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Children in the Second World War: Memories from the Home Front
It was not just the upheaval caused by evacuation and the blitzes that changed a generations childhood, it was how war pervaded every aspect of life. From dodging bombs by bicycle and patrolling the parish with the vicars WW1 pistol, to post air raid naps in school and being carried out of the rubble as the family's sole survivor, children experienced life in the war zone that was Britain. This reality, the reality of a life spent growing up during the Second World War, is best told through the eyes of the children who experienced it first-hand. Children In the Second World War unites the memories of over two hundred child veterans to tell the tragic and the remarkable stories of life, and of youth, during the war. Each veteran gives a unique insight into a childhood which was unlike any that came before or after. This book poignantly illustrates the presence of death and perseverance in the lives of children through this tumultuous period, each account enlightens and touches the reader; shedding light on what it was really like on the Home front during the Second World War.
- GenresHistory
208 pages, Paperback
First published April 30, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 25, 2019
Book received from NetGalley
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April 7, 2017
While a doodlebug was nosily motoring its way overhead there was no danger yet; it was when the engine cut out at a predetermined point that it became lethal as at that moment it would point to earth and drop like a stone--a stone with an explosive warhead. It was therefore not the noise of the Devil's Organ Pipe that struck terror into the pit of your stomach, but the sudden heart-stopping silence. Children listened to the doodlebugs chugging overhead, waiting for that sudden silence, knowing at that point they had barely eleven seconds to run and hide.
This book is an outstanding look at how the children in England dealt with growing up during World War II. While most Americans probably know England was bombed by the Germans during that war, how much they know about how the war affected British children is probably very limited, unless they have seen films like Hope and Glory. (I'd like to add Bedknobs and Broomsticks to the movie list, but fear some would be offended; although it did deal with children evacuated from London.) Over "200 personal accounts" were used to create this book, and author Amanda Herbert-Davies did a wonderful job weaving all the memories together, and touching many of the bases of how war can affect a child.
The bombings, the evacuations, the public and private bomb shelters, the limited food and clothes, the freezing cold winters, the chaotic schooling, the new adult type responsibilities, the "playgrounds" created by bombs, the bad psychological effects of war on sensitive children, the excitement war created for adventurous children--there are so many things covered and covered so well. By the time VE Day arrived at the end of the book, it was hard not to get teary-eyed for all the children who were finally free of bombs and separation, for all the children who did not join the celebrations because of family members killed, and for all the children who did not survive the war.
(Note: I received a free e-copy of this book from NetGalley and the author or publisher.)
This book is an outstanding look at how the children in England dealt with growing up during World War II. While most Americans probably know England was bombed by the Germans during that war, how much they know about how the war affected British children is probably very limited, unless they have seen films like Hope and Glory. (I'd like to add Bedknobs and Broomsticks to the movie list, but fear some would be offended; although it did deal with children evacuated from London.) Over "200 personal accounts" were used to create this book, and author Amanda Herbert-Davies did a wonderful job weaving all the memories together, and touching many of the bases of how war can affect a child.
The bombings, the evacuations, the public and private bomb shelters, the limited food and clothes, the freezing cold winters, the chaotic schooling, the new adult type responsibilities, the "playgrounds" created by bombs, the bad psychological effects of war on sensitive children, the excitement war created for adventurous children--there are so many things covered and covered so well. By the time VE Day arrived at the end of the book, it was hard not to get teary-eyed for all the children who were finally free of bombs and separation, for all the children who did not join the celebrations because of family members killed, and for all the children who did not survive the war.
(Note: I received a free e-copy of this book from NetGalley and the author or publisher.)
April 20, 2017
For those interested in history from the point of view of the people in the street and a reminder of why this should not happen to any children. Thanks to Pen & Sword Books for offering me a copy of this book that I freely choose to review.
This book is the product of the author’s work in the archival collection of the Home Front at that Second World War Experience Centre in Yorkshire. It is easy to imagine what fascinating material the collection must contain, and how difficult it must be to choose some witness testimonies over others, but this collection offers a unique point of view, that of boys and girls who lived through the war in Britain. As the author explains, over 200 personal accounts have been used in its creation and they offer as many different points of view as children there were.
