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Home , Air raid shelter, Barrage (artillery), The Blitz

I S S U E 2 - P A G E 1 B L I T Z , B L A C K O U T S , E V A C U A T I O N KIDS

L E A R N I N G R E S O U R C E

THE BLITZ, BLACKOUTS AND EVACUATION W W I I

AIR RAIDS &

British Prime Minister declared on on 3 September 1939 after its unprovoked attack on Poland. Two was fought both in the air and on the ground. Enemy attacks from the or German Air Force were called air raids and mainly happened at night.

The Blitz started in and lasted 8 months until May 1941. It involved frequent and heavy bombing of cities including , , , Swansea, , , Sheffield, , , , and . These were all targeted because bombing them would cause the most damage by destroying rows of houses and the production of or ports where ships carrying supplies would come to.

Air raid sirens became an almost daily part of life for Londoners during the Blitz. Listen to what the siren sounded like here:

The siren sounded a warning that enemy planes were on the way and people stopped what they were doing and made their way to shelter. SHELTER

In London many people sheltered in Underground stations so they would be protected from bombs, fire and falling debris. Large towns also set up public air-raid shelters as the bombing continued.

I S S U E 2 - P A G E 2 B L I T Z , B L A C K O U T S , E V A C U A T I O N MORRISON ANDERSON SHELTERS SHELTERS

Anderson Shelters were small, cheap and designed Morrison Shelters were metal cages to be built in people’s gardens. Around 3.5 million which people lay inside until the end Anderson shelters were built saving many lives and of an air raid. They also doubled as preventing major injuries during air raids. They a kitchen table and were used by were also cold, damp and dark as were half buried people without a garden. They in the ground and covered with a thick layer of soil! came as a Do It Yourself (DIY) kit to be built inside the home.

BLACKOUT

During the Blitz, the government enforced a to prevent any light on the ground from escaping and showing enemy aircraft where to drop their bombs. There were no streetlights or illuminated signs. Traffic lights and vehicle headlights were fitted with slotted covers to deflect the beam downwards. People had to cover their windows and doors at night with blackout curtains, paint or cardboard so that no light showed outside their houses. Windows were taped across as shattered glass from bomb blasts was very dangerous. The Blackout began two days before the start of the Second World War on 1 September 1939.

Air Raid Wardens (ARP’s) patrolled the streets after dark to check that lights could not be seen from house windows. If ARP’s spotted light they shouted, ‘Put that light out!’ or ‘Cover that window!’ to those inside.

White stripes were painted on roads and lamp posts to help prevent accidents. Even with a 20 mile per hour speed limit, car crashes were frequent. Thousands of people died in road accidents and many injured themselves in the darkness by tripping, bumping into things or falling. I S S U E 2 - P A G E 3 B L I T Z , B L A C K O U T S , E V A C U A T I O N

EVACUATION

British evacuation began before the outbreak of war on 1 September 1939 and was called Operation Piped Piper. When the expected air raids on cities did not happen, many evacuees returned home. In 1940 when the Blitz began there was a second evacuation and some children ended up being sent overseas to North America, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. From June 1944 Germany attacked by firing V1 and V2 bombs and rockets on Britain and over one million children, young and expectant mothers and some people with disabilities were evacuated from London to places considered safer, usually in the countryside. This included Devon and Cornwall. Arriving in the countryside was a shock for many evacuees who had grown up in a city and had never seen cows or pigs, anywhere so green or breathed truly fresh air.

Children who were evacuated had labels attached to them as though they were parcels. They stood at railway stations not knowing where they were going, how long they would be away for or if they would be split from brothers and sisters. They often felt scared about being away from their families and had to adjust to new schools and make new friends. For some children the opportunity to live somewhere different must have felt like a great adventure.

Evacuees were taken to village halls where they were met by a billeting officer who helped them find a family who would take them in and look after them. Families who took in evacuees received money from the government to help pay for living expenses. Evacuees brought a suitcase which had clothing, some food and other personal items. They also had their identity card and gas mask with them.

AIR RAIDS ON DEVON AND CORNWALL

Between 1940 and 1943 t housands of bombs fell on D evon and Cornwall. Most were aimed at the Plymouth dockyards trying to destroy the and airfields like St Eval.

F ind out more about the BODMIN BOMBING bombings in Cornwall: On 7 August 1942 two German aircraft dropped several bombs on Bodmin and cannon fire which hit the gasworks, a food depot and many family homes. Nine people were killed and eighteen injured. Eight people were from the Sargent family, whose home was wrecked.

I S S U E 2 - P A G E 4 B L I T Z , B L A C K O U T S , E V A C U A T I O N

BOMBS AND ROCKETS

From 1944, Germany used two new types of weapons.

The V1 - known as a Doodlebug or buzz bomb because of the noise it made. The V1 didn’t have a pilot and was a flying bomb powered by jet engines. V1s were launched from catapult ramps or aircraft. As soon as the droning stopped people had 15 seconds to escape from the blast that followed. Many V1's fell short of London into the sea while others fell in the countryside.

See: British Pathe V1 Flying bomb video

The V2 () - arrived without any warning sound and flew very fast and high in the air. This meant that they were too high to be shot down by the anti-aircraft guns of fighter aircraft. They crashed and exploded without warning on target cities, such as London. V2 rockets were 14 metres high and carried a of explosives. It took just five minutes from launch to landing.

See: British Pathe Secret V2 footage discovered 1946

BRITISH RESPONSE BALLOONS

There were three lines of defence against the Barrage balloons usually flew over important and V1s and V2’s: fighter planes over the English coast to shoot or tip down the incoming areas which needed defending including cities, ports and bombs before they reached their target, anti- industrial areas. aircraft batteries in and barrage balloons. They were filled with hydrogen gas and had thick cables which were designed to rip the wings off anything that flew

into them. Barrage balloons were on average 18 metres long by 7 metres in diameter which is approximately the

same length as three giraffes or two double decker buses end on end. The silver balloons were held by cables which were fixed to winches on lorries and sent to heights of 1524 metres.

German aircraft had to fly high to avoid the balloons which made them less accurate. If the balloon was shot it exploded, taking the aircraft with it. I S S U E 2 - P A G E 5 B L I T Z , B L A C K O U T S , E V A C U A T I O N

ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNS

This quick-firing Swedish Bofors gun was used to fire at enemy aircraft overhead. Anti-aircraft guns were set up around airfields, docks, bases and in towns and cities. They made a tremendous noise and the shells that they fired burst into fragments in the air, called flak or flack. The guns were nicknamed 'ack-ack'.

See: Anti-aircraft gun demonstration in

ACTIVITIES

1. Write a letter to your parents or family telling them about your evacuation experience and describe your feelings. Things to think about: a. The train journey b. The selection process c. Your new temporary family d. Your new home. Use some emotive language, powerful adjectives and verbs to describe your feelings and thoughts. 2.If you were a child during the war you needed to know which were enemy planes and which were British. Research British and German planes to create a fact file or vlog about some of the best- known planes during World War Two. These might include Spitfire, Lancaster Bomber, Messerschmitt and Junkers. You might like to include: a drawing or photo of each aircraft, their colours, insignia, engines, size, crew members, guns and speed. See: https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/9-iconic-aircraft-from-the--of-britain 3.Create your own Anderson shelter using a range of materials. 4.Use a tape measure and masking tape to mark the dimensions of an Anderson shelter (1.95m length by 1.35m width). Ask your family to stand inside this space. How comfortably could the shelter accommodate six people as this is the number it was designed for? NOTE: A Morrison shelter measured 2m length by 1.2m width. 5.Stand outside your home at night and look at how much light is escaping. What could you do in your home to make sure that no light escapes as in the Blackout? 6.Create a drawing or model showing how people might have spent their time in air raid shelters e.g. sleeping, talking, playing cards, singing or reading. 7.Make a toy that a child might have taken with them when they were evacuated. Remember there was shortage of materials so most children would have had home made toys. 8.Draw your own suitcase. What would you take with you if you were evacuated? Draw them in the suitcase.

I S S U E 2 - P A G E 6 B L I T Z , B L A C K O U T S , E V A C U A T I O N

TRUE OR FALSE CHALLENGE

T E S T Y O U R K N O W L E D G E A N D R E S E A R C H S K I L L S B Y A N S W E R I N G T R U E O R F A L S E T O T H E Q U E S T I O N S . C H E C K Y O U R A N S W E R S O N T H E L A S T P A G E .

1. Wernher von Braun, one of the German scientists who designed the V2, also designed the rocket that sent astronauts to the Moon in 1969. 2. The biggest disadvantage of barrage balloons was that they showed enemy planes exactly where the target was and where to aim. 3. World War Two involved less than half of the world’s population at the time. 4. Blitz is short for the German word which means lightning war. 5. Half of London was destroyed in the war. 6. During Blackout men were encouraged to leave their shirt tails hanging out to make it easier to see them. 7. There was less crime during the Blackout. 8. a flat-pack DIY (Do It yourself) Morrison shelter was easy. 9. The photograph below is of a gas-proof dog kennel which was used during the Blitz. 10. The V1 and V2 were known as retaliatory weapons.

Photo copyright IWM I S S U E 2 - P A G E 7 B L I T Z , B L A C K O U T S , E V A C U A T I O N TRUE OR FALSE CHALLENGE ANSWERS

1. True. After World War Two Wernher von Braun designed the Saturn V rocket that sent Apollo 11 astronauts to the Moon. 2. True. Barrage balloons were grouped together around an area that needed defending so did help direct enemy aircraft to their target. 3. False. World War Two involved 61 countries and 1.7 billion people or three quarters of the World’s population. 4. True. Blitzkrieg does mean lightning war in German and is a military tactic involving a violent surprise attack on an enemy. The main aim was to create disorganisation through speed and surprise. This tactic had been around long before the Second World War. 5. False. One third of London was destroyed during the Blitz. 6. True. Men were told to leave their shirt tails out in the evening so that they could be seen by cars with dimmed headlights. People were also encouraged to walk facing traffic. 7. False. Crime actually increased during Blackout and included looting, theft and burglary. 8. False. Building a flat pack Morrison Shelter was very difficult as there were over 300 parts to put together! 9. True. The photo is of a gas-proof dog kennel. Gas masks were issued to everyone and some manufacturers saw an opportunity to protect family pets too! 10. True. The V1 and V2 were known as ‘vergeltungswaffen' or retaliatory weapons.

I S S U E 2 - P A G E 8 B L I T Z , B L A C K O U T S , E V A C U A T I O N OTHER RESOURCES

Bodmin bombing https://bodminkeep.org/the-cornwall-blitz-and-the-bombing-of-bodmin/

What to do in an air raid 1940 - British Pathe https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=mHep5WA9qqU

Imperial War Museum - Photographs of life during the Blitz https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/15- powerful-photos-of-the-blitz

Imperial War Museum - Find out what life was like for evacuated children https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/the-evacuated-children-of-the-second-world-war

Imperial War Museum - A family in Wartime: Evacuation https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=ijh7_OrM23I

Imperial War Museum - What to do during an air raid https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/what-to-do-during-an-air-raid

Living Through Air Raids – History: Children of World War Two https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4idj7fI6OZg

Kresen Kernow Evacuation resource https://kresenkernow.org//wp- content/uploads/2019/04/Kresen-Kernow-learning-resource-evacuation.pdf

Kresen Kernow - A Safe Place to Go http://asafeplacetogo.org.uk.contentcurator.net/? location_id=1

Special Education and Inclusive learning https://inclusiveteach.com/2020/02/03/blitz- ww2-sensory-adventure/ https://inclusiveteach.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Blitz_-A-WW2-Sensory- Adventure.pdf

Your home as an , 1940 British Pathe https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=zjWfR7mdAaE

Do the job , 1940 British Pathe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azJVy9FSqCU

Anderson shelters https://www.andersonshelters.org.uk/index.html

British Pathe Air Minister Sees Barrage Balloons 1938 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdsMlP79aX0

Royal Inspection of the Balloon Barrage https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KYQ7qQ8bI8