London And The Second World War, 1939-1945

Question 1

Context of london in ww2

Answer 1

• an important targets for the germans, seat of government, capital city and home of the royal family. Also a major transport hub and densely populated so if london were to fall it would have a huge effect on britains empire

Question 2

Accessibility for german bombers

Answer 2

• the thames and its estuary made an easy route finder for pilots in night raids as the moonlight shone on the thames, clearly visible from the air.
• area was also close to the channel and therefore near to occupied europe

Question 3

Ministry of information

Answer 3

• Created in september 1939, a department responsible for central government propoganda and publicity

Question 4

Preperation for war, 1939

Answer 4

• Gas masks issued to all londoners dollowing 1938 munich crisis
• The LCC organised fire, ambulence and heavy recue services and care of homeless
• London children were to be evacuated into country by school from 1st september
• National service brochure offered fees for rural families willing to take in evacuees
• families offered anderson shelters or space in communal shelters if they did not have a garden

Question 5

Propoganda and censorship

Answer 5

• London civil servants created propoganda and ensured censorship effectively controlled public information.
• propoganda was used to maintain morale amd encourage people to support the war effort, also aiming to influcpence attitudes about the Blitz.
• hovernment created the ‘blitz spirit’, worker to royalty all stamding defiant,nphotos showed royal families visiting bomb sites

Question 6

Stages of the blitz

Answer 6

25th august - 19th september 1940
- targeted bombing of military bases, industry, energy supplies and communications
20th september - 10th may 1941
- shift to attacking morale, civilians national treasures etc
The ‘Lull’ May 1941- january 1944
- irregular bombing every night
The ‘baby blitz’, january to april 1944
- monthly casualties raised from 58 - 948
V1 and v2 raids june 1944 - march 1945
-Switched to pilotless atacks

Question 7

Black saturday, 7th september 1940

Answer 7

• First blitz began around 5 pm 7th september lasting until 10th may 1941
• first attack lasted 12 hours killing 400, seeiously injuring 1600
• attacks focused on east londons docks, industries and railways
• after 19th sep attacks focused on high death tolls serious damage and disruption of services
• conventional heavy bombing killed 28,556 people and wounded 25,500 in total

Question 8

Types of bombs 1940-1941

Answer 8

• incendaries : dropped mainly by first wave of bombers, started fires and caused about 90% of bombing damage
• high explosives : were mainly dropped by later waves, some had delayed fuses to harm rescue workers
• mines : most powerful deipped by parachute so attacks were silent and hard to detect

Question 9

V1 and v2 rockets 1944-45

Answer 9

Pilotless attacks
- the V1 ‘flyimg bomb’ hit london targets in daytime caused extensive damage ans deaths, didn’t trigger air raids as they flew very low.
- the V2 rocket, the first ballistic missile ( a rocket carrying a warhead so fast that it exploded before people heard it coming, attacks continued until captire of launch sites by allies

Question 10

The impact of V1 and V2 attacks

Answer 10

• civilian morale loe, factory workers often absent from work
• more evacuations began and underground filled with civilains
• government popularity fell as people felt unprotected
• 30,000 houses destroyed and 29,000 killed or injured

Question 11

V2 attack on Deptford, 1944

Answer 11

25th november
- first widely reported V2 attack
- a large store, had a lot of people as people thought there was a new supply of saucepans
- killed 160, 200 injured
- saturday lunchtime, time where people went shopping

Question 12

Impact on civilian life

Answer 12

Civilian daily life was affected in every way possible. Many efforts were made to carry on life as normally as people could in the circumstances including keeping up morale by enjoying leisure time

Question 13

Air raid precautions

Answer 13

• Underground stations were opened because of public demand
• conditions gradually improved and beds were set up
• public felt safer underground despite some stations being hit by bombs
• news of tube station disasters were censored to stop germans finding out effects their bombing made on morale

Question 14

Mickys shelter

Answer 14

Local optician micky davis set up a commitee to provide cleaning, beds, gp services and a canteen

Question 15

The south Hallsville school disaster 1940

Answer 15

About 10,000 homeless lomdoners stayed at south hallsville school on 10th sep 1940 when it was hit in a bombing raid. Reportimg of the incident was banned because of the impact of morale and these people were meant to be evacuated a day earlier.

Question 16

The bethnal green disaster 1943

Answer 16

3 march 1943, 1500 people used bethnal green tube shelter as they expected attack. New anti rockets were fired causing panic, a women and baby fell and 173 people were crushed. Government investigations were kept secret until after the war

Question 17

Continuing leisure activities

Answer 17

• cinema : wartime audiences increased more then half a useful tool for promotimg propoganda and unity.
• dance halls : large dance halls stayed open throughout the war
• theatre : late afternoon performances and government subsided lunch concerts were very popular

Question 18

Government and morale

Answer 18

• Working class of east end suffered most.
• government censored info released to public
• propoganda c,paigns weee used to boost morale, encourage safe behaviour, increase support for the war and warn againgst spies

Question 19

Disruption to daily life

Answer 19

• food and clothes rationing introduced
• unexploded bombs kept people away from homes until it was deemed safe
• civil defence volunteers dealt with death and horrific injuries
• population of london fell
• 54,000 people died between september 1940 and may 1941

Question 20

How did londom cope with the war

Answer 20

• continued presence of the royal family
  
  • stayed in lomdon during ww2, visited bombed sites to boost morale
  • king george and queen elizabeth were pictured along rubble at buckingham palace
  • helped present britain as united
• the cabinet war rooms
  
  • government stayed in londom
  • cabinet war room sheltered churchill and his wartime government from blitz
  • from the room, the government led the war map room was centre of activity

Question 21

Londons response with the war - safeguarding art and buildings

Answer 21

• protecting landmarks and national collections were important for morale
• some museums set up underground storage, national museum sent painyings to welsh quarry, the british museum stored treasures in an unused tube station
• stained glass was removes to protect key buildings but some were destroyed
• survical of st pauls cathedral became a symbol of londom resistance

Question 22

Londons response to the war - use of public space ‘ dig for victory’

Answer 22

• ‘dig for victory’ a government campaign set up by british ministry of agriculture, civilians across country were encouraged to grow their own food because of shortages and rationing
• public spaves like victoria park in hackney were turned into allotments
• green areas in front of london tower was turned into vegetable patches
• posters and leaflets were produced as part of a countrywide propoganda campaign intended to ensure people had enough to eat.