The book is divided into several chapters by themes. Although some are chronological (like the beginning, the end and the one about the bombing), some are more general and cover the whole period.
The Beginning talks about the initial thoughts about the war and how life changed (many of the things were surprising to me although I’m sure many people will have heard stories about it. For instance, I knew about the blackouts, but it never occurred to me that the names of train stops would be removed and travelling at night with nothing to help you orient yourself in a city [no lit shop windows, names…] was not only difficult but also dangerous [light coloured cars were forbidden and pedestrians couldn’t be easily seen either]. The chapter ‘Air-Raid Shelters’ shows the steps the government took (steel shelters, Andersons, Morrisons…) and also what individuals themselves did (hide in the cupboard under the stairs, which saved quite a few people, simply ignore the alarms, dig underground trenches [especially soldiers who’d been in WWI], fortify a room, go to the underground in London) to try and keep safe. The pictures that accompany the paperback are an eye-opener to anybody who didn’t live through it. The chapter on evacuation is one of the most heart-wrenching, with a whole range of experiences, from the kids who left the city to face prejudice in rural areas, to those who found a second family and were made feel like royalty. In ‘invasion’ there is discussion of the plans families made in case of invasion (some determined to die rather than be taken prisoner) and also their home-spun anti-spy activities. ‘Shortages’ will probably be familiar to those with relatives who lived through the war, and it is a tribute in particular to mothers’ imagination and inventive when trying to make up for the things that were missing (I loved the mock banana sandwiches made by boiling and mashing up parsnip and mixing up some banana essence). ‘Schools’ emphasises the difficult experiences of those children who missed schooling or had to try and learn in classrooms with neither roofs nor materials, with children of all ages mixed together and hardly any teachers. ‘Entertainment’ shows that children can see opportunities to have fun anywhere. While some children were terrified, many others felt inspired and made use of shrapnel, diffused bombs, ruins of buildings, to role play or to design games and bombs. ‘War Effort’ shares the work older children (some as young as 12) did to help, including running messages, working for the post office bringing the dreaded bad news, girls helping in hospitals, and how many of them moved on to join the armed forces when they grew up. ‘The Bombing of Britain’ will bring memories to many and it covers not only London but many of the other cities, and phenomena such as the families who would leave the cities every night and go back in the morning. The resolution and the population and the way people took everything in their stride come across clear in these accounts. People who survived would dust themselves off and carry on. ‘The End’, talks about the celebrations for those who could celebrate and the sad moments of those who couldn’t.
The book has very funny moments, and sad and hard to read ones too, some inspiring and some not so much. The author is very good at remaining invisible, choosing passages that illustrate different angles of the same theme and letting speak for themselves, without interfering, and the approach increases the power of the accounts. I marked passages and quotes as I went along, but I ended up with so many it was very difficult to choose. But here are a few, to give you a flavour of the book:
Here, talking about taking refuge in cellars:
There was an element of risk sheltering in that cellar with an open fire considering they were ‘within six feet of an operating gas main and visible pipes’, but the general thinking in Charles’s cellar was that it was better to ‘be bombed in comfort’. (17)
Talking about the bombings and the state of disrepair of the houses:
Pamela had her house windows broken, then repaired and covered in sticky tape, and then had the lot of them blown out again. Her mother, being practical, merely commented, ‘Oh well, I will not have to clean them.’
And talking about the VE Day celebrations:
To Irene’s astonishment, one of the elderly church ladies ‘of staid and sober habits’ turned up resplendent in an eye-catching red dress and was later seen leading the conga up the street. (171) It seems the conga was pretty popular.
I am not a big reader of conventional military history (battles, strategy or detailed fight scenes) but I’m always intrigued by what happens back home during any wars and how the world carries on in some fashion for the rest of population while the fighting goes on elsewhere (at least in conventional wars). The memories of those children and their accounts of their experiences at the time might be tinged with nostalgia in some cases, but in others, it reflects the long-term effects of experiences lived so long ago and that have not been forgotten. It is impossible to read this book and not think about those children who, still today, live in a constant state of war and danger, and how disruptive this will be to their lives if they reach adulthood.
I recommend this book to anybody interested in the home front angle of the war (World War II in Britain in particular, but any wars), in stories about children’s subject to extreme situations, and anybody who enjoys history as told not by politicians and big names, but by the people in the street. A great and important book that should be required reading for school-age children.
This book is the product of the author’s work in the archival collection of the Home Front at that Second World War Experience Centre in Yorkshire. It is easy to imagine what fascinating material the collection must contain, and how difficult it must be to choose some witness testimonies over others, but this collection offers a unique point of view, that of boys and girls who lived through the war in Britain. As the author explains, over 200 personal accounts have been used in its creation and they offer as many different points of view as children there were.
The book is divided into several chapters by themes. Although some are chronological (like the beginning, the end and the one about the bombing), some are more general and cover the whole period.
The Beginning talks about the initial thoughts about the war and how life changed (many of the things were surprising to me although I’m sure many people will have heard stories about it. For instance, I knew about the blackouts, but it never occurred to me that the names of train stops would be removed and travelling at night with nothing to help you orient yourself in a city [no lit shop windows, names…] was not only difficult but also dangerous [light coloured cars were forbidden and pedestrians couldn’t be easily seen either]. The chapter ‘Air-Raid Shelters’ shows the steps the government took (steel shelters, Andersons, Morrisons…) and also what individuals themselves did (hide in the cupboard under the stairs, which saved quite a few people, simply ignore the alarms, dig underground trenches [especially soldiers who’d been in WWI], fortify a room, go to the underground in London) to try and keep safe. The pictures that accompany the paperback are an eye-opener to anybody who didn’t live through it. The chapter on evacuation is one of the most heart-wrenching, with a whole range of experiences, from the kids who left the city to face prejudice in rural areas, to those who found a second family and were made feel like royalty. In ‘invasion’ there is discussion of the plans families made in case of invasion (some determined to die rather than be taken prisoner) and also their home-spun anti-spy activities. ‘Shortages’ will probably be familiar to those with relatives who lived through the war, and it is a tribute in particular to mothers’ imagination and inventive when trying to make up for the things that were missing (I loved the mock banana sandwiches made by boiling and mashing up parsnip and mixing up some banana essence). ‘Schools’ emphasises the difficult experiences of those children who missed schooling or had to try and learn in classrooms with neither roofs nor materials, with children of all ages mixed together and hardly any teachers. ‘Entertainment’ shows that children can see opportunities to have fun anywhere. While some children were terrified, many others felt inspired and made use of shrapnel, diffused bombs, ruins of buildings, to role play or to design games and bombs. ‘War Effort’ shares the work older children (some as young as 12) did to help, including running messages, working for the post office bringing the dreaded bad news, girls helping in hospitals, and how many of them moved on to join the armed forces when they grew up. ‘The Bombing of Britain’ will bring memories to many and it covers not only London but many of the other cities, and phenomena such as the families who would leave the cities every night and go back in the morning. The resolution and the population and the way people took everything in their stride come across clear in these accounts. People who survived would dust themselves off and carry on. ‘The End’, talks about the celebrations for those who could celebrate and the sad moments of those who couldn’t.
The book has very funny moments, and sad and hard to read ones too, some inspiring and some not so much. The author is very good at remaining invisible, choosing passages that illustrate different angles of the same theme and letting speak for themselves, without interfering, and the approach increases the power of the accounts. I marked passages and quotes as I went along, but I ended up with so many it was very difficult to choose. But here are a few, to give you a flavour of the book:
Here, talking about taking refuge in cellars:
There was an element of risk sheltering in that cellar with an open fire considering they were ‘within six feet of an operating gas main and visible pipes’, but the general thinking in Charles’s cellar was that it was better to ‘be bombed in comfort’. (17)
Talking about the bombings and the state of disrepair of the houses:
Pamela had her house windows broken, then repaired and covered in sticky tape, and then had the lot of them blown out again. Her mother, being practical, merely commented, ‘Oh well, I will not have to clean them.’
And talking about the VE Day celebrations:
To Irene’s astonishment, one of the elderly church ladies ‘of staid and sober habits’ turned up resplendent in an eye-catching red dress and was later seen leading the conga up the street. (171) It seems the conga was pretty popular.
