London and WW2 Flashcards
Why was London a target city for the Germans
It was the seat of goverment,the capital city and the home of the royal family.It was also a major port and transport hub,a centre of industry and was densley populated
How was London prepared for war by the goverment
Gas masks issued
Air raid precautions (due to act)
Fire,ambulence and care of homeless was organised
Boroughs set up local ARP wardens
In Jan 1939 ,there was a drive to recruit volunteers for civil defense
Familys given Anderson Shelters
How was propoganda used in the blitz
London civil servants made propoganda to maintain morale and encourage people to support the war effort during the blitz where a united population was key
How was censorship used during the blitz
It was used to maintain morale as certain demoralising events were hidden
Where was bombing heaviest in the first blitz and why
It was heaviest in the East End as this was where lots of industry and transport was
What was Black Saturday and when was it
7th September 1940
First blitz attack,400 killed
What were the three types of bombs dropped during the blitz
Incendiaries
High explosives
Mines
What were incendiary bombs
Bombs dropped mainly by the first wave of bombers.Started the fires used as targets
What were high explosive bombs
Bombs mainly dropped by later raids,Some had delayed fuses to harm rescue workers
What were mines
The most powerful bomb,dropped by parachute so attacks were silent and hard to detect
What were V1 rockets
Flying bombs that hit Londons targets in daytume,causing extensive damage and deaths due to them not triggering air raid warnings
What are V2 rockets
The first ballistic missile.So fast it exploded before it was heard
What happened in Deptford in 1944
A V2 attack occured on a Woolworths in Deptford,Struck on saturday lunchtime,160 killed
How did German tactics change in the blitz after the bombing of the east end
Tactics changed to attacking morale by attacking civilians and homes
What was the ‘lull’ and when was it
Irregular retalitory raids only,not every night
May 1941-Jan 1944
What was the Baby Blitz and when was it
Jan-April 1944
A second short blitz on London
What was the goverment policy on shelters
It changed over time as originally they didn’t want people in tube stations but were forced to open deeper stations due to demand
What was ‘mickey’s shelter’
A local shelter formed in Spitalfields providing cleaning,beds,GP services and a canteen
What happened to Cinema in the blitz
Wartime audiences increased by more than half,a useful tool for propoganda and unity
How were Dance halls effected by the blitz
Large dance halls stayed open throughout the year
How was football impacted by the blitz
Crowds limited to 8000 in London,many played in exhibition matches
How was the theatre effected by the blitz
Late afternoon performances and goverment-subsided lunch concerts proved very popular
What happened in the South Hallsville School Disaster
About 1000 homeless londeners were staying at South Hallsville School when it was hit in a bombing raid.Even though they had been due to be evacuated the day before.Casualty reports varied widely
What happened in the Bethnal Green Disaster
New anti aircraft rockets fired by british and due to sound not being heard before people panicked.They rushed to bethnal green station and a trample occured due to a woman with a baby falling.173 people died
What happened in terms of reports after South Hallsville and Bethnal Green
Reports on the incidents were censored to help morale
What happened to class tensions in the first few weeks of the war
They were heightened as the working class east suffered more than the richer west end,Also due to the west end having more tube stations,tensions were high
What was the disruption to daily life and work
Population of inner London fell due to many moving
Food and clothes rationing introduced
Unexploded bombs kept people away from homes
Bombing disrupted gas an delectrics
Blackouts
First 6 weeks of blitz 250,000 Londeners made homeless
What did the royal family do to help London Cope with the war
They stayed in London during to blitz and visited bombed communities to raise morale and present all of britan as united with all people suffering equally
How did the goverment cope with the war
They stayed in London so as to not be seen as abandoning the Londoners
The cabinet war rooms sheltered Churchill from the blitz and from these rooms the goverment led the war
How were landmarks and art protected
Some museums and galleries set up special underground storage
Sandbags used and stained glass windows removed to protect key buildings
Survival of St Paul’s cathedral become symbol of London defiance as stores of water and fire watchers were set up
What was ‘dig for victory’
Goverment campaign set up to encourage civilians to grow their own food because of shortages and rationing
What were turned into allotments for the ‘dig for victory’ campaign
Public spaces like Victoria Park in Hackney,Green areas in front of the Tower of London were turned into Vegetable patches
What are anderson Shelters
Provided by the council for a single house in the garden,Built from steel and earth
What are communal and public surface shelters
Built by brick or comcrete in the middle of streets,Not popular as many didn’t feel safe
What are trench shelters
Shelters built by councils,deep trenches dug in parks with a roof over the trench.Very unpopular as people didn’t feel safe
What happened in the Balham Disaster
The direct hit of a bomb caused a massive crater water gas and sewage mains were all ruptured and many people drowned as station flooded,68 killed
