOC (and later the RLC). |
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Rationing |
Before the Second World War started Britain imported about 55 million tons of food a year from other countries. Understandably, the German government did what they could to disrupt this trade. One of the main methods used by the Germans was to get their battleships and submarines to hunt down and sink British merchant vessels. |
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The government also introduced a Dig for Victory campaign that called for every man and woman in Britain to keep an allotment. Lawns and flower-beds were turned into vegetable gardens. Over ten million instructional leaflets were distributed to the British people. The propaganda campaign was successful and it was estimated that over 1,400,000 people had allotments. People were encouraged to keep chickens. Others kept rabbits and goats. Pigs were especially popular as they could be fed on kitchen waste. It was in everyone's interest to utilise every spare foot of garden space for the growing of vegetables. |
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It was fairly common for people to plant vegetables in the earth that covered the Anderson shelters. Gone were the flowers, shrubs and grass from the garden to make room for the rather intricate method of crop rotation, where seeds were available. The large seed supplying companies around the country were stretched beyond their capabilities and there was great reliance on seeds imported from the USA (though alot of these gave poor results in the British climate). Very little of the ground was left unused. |
| Petrol |
After a meeting between the Premier and the King at Buckingham Palace on the evening of 3rd September 1939, the day Britain declared war on Germany, it was decided, among other things, that petrol would be rationed from 16th September. Petrol distributors agreed to pool their resources and, after the stocks in the garages were sold, that they would supply only one grade of motor oil. The spirit was called "Pool" motor spirit, and was made available in England and Wales at 1s. 6d. a gallon. Civilian drivers were requested to use their own vehicles only for essential purposes. |
As a result of the fuel and lighting order, householders were ordered to reduce their coal, gas and electricity consumption by three-quarters by 7th September. |
| Food and Clothing |
| Rationing of food and clothing was extensive. Issued in October 1939, the Ration Book became familiar to every citizen during the war. The start of rationing was postponed, owing it was said to a Stop Rationing! campaign by the, The Daily Express, from November 1939 until Monday, 8th January 1940. Then rationing began. Each person was allowed a specific mount of basic foods. |
Typical examples of the amounts allowed per person, per week were: |
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Eggs - 2 a week Butter or Lard - 4 oz. (113 gm) a week Raw Ham - 4 oz. (113 gm) a week Raw Bacon - 4 oz. (113 gm) to 8 oz. (227 gm) a week Tea - 2 oz. (57 gm) to 4 oz. (113 gm) a week Cheese — 1 oz. (28 gm) to 8 oz. (227 gm) a week Sugar - 12 oz. (227 gm) a week. Meat rationing started on 11th March 1940. |
In July 1940 a complete ban was put on the making or selling of iced cakes, and in September the manufacture of 'candied peel' or 'crystallised cherries' meant the death knell for the traditional wedding cake.
On 1st December 1941 the Ministry of Food introduced the points rationing scheme for items such as canned meat, fish and vegetables at first. Later items such as rice, canned fruit, condensed milk, breakfast cereals, biscuits and cornflakes were added. Everyone was given 16 points a month, later raised to twenty, to spend as wished at any shop that had the items wanted.
A 12-oz. (340 gm) packet of soap powder was half a month’s ration; you could get one egg every two months and powdered egg could be bought on points. Fruit like bananas vanished altogether. Clothes rationing on points began in June 1941 and a new kind of clothing - utility clothing - was introduced, using cheap materials and the minimum amount of cloth. There were even points for furniture, although you were given these only if you were newly married, or had been bombed out, or were having a baby. |
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In general, the public supported rationing as ensuring fair shares for all, and although a black market did develop, it never seriously threatened the system. It was generally accepted that food rationing improved the nation's health, through the imposition of a balanced diet with essential vitamins, infant mortality rates declined, and the average age at which people died from natural causes increased. |
| The things still rationed in 1948, three years after the war, were: |
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Bread, soap, bananas, and potatoes were also rationed during this period. |
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Money
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Symbols
One Pound
More than a Pound (£) 1 guinea and a £5 coin
Less than a Pound (£) Shillings and Pennies
More than a Shilling ( s. or /-)
Less than a Shilling ( s. or /- )
Less than a Penny (d)
Other names for coins
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Measures
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Games
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Kingy
In Kingy, the participants stood in a circle, with one foot “in”. A ball was dropped to bounce in the middle, and the foot that it struck first was “it”. He or she grabbed the ball as the others quickly ran away. The idea was to throw the ball to strike another person. Once this had been achieved, the two then co-operated to claim a third, in the same manner, and the game proceeded thus, until only one was left, “free”, and he or she was the King. |
Marbles |
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Songs
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| Daisy | It's a Long Way to Tipperary |
| Daisy Daisy, give me your answer do, I'm half crazy all for the love of you, It won't be a stylish marriage, I can't afford a carriage, But you'd look sweet upon the seat Of a bicycle made for two! |
It's a long way to Tipperary, It's a long way to go, It's a long way to Tipperary, To the sweetest girl I know Goodbye Piccadilly, Farewell Leicester Square It's a long long way to Tipperary But my heart's right there. |
| You'll Never Walk Alone | We'll Meet Again |
| When you walk through a storm hold your head up high And don't be afraid of the dark. At the end of a storm is a golden sky And the sweet silver song of a lark. Walk on through the wind, Walk on through the rain, Tho' your dreams be tossed and blown. Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart And you'll Never Walk Alone, You Will Never Walk Alone. |
We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when But I know we'll meet again some sunny day Keep smiling through, just like you always do Till the blue skies chase the dark clouds far away Now, won't you please say "Hello" to the folks that I know Tell them it won't be long 'cause they'd be happy to know that when you saw me go I was singing this song We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when But I know we'll meet again some sunny day. |
| Goodbye-ee | My Old Man |
| Goodbye-ee, Goodbye-ee, Wipe the tear, baby dear, from your eye-ee Tho' it's hard to part, I know, I'll be tickled to death to go, Don't cry-ee, don't sigh-ee, There's a silver lining in the sky-ee! Bon Soir, old thing! Cheerio! Chin-Chin, Nah-Poo, Toodle-oo, Goodbye-ee. |
My old man said "Follow the van, And don't dilly dally on the way!" Off went the van with me 'ome packed in it, I followed on with me old cock linnet, But I dillied, I dallied, I dallied and I dillied, Lost me way and don't know where to roam, Oh you can't trust the Specials Like the Old Time Coppers, When you can't find your way 'ome. |
| Any Old Iron | Come, Come |
| Any old iron, any old iron, Any, any, any old iron? You look neat, talk about a treat, You look dapper from your napper to your feet, Dressed in style, brand new tile, With your father's old green tie on; But I wouldn't give you tuppence, For your old watch chain, Old iron, Old iron. |
Come, Come, Come and make eyes at me Down at the Old Bull and Bush, Come, Come, drink some port wine with me, Down at the Old Bull and Bush, Hear the little German band, Dah Dee Diddy dah dah dah, Just let me hold your hand dear, Do, Do Come and have a drink or two Down at the Old Bull and Bush! |
| Boiled beef and carrots | Beside the Seaside |
| Boiled beef and carrots, Boiled beef and carrots, That's the stuff for your "Darby Kel", Makes you fat and it keeps you well. Don't live like vegetarians, On food they give to parrots, From morn till night blow out your "kite" On boiled beef and carrots. |
Oh I do like to be beside the seaside, I do like to be beside the sea, I do like to stroll along the prom, prom, prom, Where the brassbands play tiddley-om-pom-pom! So just let me be beside the seaside, I'll be beside myself with glee; And there's lots of girls beside, I should like to be beside, Beside the seaside, beside the sea! |
| Bless 'Em All | Shine On Harvest Moon |
Bless 'em all, bless 'em all |
Shine on, shine on harvest moon |
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| JILL DANIELS sings: 1940s WARTIME WWII SONGS and MUSIC SHOW HITS OF THE BLITZ For when you're 'In the Mood' |
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