I am not a big reader of conventional military history (battles, strategy or detailed fight scenes) but I’m always intrigued by what happens back home during any wars and how the world carries on in some fashion for the rest of population while the fighting goes on elsewhere (at least in conventional wars). The memories of those children and their accounts of their experiences at the time might be tinged with nostalgia in some cases, but in others, it reflects the long-term effects of experiences lived so long ago and that have not been forgotten. It is impossible to read this book and not think about those children who, still today, live in a constant state of war and danger, and how disruptive this will be to their lives if they reach adulthood.
I recommend this book to anybody interested in the home front angle of the war (World War II in Britain in particular, but any wars), in stories about children’s subject to extreme situations, and anybody who enjoys history as told not by politicians and big names, but by the people in the street. A great and important book that should be required reading for school-age children.
May 8, 2018
A must read for those interested in this time in History.
January 20, 2020
Excellent history from children’s viewpoint
I have read other WWII histories that dealt especially with children who were evacuated from London during the war but this book had a broader viewpoint. Starting with memories of when the war began through chapters about home and schools and bombing, this relatively short book delved into how the War affected the children of Great Britain. It was very readable.
I have read other WWII histories that dealt especially with children who were evacuated from London during the war but this book had a broader viewpoint. Starting with memories of when the war began through chapters about home and schools and bombing, this relatively short book delved into how the War affected the children of Great Britain. It was very readable.
April 21, 2017
I've read a plethora of books about how World War II impacted the people of Europe, but this is the first book I've read that focuses on how the children of England were so profoundly impacted by Germany's aerial attics on the British Isles. This book examines all aspects of a child's life and how it was so changed by the ravages of the bombings. Each chapter deals with a different aspect from the unpleasant world of the air raid shelters (which really didn't always provide all that much safety) to the impact of the evacuations to the impact on the children's schooling. At times humorous-(what kid hasn't fantasized about the school burning down) to the harrowing (seeing the destruction of homes and neighbors and friends), Herbert-Davies lets the words of the former children speak for themselves. The stories of being separated from parents as children were evacuated from cities to the safer countryside are heartbreaking. The unimaginable stress of living with the ever present danger of Hitler's Luftwaffe is palpable. There were very real shortages of every kind, including food and water. These were realities for everyone but were more devastating for those who were poor. Hunger was a reality for millions of children in Britain. In fact, they dealt with trauma of every sort. This is a must-read for any WW II buff who wants to get a real view of the impact of that war on the children of the British Isles.
August 31, 2017
This is a collection of first hand accounts of people that were children in WWII in England. It details the normal day to day life of what went on during those horrible experiences and how they dealt with it.
This is a engaging book. You never really think about what it's like for a child to go through in times of war. personally, I usually wind up reading something about how we won or some analysis of tactics. I found this very humanizing. There are those that are lucky and those that were not. No experience is left out. Some children found it to be exciting and others were immediately horrified. Drills, rationing and shortages, etc. its all covered. I found the chapter on evacuation to be really terrifying. Many kids were sent off away from their families with no knowledge that it would be some time before they came back. As you leave and the time spent waiting to come home is torture; that knowledge that your home and way of life may not be there is horrible. I can not even begin to imagine young children and the trauma of being separated on top of such a horrible time.
The aspects of shortages and the resourcefulness was really interesting. One person's grandmother spent a lot of time and effort "illegally sieving National Flour through one of her stockings." Root vegetables were dressed up to taste like items that were unavailable. Mothers would concoct schemes to get maximum amount of coupons to clothe their families. The inventiveness is amazing.
