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The Home Front
'As from eleven o'clock this morning, Britain is at war with Germany.' Neville Chamberlain's words, broadcast on radio on the third of September 1939, confirmed what many people had feared for days and some had seen as inevitable for months. As Chamberlain made his announcement, what was unappreciated by everyone was how long the conflict would last, and the degree to which the mass of the British population would be required to fight their own battles to win the war.
Life for everyone in the country soon became one of unremitting toil. The demands of the war were everything. Men, women, children, the young and the old, all had to make a contribution to the 'war effort'. Virtually all manufacturing industry was given over to producing equipment for the war; almost nothing was produced for home consumption. By January 1940, food was in such short supply that the basics had to be rationed and a huge effort was put into producing more food at home, as everything imported from abroad risked the lives of the sailors transporting it.
Just a week after Chamberlain's broadcast, troops of the British Expeditionary Force embarked for France. These were well trained, but poorly equipped, regular and reserve soldiers, later to be joined by conscripts. For those 'back home' the trials of separation and the fears of the loss of their loved ones was the first impact of the war. But they, and the country, were also faced with the practical problem of a loss of manpower at the same time as having to increase production of armaments. This meant that the country had to call on that great, untapped source of labour - women. Eventually, the majority of the female population would be directed into some sort of 'war work'.
Children's home life was disrupted and disturbed as a consequence of the war. Evacuation was a precaution to avoid large-scale casualties from aerial bombardment. Initially, there was little bombing, but one year on from Chamberlain's announcement saw the beginning of the Blitz. Not for centuries had British civilians been so exposed to physical attack from an enemy. Britain itself became the front line and everyone in the country had a role to play in defending the country and its values.
Life for everyone in the country soon became one of unremitting toil. The demands of the war were everything. Men, women, children, the young and the old, all had to make a contribution to the 'war effort'. Virtually all manufacturing industry was given over to producing equipment for the war; almost nothing was produced for home consumption. By January 1940, food was in such short supply that the basics had to be rationed and a huge effort was put into producing more food at home, as everything imported from abroad risked the lives of the sailors transporting it.
Just a week after Chamberlain's broadcast, troops of the British Expeditionary Force embarked for France. These were well trained, but poorly equipped, regular and reserve soldiers, later to be joined by conscripts. For those 'back home' the trials of separation and the fears of the loss of their loved ones was the first impact of the war. But they, and the country, were also faced with the practical problem of a loss of manpower at the same time as having to increase production of armaments. This meant that the country had to call on that great, untapped source of labour - women. Eventually, the majority of the female population would be directed into some sort of 'war work'.
Children's home life was disrupted and disturbed as a consequence of the war. Evacuation was a precaution to avoid large-scale casualties from aerial bombardment. Initially, there was little bombing, but one year on from Chamberlain's announcement saw the beginning of the Blitz. Not for centuries had British civilians been so exposed to physical attack from an enemy. Britain itself became the front line and everyone in the country had a role to play in defending the country and its values.
96 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 24, 2012
The indomitable spirit of the British people shines strikingly through in this collection of Daily Mail photographs of the home front during World War II. It is accompanied by a lengthy, informative introduction and each image has a descriptive and meaningful caption.
Everyone proved to be a fighter and there are examples of ladies engaged in munitions work, ladies and gents tending allotments to grow food, the fortitude shown by everyone when bomb damage was being surveyed and assessed and the courage shown by children who were prepared to help along the way in any way they could and who also accepted evacuation in order to get away from the worst danger.
There are also some lighter moments portrayed, such as a bowling match, gaiety at a fun fair and concerts held to keep up morale.
The photographs are nostalgic and redolent of a nation under seige but all are superb examples of the character of the people who were left at home to make the most of a bad job. And they most certainly did ... and their courage, fortitude and endeavour undoubtedly helped immensely to win the war.
Everyone proved to be a fighter and there are examples of ladies engaged in munitions work, ladies and gents tending allotments to grow food, the fortitude shown by everyone when bomb damage was being surveyed and assessed and the courage shown by children who were prepared to help along the way in any way they could and who also accepted evacuation in order to get away from the worst danger.
There are also some lighter moments portrayed, such as a bowling match, gaiety at a fun fair and concerts held to keep up morale.
The photographs are nostalgic and redolent of a nation under seige but all are superb examples of the character of the people who were left at home to make the most of a bad job. And they most certainly did ... and their courage, fortitude and endeavour undoubtedly helped immensely to win the war.
November 10, 2016
A collection of wartime photos from the awesome archives of the Daily Mail published in 2003. Whilst not a great fan of the newspaper, I find that any of their publications of archive pics make great reading.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews