Impact On Civilian Life

Question 1

How did London Cope with the war?

Answer 1

• The continued presence of the royal family and government ministers
• The Cabinet War Rooms
• Safeguarding art and buildings
• Use of public spaces “Dig for victory”

Question 2

How did London have the continued presence of the royal family in WW2?

Answer 2

• Stayed in London during the Blitz: stayed visible, visiting bombed communities, boosting morale.
• King George VI and Queen Elizabeth were pictured among the rubble at Buckingham Palace following a hit there.
• Presented Britain as united, with even the most privileged suffering ‘equally’.

Question 3

How did London have cabinet war rooms in WW2?

Answer 3

• Government stayed in London so as not to be seen as ‘abandoning’ Londoners.
• The Cabinet War Rooms sheltered Churchill and his wartime government from the Blitz.
• From these rooms, the government led the war. The Map Room was the centre of activity.

Question 4

What were the measures taken to safeguard art and important buildings?

Answer 4

• Protecting landmarks and national collections was important for morale.
• Some museums and galleries set up special underground storage: the National Gallery sent paintings to a Welsh quarry; the British Museum stored treasures in an unused Tube station.
• Sandbags were used and stained glass windows removed to protect key buildings, but some were destroyed.
• The survival of St Paul’s Cathedral became a symbol’ of London resistance, with special fire-watchers and stores of water set up in the building.

Question 5

What was the use of public spaces: ‘Dig for Victory’

Answer 5

• ‘Dig for Victory’: a government campaign set up by the British Ministry of Agriculture. Civilians across the country were encouraged to grow their own food because of shortages and rationing.
• Public spaces, like Victoria Park in Hackney, were turned into allotments. The green areas in front of the Tower of London were turned into vegetable patches.
• Posters and leaflets were produced as part of a countrywide propaganda campaign intended to ensure that people had enough to eat, and that civilian moral was kept high.