While there are a lot of memories that are dreary, there is a fair amount of levity to this. The things that children play with and how they entertain themselves, I found to be darkly humorous. Also, the courage that many of these people displayed is amazing. You can't help but feel humbled and thankful for what you have. The writing and flow of this book is really good. All of the stories come together seamlessly.
www.michmustread.com
This is a engaging book. You never really think about what it's like for a child to go through in times of war. personally, I usually wind up reading something about how we won or some analysis of tactics. I found this very humanizing. There are those that are lucky and those that were not. No experience is left out. Some children found it to be exciting and others were immediately horrified. Drills, rationing and shortages, etc. its all covered. I found the chapter on evacuation to be really terrifying. Many kids were sent off away from their families with no knowledge that it would be some time before they came back. As you leave and the time spent waiting to come home is torture; that knowledge that your home and way of life may not be there is horrible. I can not even begin to imagine young children and the trauma of being separated on top of such a horrible time.
The aspects of shortages and the resourcefulness was really interesting. One person's grandmother spent a lot of time and effort "illegally sieving National Flour through one of her stockings." Root vegetables were dressed up to taste like items that were unavailable. Mothers would concoct schemes to get maximum amount of coupons to clothe their families. The inventiveness is amazing.
While there are a lot of memories that are dreary, there is a fair amount of levity to this. The things that children play with and how they entertain themselves, I found to be darkly humorous. Also, the courage that many of these people displayed is amazing. You can't help but feel humbled and thankful for what you have. The writing and flow of this book is really good. All of the stories come together seamlessly.
www.michmustread.com
September 30, 2017
This book, for me, was a real eye-opener. Being an American, born after the war I had no real understanding of what conditions were like in a country where the war was actually being fought. This book focuses on the experiences of children in Britain, and while I’ve seen movies and TV shows set during the period, it’s a whole different understanding when you hear (or read in this case) from the people who actually lived through it.
The book opens with the recollections of what children were thinking or doing when the war was announced and then moves on to talk about the evacuations, the bomb shelters, shortages, education, war efforts and culminates with thoughts on the end of the war. I think the author has done a fantastic job of weaving together the facts of the war and the thoughts and recollections of people who actually grew up during the war. There are stories from kids who thought that bombed out buildings were a great playground and those for whom the terror of air raids left them permanently traumatized. The various chapters present a comprehensive look at the living conditions during this time, from those who were evacuated to an idyllic countryside childhood to those who were in the heart of the bombing zones and spending their nights in shelters. I hope that reading this book will give people pause when considering the act of war because it is often the youngest among us who bear the brunt of such action. I highly recommend this book as I found it both informative and moving at the same time.
The book opens with the recollections of what children were thinking or doing when the war was announced and then moves on to talk about the evacuations, the bomb shelters, shortages, education, war efforts and culminates with thoughts on the end of the war. I think the author has done a fantastic job of weaving together the facts of the war and the thoughts and recollections of people who actually grew up during the war. There are stories from kids who thought that bombed out buildings were a great playground and those for whom the terror of air raids left them permanently traumatized. The various chapters present a comprehensive look at the living conditions during this time, from those who were evacuated to an idyllic countryside childhood to those who were in the heart of the bombing zones and spending their nights in shelters. I hope that reading this book will give people pause when considering the act of war because it is often the youngest among us who bear the brunt of such action. I highly recommend this book as I found it both informative and moving at the same time.
October 7, 2020
This book was really in depth and made you feel how hard life was. Most of the things I had heard about but one thing surprised me was when the children were sent to the county to avoid bombs, there were no homes all ready for them. They were lined up and people picked who they liked. It also brought up how hard it was for the children to go back home after 5 or more years of living with other families. The day to day life of little food, clothing and daily bombing really comes to life in this book.
February 25, 2018
An absolutely amazing task of collecting the childhood memories of young Britons during the 2nd World War ... woven into a coherent whole by this virtual memory bank ... both sexes, all ages, and every economic class are represented ... the unimaginable trauma associated with some of these childhood memories is only lightly touched on, but everywhere apparent ...
March 16, 2020
Great book. I really enjoyed it.
May 3, 2017
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Full of the memories and experiences of children during WWII, from air raid shelters to gas masks to being forced to leave home and live with strangers. A refreshing addition to so much literature available on World War II, the point of view of the children is often entertaining and comical, although most disturbing in fact.
Full of the memories and experiences of children during WWII, from air raid shelters to gas masks to being forced to leave home and live with strangers. A refreshing addition to so much literature available on World War II, the point of view of the children is often entertaining and comical, although most disturbing in fact.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews