The Home Front

• Tasks
• Background
• Teachers' notes
• External links

Britain started to prepare for the Second World War at least a year before it actually started.

In 1938, the government began to build new warships and increase its armaments. However, this war would not just involve soldiers. The government expected the war to disrupt and threaten the lives of civilians left at home. This happened in a variety of different ways, from cutting down railings to be melted down and used in munitions factories, to rationing and evacuation plans.

Between 1938 and 1939, the government thought of all the possible dangers and difficulties the Home Front would face during war, and started to take precautions. People were needed on the home front to help with all sorts of things. They were encouraged to plant vegetables on any spare land they had to supplement the rationing, but people were also recruited into a variety of essential positions such as Air Raid Wardens and the Home Guard. People were also encouraged to think about their safety, and the government spent a great deal of time educating people on what to do in situations such as an air raid, or a gas attack, as well as providing information on how to make rations stretch further and how to keep yourself healthy. Use this lesson to work with original documents on how the British were encouraged to prepare for the Second World War.

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Tasks

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Background

Evacuation

Evacuation plans had been in preparation well before the outbreak of war. Small-scale evacuation of women and children were carried out in September 1938 but the real evacuation began in September 1939. The government had planned to evacuate about three million people but in the end only one million left home. A few hours after the war was declared on 3 September 1939, almost all of them had been evacuated from the danger areas to the reception areas.

Air raids

The biggest danger came from air raids. Air raids meant both danger and disruption. 60,595 civilians died as a result of enemy action in the UK. Homes, workplaces and public buildings were destroyed. Streets were subject to the ‘blackout’ – lighting restrictions – and the ban on street lighting caused a huge rise in car accidents. Volunteers were needed to be trained in civil defence duties. These included fire-fighting, first aid and ambulance driving.

Civilians were instructed in how to protect themselves against poison gas attacks and issued with gas masks, which they were encouraged to carry on all journeys. Fortunately, poison gas was never used as a weapon in Britain. They were also given materials to build air raid shelters in the backyards. Strong buildings were also prepared for use as air raid shelters.

Workers

The working lives of most of the adult population changed with the outbreak of war. To fight the war, men aged between 18 and 41 were needed in the navy and army. This would take them away from their jobs in factories and farms. To fill the shortage, women were recruited for jobs previously done by men. Women worked in the factories, constructing weapons and many others joined the Land Army to work on farms.

Rationing

Much of the food, clothes and fuel which Britain needed came from abroad. The war disrupted and prevented these supplies from arriving. This meant shortages of the essentials to keep life going. In 1940, rationing was introduced in Britain. The ration book became indispensable for every man, woman and child, ensuring a fair distribution of what meagre essentials were available. The government also tried to encourage people to grow food on every available piece of land.

Invasion

Another danger was from invasion. When in 1940 the Channel Isles fell into German hands and it looked as though the RAF was loosing the Battle of Britain, the government called on volunteers to join the Home Guard – Dad’s Army – to help defend Britain from attack.

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Teachers' notes

In this lesson, students look at a series of posters, pictures and leaflets designed to persuade the public to support the war effort on the home front. Teachers may wish for the students to work in pairs or small groups on individual sources and report back to the group.

The first source examined by the students is a ‘Dig for Plenty Poster’ to encourage people to grow their own vegetables to support the war effort. This would help to prevent food shortages as Britain could not import food easily during wartime. The second source is a poster warning against the danger of not evacuating children. The government started a policy of evacuation to send children away from the cities, ports and industrial areas which were bomb targets to safer rural areas. In the third source students study a series of leaflets about gas masks. These include instructions on how to put them on, why and when they must be carried and what to do if you are injured by different types of gas. Source 4 is a poster used to encourage women to work during the war because it will help to defeat Hitler. The fifth source concerns air precautions. There is an information leaflet which explains how to protect yourself during air raids, warning signals for air raids and information about where to get help. There is also a picture of a house and garage labelled with instructions on how to protect your house from bomb blasts. Source 6 is an extract of a telephone conversation between a member of the public, Mr Cleave and a mine laying specialist in 1940. Mines had been laid on the beach to protect the coastline very near his home and he felt that there was danger of his house exploding by accident. The final source is a reminder to the public that careless talk is dangerous. Conversations can be overheard.

The lesson can also be used to support literacy for Key stage 2 on the concept of persuasive writing. Students can explore how the language of these government posters and leaflets is used to persuade. They can look in detail at persuasive devices such as slogans, humour and emotive language. They can consider how persuasive language is used to gain attention, influence and inform and can be adapted for different audiences and purposes.

Sources

Illustration : INF 3/96 – Dig on for Victory Poster

Source 1 : INF 3/98 – Dig for Plenty Poster

Source 2 : INF 13/171 – Don’t Do It Mother Poster

Source 3 A, B & C : HO 186/2247 – Gas Raid Quiz and Gas Mask Leaflets

Source 4 : INF 3/400 – Just a Good Afternoons Work poster

Source 5 A : HO 186/2247 – ARP Notice

Source 5 B : ZPER 34 – Air Raid house picture from the Illustrated London News, 1938

Source 6 : WO 199/94 – Conversation between Mr Celave & Capt. Denaro regarding beach mines

Source 7 : INF 3/232 – Be Careful what you say poster

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External links

West Indies Calling (1944)
Film about the contribution of West Indians to the war at home and abroad.

Public information films from Second World War

MOI Reports
The website holds the Home Intelligence Reports of the Second World War which include regular surveys of public opinion on events, policies and the state of morale on the home front. Mostly National Archives documents, transcribed and keyword searchable.

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