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London and the Second World War, 1939–45

The impact of the Blitz on civilian life

  • 3 things to know
  • Paper 1

Overview

Air-raid wardens, Morrison shelters, the ban on sheltering in the Tube and how Londoners broke it, facilities on the platforms, the deaths at Balham and Bank, Mickey Davies's shelter, the South Hallsville School and Bethnal Green disasters, leisure in wartime, the Café de Paris bombing, rest centres, disruption to working life and ministers' fears for morale.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

In what practical ways was ordinary working life upset by the Blitz raids?

Key term

What were the duties of an air-raid warden during a raid?

Key term

Why did the government at first refuse to let people shelter in Underground stations?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    What were the duties of an air-raid warden during a raid?

    Model answer

    To enforce the blackout, guide people to shelter, report where bombs had fallen and help the rescue and first-aid parties find casualties.

  2. 2

    What was a Morrison shelter and who was it intended for?

    Model answer

    A steel cage the size of a large table, introduced in 1941 for use indoors by families who had no garden for a dug-in shelter.

  3. 3

    Why did the government at first refuse to let people shelter in Underground stations?

    Model answer

    Ministers feared a 'deep shelter mentality' in which people would stay below ground and refuse to go to work, and worried about sanitation and about blocking the trains.

  4. 4

    How did Londoners get onto the Tube platforms in spite of that ban?

    Model answer

    They bought the cheapest ticket, went down as passengers and simply stayed, and by late September 1940 the authorities gave way and allowed it.

  5. 5

    What was eventually provided for people sheltering on the platforms?

    Model answer

    Bunks with a ticket system for places, chemical toilets, canteens serving food and drink, and first-aid posts.

  6. 6

    Name a station where people sheltering below ground were nevertheless killed.

    Model answer

    Balham, where about 66 died in October 1940 when a bomb burst the water main and sewer above the platforms, and Bank, where about 56 died in January 1941.

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AThe huge loss of life left England short of workers.
BForeign craftsmen and labourers were wanted.
CCompetition for work also bred resentment.

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