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Blitz Spirit: Voices of Britain Living Through Crisis, 1939-1945
Throughout the Second World War hundreds of people kept diaries of their private daily lives as part of a groundbreaking national experiment. They were warehousemen and WRENs, soldiers and farmhands, housewives and journalists, united only by a desire to record the history they were living through.
For decades their words have been held in the Mass-Observation Archive, a time capsule of ordinary voices that might otherwise have been forgotten. These voices tell the human story behind the iconic events of those six years, of the individuals grappling with a world turned upside down. From panic-buying and competitively digging for victory to extraordinary acts of bravery, Blitz Spirit is a remarkable collection of real wartime experiences that represent the best and worst of human nature in the face of adversity.
Resonant, darkly funny and deeply moving, this new collection will reveal what it was like to live through a crisis of unprecedented proportions. A cacophony of hope, cynicism and resilience, Blitz Spirit celebrates ordinary lives - however small - and shines a light on the people we were, and the people we are now.
For decades their words have been held in the Mass-Observation Archive, a time capsule of ordinary voices that might otherwise have been forgotten. These voices tell the human story behind the iconic events of those six years, of the individuals grappling with a world turned upside down. From panic-buying and competitively digging for victory to extraordinary acts of bravery, Blitz Spirit is a remarkable collection of real wartime experiences that represent the best and worst of human nature in the face of adversity.
Resonant, darkly funny and deeply moving, this new collection will reveal what it was like to live through a crisis of unprecedented proportions. A cacophony of hope, cynicism and resilience, Blitz Spirit celebrates ordinary lives - however small - and shines a light on the people we were, and the people we are now.
311 pages, Hardcover
Published October 8, 2020
16 people are currently reading
354 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
April 19, 2022
I don’t know how I got wind of this book. Several of my GR friends had read it and liked it so that appears to be a likely reason.
Superb...and you know who wrote this? All sorts of people (their professions to name but a few included insurance clerk, shorthand typist, secretary, food packing manager, housewife, unemployed, temporary farmworker, nurse, teacher). They were asked in 1937 to keep a diary so as to create ‘an anthology of ourselves’ — a study of the everyday lives of ordinary British people. It was called the Mass-Observation project. The project ran from 1939 to the early 1950s. This book contains a sampling of entries from people just like you and me who lived through World War II from 1939 to 1945 in the United Kingdom.
During the war, Englanders were concerned about their loved ones in distant lands fighting and dying. But as we get that into this book, we also hear other things from these people...actually at times that predominate over what is happening to the troops ‘over there’. We learn that...
• some did not want to hear about the war (it went on for 6 years)
• some were angry at their neighbors for not pulling their weight in tasks that people were asked to do while England was being bombed (for example, doing night duty watching for fires from bombs dropped by German planes during the Blitz...some people tried to get out of that),
• some, actually many, were upset about rationing of food, cigarettes, and clothing imposed on them,
• some/most were upset and weary of blackouts imposed upon them by the authorities (you could be fined if a light was emanating from your house in the evening hours),
• some were upset over others cheating (buying food...buying gasoline for their cars outside of the rationing system on the black market).
Becky Brown compiled this book, and I think she did a fine job. I tried not to rush through it. It was relatively easy reading, but it was at times hard to read. I can shake my head and point fingers at people and cast judgments on them (e.g., people cheating on the rationing system and buying things on the black market) ...I have no right to do that. I didn’t walk in their shoes.
I think in part what struck me about this book was that reading this 1) at the tail-end of the pandemic and it wasn’t that long ago when we were all locked down, and 2) currently living through Putin’s/Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, I saw similarities in events and in what people were doing and thinking then versus now. Becky Bound in 2020 noticed this too...she called it déjà vu. Just one example:
• Diarist 5462, Female Civil Servant, Welfare Office, Belfast, April 2, 1941. All the propaganda recently about gas & gas masks doesn’t seem to have had much effect. I was downtown for an hour this morning, & during that time saw one woman carrying a mask...
Continuing along that same vane, I was struck by the irony that near the end of the war, the United Kingdom were allies with Russia, and were enemies of Germany...now in 2022, the situation is totally reversed.
Review:
• Very good review https://jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2021...
Superb...and you know who wrote this? All sorts of people (their professions to name but a few included insurance clerk, shorthand typist, secretary, food packing manager, housewife, unemployed, temporary farmworker, nurse, teacher). They were asked in 1937 to keep a diary so as to create ‘an anthology of ourselves’ — a study of the everyday lives of ordinary British people. It was called the Mass-Observation project. The project ran from 1939 to the early 1950s. This book contains a sampling of entries from people just like you and me who lived through World War II from 1939 to 1945 in the United Kingdom.
During the war, Englanders were concerned about their loved ones in distant lands fighting and dying. But as we get that into this book, we also hear other things from these people...actually at times that predominate over what is happening to the troops ‘over there’. We learn that...
• some did not want to hear about the war (it went on for 6 years)
• some were angry at their neighbors for not pulling their weight in tasks that people were asked to do while England was being bombed (for example, doing night duty watching for fires from bombs dropped by German planes during the Blitz...some people tried to get out of that),
• some, actually many, were upset about rationing of food, cigarettes, and clothing imposed on them,
• some/most were upset and weary of blackouts imposed upon them by the authorities (you could be fined if a light was emanating from your house in the evening hours),
• some were upset over others cheating (buying food...buying gasoline for their cars outside of the rationing system on the black market).
Becky Brown compiled this book, and I think she did a fine job. I tried not to rush through it. It was relatively easy reading, but it was at times hard to read. I can shake my head and point fingers at people and cast judgments on them (e.g., people cheating on the rationing system and buying things on the black market) ...I have no right to do that. I didn’t walk in their shoes.
I think in part what struck me about this book was that reading this 1) at the tail-end of the pandemic and it wasn’t that long ago when we were all locked down, and 2) currently living through Putin’s/Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, I saw similarities in events and in what people were doing and thinking then versus now. Becky Bound in 2020 noticed this too...she called it déjà vu. Just one example:
• Diarist 5462, Female Civil Servant, Welfare Office, Belfast, April 2, 1941. All the propaganda recently about gas & gas masks doesn’t seem to have had much effect. I was downtown for an hour this morning, & during that time saw one woman carrying a mask...
Continuing along that same vane, I was struck by the irony that near the end of the war, the United Kingdom were allies with Russia, and were enemies of Germany...now in 2022, the situation is totally reversed.
Review:
• Very good review https://jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2021...
October 8, 2020
For today’s reader, who is living through our biggest social dislocation since the Second World War and witnessing a crisis of unprecedented proportions, Blitz Spirit is a book written to gently invite comparison and provoke questions about our place in history. Becky Brown has selected extracts from the Mass Observation Archives, which specialises in material about everyday life in Britain, to anthologise the voices of everyday people as they deal individually and collectively with the crisis of the Second World War 1939-45. The diarists themselves have been selected from every level of society – from warehousemen to widows, soldiers to farmhands, WRENs to architects – and have been chosen to show how the lives of people now generations away have relevance to our twenty-first-century experience - living amidst a global pandemic.
In Blitz Spirit, each chapter showcases the "most evocative" diary entries from Mass Observation’s archive, primarily using previously uncollected writings. The extracts have been selected to both uplift and to ground; to remind readers that nothing is new, that everything can be weathered and perhaps even made better. After all, World War II saw the birth of the NHS. This is a fascinating and eminently readable book and a source of comfort to us all in the times in which we are currently living. The documenting of everyday people just going about their lives under the fog of war is inspirational and although the threat in our midst is both silent and invisible, we can certainly draw solace, wisdom and perspective over our current situation from generations past.
This feels very much like a book we need. I’ve always admired the way Mass Observation allowed ordinary people to be seen and heard. This book enables us to share not only their fear but also their stoicism—and even their sense of humour. So promoting faith in our future and courage in our convictions, Blitz Spirit challenges us to show the stiff upper lip and fighting spirit we Brits are renowned for the world over. Many thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for an ARC.
In Blitz Spirit, each chapter showcases the "most evocative" diary entries from Mass Observation’s archive, primarily using previously uncollected writings. The extracts have been selected to both uplift and to ground; to remind readers that nothing is new, that everything can be weathered and perhaps even made better. After all, World War II saw the birth of the NHS. This is a fascinating and eminently readable book and a source of comfort to us all in the times in which we are currently living. The documenting of everyday people just going about their lives under the fog of war is inspirational and although the threat in our midst is both silent and invisible, we can certainly draw solace, wisdom and perspective over our current situation from generations past.
This feels very much like a book we need. I’ve always admired the way Mass Observation allowed ordinary people to be seen and heard. This book enables us to share not only their fear but also their stoicism—and even their sense of humour. So promoting faith in our future and courage in our convictions, Blitz Spirit challenges us to show the stiff upper lip and fighting spirit we Brits are renowned for the world over. Many thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for an ARC.
December 8, 2021
(4.5 Stars)
In this fascinating book, the anthologist, editor and literary agent Becky Brown presents various extracts from the diaries submitted as part of the British Mass-Observation study during the Second World War. Founded in 1937, Mass-Observation was an anthropological study, documenting the everyday lives of ordinary British people from all walks of life. The initiative aimed ‘to tell a truer, fuller version’ of life in Britain than was available in the newspapers or recorded in history books. As part of the project, a volunteer group of 500 people across the UK – from factory workers to shop assistants, from writers to teachers, from housewives to office clerks – submitted their personal diaries on a monthly basis from August 1939 onwards. It’s a remarkable resource, full of striking insights into the diarists’ day-to-day lives during this extraordinary time.
The diary extracts are presented chronologically, offering readers the opportunity to follow the war as it unfolds from the end of August 1939 to August 1945. Each chapter covers a period of six months and is prefaced by a brief summary of the key developments – both historical and emotional, using the diary entries as a ‘temperature gauge’ or touchstone resource.
Interestingly, the book does much to debunk the nostalgic, rose-tinted view of the British public during the war, a nation all pulling together in one united effort. As the diary entries clearly demonstrate, people experienced a wide variety of human emotions, from the novelty and excitement of facing something new, to the fear and anxiety fuelled by uncertainty and potential loss, to instances of selfishness and bickering, particularly as restrictions kicked in. Moreover, Brown has clearly taken a lot of care to select a wide variety of extracts, offering us entries that range from the mundane and virtuous (e.g. digging up the garden to grow vegetables, as in the ‘Dig for Victory’ campaign) to the dramatic and terrifying (e.g. scrambling to hide in a cupboard during an unexpected bombing raid).
To read the rest of my review, please visit:
https://jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2021...
In this fascinating book, the anthologist, editor and literary agent Becky Brown presents various extracts from the diaries submitted as part of the British Mass-Observation study during the Second World War. Founded in 1937, Mass-Observation was an anthropological study, documenting the everyday lives of ordinary British people from all walks of life. The initiative aimed ‘to tell a truer, fuller version’ of life in Britain than was available in the newspapers or recorded in history books. As part of the project, a volunteer group of 500 people across the UK – from factory workers to shop assistants, from writers to teachers, from housewives to office clerks – submitted their personal diaries on a monthly basis from August 1939 onwards. It’s a remarkable resource, full of striking insights into the diarists’ day-to-day lives during this extraordinary time.
The diary extracts are presented chronologically, offering readers the opportunity to follow the war as it unfolds from the end of August 1939 to August 1945. Each chapter covers a period of six months and is prefaced by a brief summary of the key developments – both historical and emotional, using the diary entries as a ‘temperature gauge’ or touchstone resource.
Interestingly, the book does much to debunk the nostalgic, rose-tinted view of the British public during the war, a nation all pulling together in one united effort. As the diary entries clearly demonstrate, people experienced a wide variety of human emotions, from the novelty and excitement of facing something new, to the fear and anxiety fuelled by uncertainty and potential loss, to instances of selfishness and bickering, particularly as restrictions kicked in. Moreover, Brown has clearly taken a lot of care to select a wide variety of extracts, offering us entries that range from the mundane and virtuous (e.g. digging up the garden to grow vegetables, as in the ‘Dig for Victory’ campaign) to the dramatic and terrifying (e.g. scrambling to hide in a cupboard during an unexpected bombing raid).
To read the rest of my review, please visit:
https://jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2021...
September 22, 2020
This is the second book taken from the Mass Observation archive that I've read. This one was thanks to NetGalley.
This is a series of exerpts from diaries kept by people all over Britain during WWII. It was a fascinating read - it would have been fascinating anyway, but to read it in the middle of the Covid-19 crisis was particularly interesting. I recognised a lot of responses - boredom, frustration, criticism of the government, stoic common sense. The entries from North Devon (my bit of the world) complain about all the people coming down here to get away from the cities, making life harder locally. I've heard that so much this summer.
It's a great treat to hear these genuine voices, and to get a feel for what the "Blitz spirit" was really like. Not quite as plucky and perpetually positive as the movies make out. If you're interested in social history, this is a must-read. I enjoyed it very much.
This is a series of exerpts from diaries kept by people all over Britain during WWII. It was a fascinating read - it would have been fascinating anyway, but to read it in the middle of the Covid-19 crisis was particularly interesting. I recognised a lot of responses - boredom, frustration, criticism of the government, stoic common sense. The entries from North Devon (my bit of the world) complain about all the people coming down here to get away from the cities, making life harder locally. I've heard that so much this summer.
It's a great treat to hear these genuine voices, and to get a feel for what the "Blitz spirit" was really like. Not quite as plucky and perpetually positive as the movies make out. If you're interested in social history, this is a must-read. I enjoyed it very much.
September 22, 2020
The Mass Observation Project was set up just before WW2 to record the experiences of ordinary people during an extraordinary time. People of all ages, with all sorts of occupations, from housewives, factory workers, nurses, teachers, journalists; training to retired and from all over the country, from villages, towns and cities, write in their diaries to record their war.
This book collects many of these diary extracts together to take us through the war. It is a fascinating look at not only what was happening to people, but how they were feeling about things. I raced through the first half of it, but slowed down later on and It felt as though it dragged on a bit later on. I think this is actually just how the writers of the diaries were feeling themselves, and it translated into their writing. I'd recommend this book to anyone with any interest in the subject.
*Many thanks to netgalley and the publishers for a review copy in exchange for an honest opinion.*
This book collects many of these diary extracts together to take us through the war. It is a fascinating look at not only what was happening to people, but how they were feeling about things. I raced through the first half of it, but slowed down later on and It felt as though it dragged on a bit later on. I think this is actually just how the writers of the diaries were feeling themselves, and it translated into their writing. I'd recommend this book to anyone with any interest in the subject.
*Many thanks to netgalley and the publishers for a review copy in exchange for an honest opinion.*
October 3, 2020
In Blitz Spirit, Becky Brown presents a collection of entries from the diaries ordinary British people sent in to Mass-Observation during the Second World War. While she has chosen which submissions to include, and starts each chapter with a description of what was happening at the stage of the war in question and some light commentary on the accounts, for the most part she lets the observers themselves do the talking.
Right from the start, this book explodes national myths about patriotism, bravery, stoicism, and pulling together during this period. We hear from people who don’t want a war, don’t like Winston Churchill, are scared of losing loved ones or being bombed or invaded, complain about shortages, and disapprove of acquaintances they feel are acting selfishly.
In the earlier parts of the war, when victory is far from assured, tension, anxiety and scepticism are particularly high. Later on, when there are more grounds for optimism, people are tired, fed up of instability and privations, and worried about their post-war prospects. As Colin Grant’s Homecoming also shows, how we think and talk about something when it’s happening can be very different to how we regard and present it later on, when we know how things turned out.
I was particularly struck by the parallels between people’s experiences in World War II and their experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic today. Mass-Observers talk about conspiracy theories and rumours that are in circulation. They contemplate the choice between ignoring all but the main headlines, or being exhausted by the constant developments, as spun by newspapers with their own agendas. They lose morale when the war goes on for longer than they anticipated, and are disappointed to find the end of the war doesn’t mean an immediate return to prosperity and normality. Some have found fulfilment in their war work and therefore have mixed feelings about the prospect of going back to their old lives (not unlike Winnie in Lissa Evans’ V for Victory).
Some diarists describe people they know who don’t take the rules seriously enough, for example, by travelling unnecessarily and continuing to take seaside holidays, refusing to ‘dig for victory’ because they didn’t want to ruin their lawns, and making as few changes as possible to their pre-war lifestyles. Others complain about officious acquaintances who gleefully report relatively minor infractions. A number observe that even under rationing, the rich live far more comfortably than the poor, and find it disgraceful that invalided soldiers don’t receive financial assistance from the government and are instead forced to rely on charity. While there are some heartwarming accounts of neighbours and strangers assisting one another, the diarists nonetheless make it clear that the country is not ‘all in it together’!
More generally, I enjoyed the diarists’ accounts of everyday life: descriptions of what they got up to on particular days; interesting (and sometimes funny) conversations they overheard while out and about; their opinions on music and programmes they heard on the wireless. Shopping and food are big themes, with lots of observers recording their experiences of trying to get particular items from unscrupulous shopkeepers in a seller’s market, documenting their attempts to cook with what they could get hold of, lamenting foods they miss, and sharing their excitement when certain foods reappear.
Blitz Spirit provides an interesting insight into life during World War II and much-needed correctives to national myths.
Right from the start, this book explodes national myths about patriotism, bravery, stoicism, and pulling together during this period. We hear from people who don’t want a war, don’t like Winston Churchill, are scared of losing loved ones or being bombed or invaded, complain about shortages, and disapprove of acquaintances they feel are acting selfishly.
In the earlier parts of the war, when victory is far from assured, tension, anxiety and scepticism are particularly high. Later on, when there are more grounds for optimism, people are tired, fed up of instability and privations, and worried about their post-war prospects. As Colin Grant’s Homecoming also shows, how we think and talk about something when it’s happening can be very different to how we regard and present it later on, when we know how things turned out.
I was particularly struck by the parallels between people’s experiences in World War II and their experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic today. Mass-Observers talk about conspiracy theories and rumours that are in circulation. They contemplate the choice between ignoring all but the main headlines, or being exhausted by the constant developments, as spun by newspapers with their own agendas. They lose morale when the war goes on for longer than they anticipated, and are disappointed to find the end of the war doesn’t mean an immediate return to prosperity and normality. Some have found fulfilment in their war work and therefore have mixed feelings about the prospect of going back to their old lives (not unlike Winnie in Lissa Evans’ V for Victory).
Some diarists describe people they know who don’t take the rules seriously enough, for example, by travelling unnecessarily and continuing to take seaside holidays, refusing to ‘dig for victory’ because they didn’t want to ruin their lawns, and making as few changes as possible to their pre-war lifestyles. Others complain about officious acquaintances who gleefully report relatively minor infractions. A number observe that even under rationing, the rich live far more comfortably than the poor, and find it disgraceful that invalided soldiers don’t receive financial assistance from the government and are instead forced to rely on charity. While there are some heartwarming accounts of neighbours and strangers assisting one another, the diarists nonetheless make it clear that the country is not ‘all in it together’!
More generally, I enjoyed the diarists’ accounts of everyday life: descriptions of what they got up to on particular days; interesting (and sometimes funny) conversations they overheard while out and about; their opinions on music and programmes they heard on the wireless. Shopping and food are big themes, with lots of observers recording their experiences of trying to get particular items from unscrupulous shopkeepers in a seller’s market, documenting their attempts to cook with what they could get hold of, lamenting foods they miss, and sharing their excitement when certain foods reappear.
Blitz Spirit provides an interesting insight into life during World War II and much-needed correctives to national myths.
October 8, 2020
This is such an interesting read; it shows the realities of war for those on the home front with the removal of any rose-tinted spectacles!
During the second world war, a cross-section of the British people kept diaries of how it affected them personally - their thoughts and opinions as part of what was referred to as Mass Observation. Now author Becky Brown has accessed these, taking excerpts from many different diaries and creating this mesmerising book.
I don't often read non-fiction but I have a real interest in domestic fiction during WWII so this one really appealed to me. The ideal which is trotted out publicly is that 'we were all in it together' - but were we? Did rationing ensure that the poor got equal food to the more well-off? How did the woman in the street cope with the daily hardships foisted upon her? These are personal thoughts of many members of the public and it's full of revelations. Organised chronologically, these comments take us right through from just before war was declared to just after peace was announced. Gripping reading, and it's certainly taken the shine off a lot of the propaganda for me. Informative, meaningful, and one which kept me engrossed until the final page. Recommended to everyone who is fascinated by WWII, and well worth four stars.
During the second world war, a cross-section of the British people kept diaries of how it affected them personally - their thoughts and opinions as part of what was referred to as Mass Observation. Now author Becky Brown has accessed these, taking excerpts from many different diaries and creating this mesmerising book.
I don't often read non-fiction but I have a real interest in domestic fiction during WWII so this one really appealed to me. The ideal which is trotted out publicly is that 'we were all in it together' - but were we? Did rationing ensure that the poor got equal food to the more well-off? How did the woman in the street cope with the daily hardships foisted upon her? These are personal thoughts of many members of the public and it's full of revelations. Organised chronologically, these comments take us right through from just before war was declared to just after peace was announced. Gripping reading, and it's certainly taken the shine off a lot of the propaganda for me. Informative, meaningful, and one which kept me engrossed until the final page. Recommended to everyone who is fascinated by WWII, and well worth four stars.
September 20, 2020
This is a compilation of ordinary people’s everyday lives written in diary form for the Mass Observation study of the home front during World War II.
At times moving, funny, mundane and fearfully dramatic, the diarists run the full gamut of emotion from frustration at the limits of rationing and the tedious difficulties of the blackout restrictions, through criticism of neighbours behaviour to fear for the future and the threat of invasion.
It features everyone from housewives, ARP wardens, WRENs and ATS recruits to factory and office workers, farmhands and injured servicemen.
I never tire of these Mass Observation diary compilations, and having read quite a few over the years this is an enjoyable addition to the field.
I did find it quite difficult to follow who was who when the diarists are numbered instead of named, and some of the entries start with ‘then...’ and ‘also...’ or ‘she said...’ giving the feeling that you have missed something and come in mid paragraph, which could have been solved by the editor/s but these were minor irritants and didn’t spoil the overall enjoyment of the book.
At times moving, funny, mundane and fearfully dramatic, the diarists run the full gamut of emotion from frustration at the limits of rationing and the tedious difficulties of the blackout restrictions, through criticism of neighbours behaviour to fear for the future and the threat of invasion.
It features everyone from housewives, ARP wardens, WRENs and ATS recruits to factory and office workers, farmhands and injured servicemen.
I never tire of these Mass Observation diary compilations, and having read quite a few over the years this is an enjoyable addition to the field.
I did find it quite difficult to follow who was who when the diarists are numbered instead of named, and some of the entries start with ‘then...’ and ‘also...’ or ‘she said...’ giving the feeling that you have missed something and come in mid paragraph, which could have been solved by the editor/s but these were minor irritants and didn’t spoil the overall enjoyment of the book.
November 7, 2021
I read this for research of a school essay on home front opinion of WW2 & it was brilliantly collected. I recognise a lot of it has been picked to be ‘timely’ (especially with the mention of lockdowns & anti-vaxxers) but it really is just a stirring read regardless of covid.
I appreciated the summaries at the beginning of each chapter but I would have liked it to include more context through out, like having a timeline of events or marking events in between the diary entries.
MO is such a fascinating source though & it’s always interesting seeing the entries researchers choose to include in books like these, you can tell she has some favourites!
I appreciated the summaries at the beginning of each chapter but I would have liked it to include more context through out, like having a timeline of events or marking events in between the diary entries.
MO is such a fascinating source though & it’s always interesting seeing the entries researchers choose to include in books like these, you can tell she has some favourites!
February 11, 2021
Panic buying, hoarding, the not wearing or carrying of masks, believing the government is making it all up, going on holiday when advised not to - there is so much in there that resonates with what we are living through right now. These diary entries from the Mass Observation Archive were written during the 1939-1945 conflict and reflect people's thoughts, beliefs and attitudes at that time. It's a fascinating read, especially during our current plague times, and it highlights how we are never so very different from our ancestors.
February 17, 2022
My interest in Blitz Spirit was derived from my parents having lived through the Blitz and served in the armed forces. And while both of them had their share of postwar cynicism about how the wartime burden was unevenly shared, neither of them would have contemplated not 'doing their bit'.
I thought of my mother when I read an entry from a civil servant in Lancashire:
Whenever my mother talked about the rationing, she always mentioned the one and only egg and how they had to be 'saved up' if you wanted to cook a recipe with more than one.
My father's rationing story was always about a banana flavoured cake made by his Aunty Gladys (who had eggs from her chickens): he was astonished because he hadn't seen a banana in years. It turned out to have been made with banana essence. So this entry from a teacher in Hertfordshire rang true:
The selfishness of the commentary about the evacuees angered me though I wasn't surprised. Fourteen when the war began, my father and his younger brother were evacuees during the Phoney War; they were exploited as domestic help by the wealthy people who offloaded them onto the cook and the gardener to use as they pleased. This entry is from a surveyor's pupil in Wiltshire:
Three years later my father was an air raid warden and fire watcher, until he joined the RAF aged 19, got compassionate leave to care for his dying father because there was no room in the hospitals for civilians, and then joined the Essex Regiment. He was destined for the war in the Pacific when the nuclear bomb was dropped...
It certainly does 'take all sorts' to make a world...
There was quite a bit of commentary about the shock of the V1 & V2 rockets that came late in the war — my mother was more fatalistic about these than my father, but then, he'd been bombed out of his house in the Blitz — but I was surprised by how few of the entries mention deaths in the chapter during the Blitz. Was this the compiler's selection, intent on puncturing the notion of 'all in it together' as mere propaganda, or was it the self-selection bias again? People complaining about the blackout; irritated by media reports more intent on keeping up morale than reporting the facts; complacency; slacking; constant demands from welfare charities; the size of the war debt and so on. But there was this one, from an architectural journalist from Berkshire:
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2022/02/17/b...
I thought of my mother when I read an entry from a civil servant in Lancashire:
Only thing of note was that I had an egg for breakfast — the egg — my ration for about a month. (p. 131)
Whenever my mother talked about the rationing, she always mentioned the one and only egg and how they had to be 'saved up' if you wanted to cook a recipe with more than one.
My father's rationing story was always about a banana flavoured cake made by his Aunty Gladys (who had eggs from her chickens): he was astonished because he hadn't seen a banana in years. It turned out to have been made with banana essence. So this entry from a teacher in Hertfordshire rang true:
One of my boys brought home a banana, wrapped in his handkerchief. A sailor had come home with a bunch, & had given one to all the children in the street. I took it round to all the staff, & said, 'Prepare for a shock!' and was rewarded with gasps of amazement and almost disbelief. The Head held it up, & showed the whole school, like a curio. (p.215)
The selfishness of the commentary about the evacuees angered me though I wasn't surprised. Fourteen when the war began, my father and his younger brother were evacuees during the Phoney War; they were exploited as domestic help by the wealthy people who offloaded them onto the cook and the gardener to use as they pleased. This entry is from a surveyor's pupil in Wiltshire:
Our neighbour has told us today that she will not keep her evacuee boys after she starts lighting fires & when it becomes too cold for them to stay out of the dining room. So much for her!
Three years later my father was an air raid warden and fire watcher, until he joined the RAF aged 19, got compassionate leave to care for his dying father because there was no room in the hospitals for civilians, and then joined the Essex Regiment. He was destined for the war in the Pacific when the nuclear bomb was dropped...
It certainly does 'take all sorts' to make a world...
There was quite a bit of commentary about the shock of the V1 & V2 rockets that came late in the war — my mother was more fatalistic about these than my father, but then, he'd been bombed out of his house in the Blitz — but I was surprised by how few of the entries mention deaths in the chapter during the Blitz. Was this the compiler's selection, intent on puncturing the notion of 'all in it together' as mere propaganda, or was it the self-selection bias again? People complaining about the blackout; irritated by media reports more intent on keeping up morale than reporting the facts; complacency; slacking; constant demands from welfare charities; the size of the war debt and so on. But there was this one, from an architectural journalist from Berkshire:
Artist friend Ruth was killed on Friday week ago. June wrote and told me. This has brought the war into sharper perspective. Ruth was visiting friends two doors from her own house in Adelaide Road. A direct hit. Her own house untouched. June has taken G. to a school in Cornwall and when she returns will, I hope, spend a few days with me here. (p.76)
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2022/02/17/b...
March 23, 2022
This is an interesting collection of excerpts from Mass Observation diaries kept during World War Two. There are some surprises. These plucky Brits, on the whole, seem to have been less taken in by press and government propaganda than we are usually led to believe people were then. Several of them are cynical about Churchill. There’s a lot of complaining about how badly the government organises things and also about the behaviour of some of the people around them.
I chuckled quite a few times, felt emotional once or twice, and was cheered when I recognised diarists coming round again, as though they were becoming friends. I really enjoyed reading it and feel that I learned a lot.
I chuckled quite a few times, felt emotional once or twice, and was cheered when I recognised diarists coming round again, as though they were becoming friends. I really enjoyed reading it and feel that I learned a lot.
March 21, 2022
I found this quite a disappointing book really. The short excerpts were quite disjointed and I never felt I really got to know the anonymous authors, it all felt like the same person writing. A much better book is Millions Like Us: Women's Lives in War and Peace 1939-1949. I know that one is more about women than both genders as Blitz Spirit is but it gives a much better insight into what it was like to be living in Britain during the war.
April 6, 2021
Becky Brown is described as an anthologist. To be faced with over a million pages of entries from the Mass-Observation Archive, which began amassing diary entries from volunteers in 1937 and ran throughout the Second World War and beyond, must have been both daunting and exhilarating. The result of her study of this unique resource is Blitz Spirit, an account of the war through the words of ordinary people - civilians.
Tom Harrison, one of the founders of the project and an ornithologist amongst other things, saw it as the study of Britons ‘as if they were birds’. In making her selections, Brown has adopted the same approach: “I have delighted in spotting the familiar”.
As a consequence, the reader is offered a view of civilian life in the UK through the six years of war which does not necessarily chime with what was written in the papers or with what we see in films and may have come to assume is the truth.
Reading these entries, from a variety of diarists across the country and from all walks of life, is fascinating in itself. But Blitz Spirit throws up more than a reflection of life seventy years ago. The pandemic we have lived through this past year has been described as the worst crisis since the war and in the experiences of those who wrote then, we see parallels with what we are experiencing now.
The intention of the Mass-Observation project was ‘to tell a truer, fuller version of events than was available in the newspapers or recorded in the history books’. In putting together this book, Becky Brown has held to that principle as well as illustrating the universals in human experience. So much that people described then, echoes through the decades in our experiences now.
Overall I found this an uplifting read. I would have preferred to connect more with the diarists, who are anonymised as they were in the MO project although several are then named in ‘Further Reading’. I’ve always been attracted to diaries and I’ve known of the Mass-Observation Archive for some time. Having read this book and with my interest piqued, I shall be looking to read more.
Tom Harrison, one of the founders of the project and an ornithologist amongst other things, saw it as the study of Britons ‘as if they were birds’. In making her selections, Brown has adopted the same approach: “I have delighted in spotting the familiar”.
As a consequence, the reader is offered a view of civilian life in the UK through the six years of war which does not necessarily chime with what was written in the papers or with what we see in films and may have come to assume is the truth.
Reading these entries, from a variety of diarists across the country and from all walks of life, is fascinating in itself. But Blitz Spirit throws up more than a reflection of life seventy years ago. The pandemic we have lived through this past year has been described as the worst crisis since the war and in the experiences of those who wrote then, we see parallels with what we are experiencing now.
The intention of the Mass-Observation project was ‘to tell a truer, fuller version of events than was available in the newspapers or recorded in the history books’. In putting together this book, Becky Brown has held to that principle as well as illustrating the universals in human experience. So much that people described then, echoes through the decades in our experiences now.
Overall I found this an uplifting read. I would have preferred to connect more with the diarists, who are anonymised as they were in the MO project although several are then named in ‘Further Reading’. I’ve always been attracted to diaries and I’ve known of the Mass-Observation Archive for some time. Having read this book and with my interest piqued, I shall be looking to read more.
November 30, 2020
The author has clearly done a lot of research, combing through the many diarists who submitted their ideas, thoughts and experiences to make the Mass Observation Project during the Second World War. From this she has compiled a chronological account of the War, as seen by the men, women and occasionally children on the Home Front. The result is not quite what the rosy glasses of time have led us to expect.
People were human; they were greedy, prejudiced, failed to follow Government instructions and generally griped about prices, rationing, bombing etc - and heaven knows, they had enough to be unhappy about at this difficult time.
The snippets made me smile, cry and laugh. Such stoicism, such resilience. No wonder that generation grew up tough and determined. I would have liked to know the age and sex of the contributors (although one could often guess the latter by the occupation). There is a list of their names at the back, but its impossible to keep referring to that using the ID code number they were given.
I really enjoyed reading these insights; and could apply a lot of the difficulties to today's experiences of lockdown, although we do always have enough to eat.
Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
People were human; they were greedy, prejudiced, failed to follow Government instructions and generally griped about prices, rationing, bombing etc - and heaven knows, they had enough to be unhappy about at this difficult time.
The snippets made me smile, cry and laugh. Such stoicism, such resilience. No wonder that generation grew up tough and determined. I would have liked to know the age and sex of the contributors (although one could often guess the latter by the occupation). There is a list of their names at the back, but its impossible to keep referring to that using the ID code number they were given.
I really enjoyed reading these insights; and could apply a lot of the difficulties to today's experiences of lockdown, although we do always have enough to eat.
Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 26, 2021
Sunday 3 September 1939 , Britain declares war on Germany. The book is written in a series of extracts of diarist's entries from August 1939 to 1945 obtained from Mass Observation Archive (MO), a repository of ordinary people's diaries written for the most part during the Second World War. The entries contain people's thoughts, feelings, anger, hopes and fears for the the future during this period. The author, Becky Brown, has given the entries anonymity and identifies the diarist's by their 4-digit Mass Observation number, their gender, occupation and location. As you continue reading, you begin to recognise diarist's numbers and entries. I found the entries could get repetitive but we do need to know how people felt during this period of history. This book is for readers who enjoy facts & figures and things relating to the second world war.
I give a 3 star rating and would purchase this book for a friend who enjoys this genre.
I WANT TO THANK NETGALLEY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY OF READING AN ADVANCED COPY OF THIS BOOK FOR AN HONEST REVIEW
I give a 3 star rating and would purchase this book for a friend who enjoys this genre.
I WANT TO THANK NETGALLEY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY OF READING AN ADVANCED COPY OF THIS BOOK FOR AN HONEST REVIEW
July 27, 2021
A fascinating account of how real people from across the UK were feeling throughout the second world war. We tend to think of the 'Blitz Spirit' as being the cheery culture of a united people, stoically defying the terror they faced. The reality was a spectrum of division, worry, hope, fear, social restrictions and uncertainty. There are some echoes to the present day, with panic buying, uncertainty about whether to believe what you read in the press, the defying of government restrictions and the consternation that caused among the rule followers. There's also some fascinating insight into areas of British life I knew little about, like the fact that more people died in car accidents during the war than died in the bombing.
As a contemporary contributor to the Mass Observation archive I found reading these wartime diaries particularly poignant.
As a contemporary contributor to the Mass Observation archive I found reading these wartime diaries particularly poignant.
July 8, 2021
This was such a fascinating glimpse into the everyday life of World War Two and really highlighted the parallels between then and now. It showed a real universality of human reaction. The pettiness, bickering and political backstabbing that we’ve experienced during the Covid 19 pandemic is no different to the debates about carrying gas masks or the effectiveness of the blackout that went on back then.
This was a clever and thoughtful collection of diary entries that was also incredibly emotional in places, for it highlighted the endurance and bravery people can be capable of when put through the toughest times.
This was a clever and thoughtful collection of diary entries that was also incredibly emotional in places, for it highlighted the endurance and bravery people can be capable of when put through the toughest times.
September 25, 2020
This is a fascinating account of peoples everyday lives and thoughts during the Second World War in the UK.
Presented as extracts from various people's diary entries as part of the Mass Observation Social Research Organisation, it gives an insight into what people thought and how they acted during this horrific time.
I found it to be a very interesting read and it is in a format that can be picked up and put down rather than read in the entirety at once. It would also be an interesting addition to the school curriculum.
Presented as extracts from various people's diary entries as part of the Mass Observation Social Research Organisation, it gives an insight into what people thought and how they acted during this horrific time.
I found it to be a very interesting read and it is in a format that can be picked up and put down rather than read in the entirety at once. It would also be an interesting addition to the school curriculum.
October 15, 2020
How refreshing to see a balanced people's view of the Home Front in WWII. I have read other MO diaries, but this is the best collection yet. 'Blitz Spirit' shows us the gossiping and the griping, the horrors and the heroes, the rights and wrongs of their thoughts of the future. It is fascinating to see ordinary lives, to see what information reached people at the time and their often unexpected reactions. This books shows what wartime spirit really was like.
October 19, 2020
Wow so many parallels between modern times living through a pandemic and living through WWII. Curtailing of freedom, doubting about government policies, so much change and turmoil. I found this book immensely interesting both from this perspective and from the perspective of it being contemporary reports from a whole range of people. I loved tracking the individual voices as the war progressed and views changed and evolved. A wonderful piece of social history.
November 7, 2020
A fascinating insight into the lives of every day people during the Second World War. I particularly enjoyed reading about the opinions and thoughts of these diarists. Written as part of the Mass Observation work, these extracts open a window into a different time and experience. Whilst much has been written about the history of this era, the battles and victories, these diaries depict the daily struggles of the British people on the Home Front- their thoughts, hopes and experiences.
March 2, 2021
Straightforward reproduction in chronological order of selected Mass Observation diary entries across society but with some interesting insights. Churchill was not universally popular, many resented the impact of rationing, the blackout etc and felt empathy with the victims of British bombing in Germany. After one year of intermittent lockdown, there are parallels to be drawn and I doubt modern society could deal with six years of privation with the added danger from the skies.
December 13, 2020
I was almost put off by the title but decided to read this because it uses Mass Observation diary entries. The diaries were kept by people of differing backgrounds throughout the UK and give an interesting variety of opinions and experiences-nicely selected by Becky Brown.
Four stars as I would have liked a longer read.
Four stars as I would have liked a longer read.
October 21, 2021
I bought this book as I am researching the Blitz period for my novel. Yes, there are interesting diary snippets here but I was disappointed that I found only one experience of a bomb falling on the house. I also bought the audio version and found that easy on the ear - the different voices brought it more to life.
June 3, 2021
Fascinating book
I love the various compilations I have read using material written for the Mass Observation project, and this is no exception. It is fascinating to read what ‘ordinary’ people have said about their experiences and to identify with them.
I love the various compilations I have read using material written for the Mass Observation project, and this is no exception. It is fascinating to read what ‘ordinary’ people have said about their experiences and to identify with them.
December 27, 2020
A different style of book. A great idea, well put together. Little snippets of people's lives, amazing.
August 19, 2021
As fascinating as expected and certainly it gives lie to the term "Blitz Spirit". So many parallels with living during the pandemic in the UK.
April 15, 2023
This book is a valuable non fictional account of the Second World War taken from a unique point of the view – it is written by those involved on a day to day basis. It is a book which is not written by professional writers – though the compiler Becky Brown has done a thoroughly professional job in identifying and editing the extracts presented. The extracts come from a unique source, the diaries written and submitted to an organisation called the Mass Observation Archive. This was founded in 1937 by three people keen to discover what people really thought of their daily lives and the big events of the day. Volunteers would submit monthly diaries of their thoughts, observations, and opinions anonymously, and the aim “was to create an anthology of ourselves” by compiling these documents together with the outcomes of Directives or surveys on great issues of the day. There were some five hundred diarists who were chosen to cover a great range of people from different backgrounds across the UK. Some apparently wrote diligently in clearly typed documents, others produced far more scrappy affairs, perhaps written in haste. These documents represented in the moment comments; rather than considered productions written after the events and carefully edited. They are therefore valuable insights into life in Britain in some of the most crucial days of War and the build up to it, a unique record of the truth behind the headlines and memoirs that appeared afterwards written with the benefit of hindsight.
It is to consider this so called “Blitz Spirit” with the onset of the Covid 19 pandemic in mind that this book seemed especially important. Politicians and others called for the blitz spirit to operate in society during Lockdowns and other Regulations. Brown points out in her excellent Introduction that in the extracts that she has chosen “we hear a vibrant, discordant humanity and see the ordinary lives that must necessarily continue behind an extraordinary event”. One solitary “blitz spirit” of harmony, good humour and cooperation simply did not exist. The contributions here show that people were frightened, angry, confused and scared that the chances of defeat seemed overwhelming. In selecting these extracts Brown has chosen a range of views and placed them in strict chronological order, not by theme, gender or optimism. Indeed, the entries are anonymous, titled only with gender, profession, and location.
The entries show the development from the days of August 1939 when there was a Crisis, which in some respects had been going on for some time, through to a Declaration which brought an “Awful feeling of hopelessness” to one diarist, “this terrible calamity” to another and expressions of concern about evacuees to others. As the book proceeds there is a good mix of those commenting on raids and the local reactions to them, the rationing of everyday foods, queuing and the Black Market, amusing comments made and anger at the silence on reporting of realities. People write in confidence of gossip and reports of negative events and behaviour - no military secrets are revealed but there is real thought, real reactions, the contrasting between truth and speculation. An example is that a writer reveals how they were told an entire street of houses in Derby was flattened the previous night, when in fact they knew no bombs had fallen in the area at all. People are shown as being angry that some life styles seem to continue unaffected, while they restrict their own consumption of goods and resources, and work hard in voluntary roles. The contributions from both women and men do not show a split in opinion on gender lines, the occupation of the diarist does not always define the nature of the comment.
This book is made up of brief comments on a huge variety of topics from different perspectives. The Compiler comments that they are “riddled with fear of defeat” rather than any grin and bear it philosophy, the “Blitz Spirit” beloved of many commentators. It is by its nature bitty, but I would argue that those who seek more coherent comments and flowing narratives can seek out other books written at the time, or complied more recently of contemporaneous diaries. Brown has supplied a Further Reading list including a selection of Anthologies and a Selection of standalone diaries. I am obviously in the target audience for this book as I recognise several of them that I have read, including the diaries of Nella Last, seen in Victoria Woods’ “Housewife 49”. Altogether this book will be of interest to those who enjoy fiction set in the period, fans of wartime histories, and most of all those who are fascinated by the voices, often forgotten, of those who experienced this crisis, recorded without the benefit of hindsight.
It is to consider this so called “Blitz Spirit” with the onset of the Covid 19 pandemic in mind that this book seemed especially important. Politicians and others called for the blitz spirit to operate in society during Lockdowns and other Regulations. Brown points out in her excellent Introduction that in the extracts that she has chosen “we hear a vibrant, discordant humanity and see the ordinary lives that must necessarily continue behind an extraordinary event”. One solitary “blitz spirit” of harmony, good humour and cooperation simply did not exist. The contributions here show that people were frightened, angry, confused and scared that the chances of defeat seemed overwhelming. In selecting these extracts Brown has chosen a range of views and placed them in strict chronological order, not by theme, gender or optimism. Indeed, the entries are anonymous, titled only with gender, profession, and location.
The entries show the development from the days of August 1939 when there was a Crisis, which in some respects had been going on for some time, through to a Declaration which brought an “Awful feeling of hopelessness” to one diarist, “this terrible calamity” to another and expressions of concern about evacuees to others. As the book proceeds there is a good mix of those commenting on raids and the local reactions to them, the rationing of everyday foods, queuing and the Black Market, amusing comments made and anger at the silence on reporting of realities. People write in confidence of gossip and reports of negative events and behaviour - no military secrets are revealed but there is real thought, real reactions, the contrasting between truth and speculation. An example is that a writer reveals how they were told an entire street of houses in Derby was flattened the previous night, when in fact they knew no bombs had fallen in the area at all. People are shown as being angry that some life styles seem to continue unaffected, while they restrict their own consumption of goods and resources, and work hard in voluntary roles. The contributions from both women and men do not show a split in opinion on gender lines, the occupation of the diarist does not always define the nature of the comment.
This book is made up of brief comments on a huge variety of topics from different perspectives. The Compiler comments that they are “riddled with fear of defeat” rather than any grin and bear it philosophy, the “Blitz Spirit” beloved of many commentators. It is by its nature bitty, but I would argue that those who seek more coherent comments and flowing narratives can seek out other books written at the time, or complied more recently of contemporaneous diaries. Brown has supplied a Further Reading list including a selection of Anthologies and a Selection of standalone diaries. I am obviously in the target audience for this book as I recognise several of them that I have read, including the diaries of Nella Last, seen in Victoria Woods’ “Housewife 49”. Altogether this book will be of interest to those who enjoy fiction set in the period, fans of wartime histories, and most of all those who are fascinated by the voices, often forgotten, of those who experienced this crisis, recorded without the benefit of hindsight.
August 5, 2023
"The Mass-Observation Archive [is an] extraordinary repository of ordinary people's diaries...an anthropology of ourselves-a study of the everyday lives of ordinary British people...Key among these was a volunteer group of around 500 people called the 'National Panel of Diarists'. They came from all walks of life and almost every part of the UK and submitted their personal diaries on a monthly basis starting from August 1939 until September 1945...The writing document(s) every conceivable response to crisis, from bravery to cowardice, stoicism to panic, selfishness to selflessness...".
On Bombing
Garage Assistant, Snettisham, Norfolk, 1939
"...Mother has been threatening to move me into the spare bedroom...Today she moved me because she said if a bomb hit her end of the house I might be saved up the other end."
Actress, London, 1940
"My father is very facetious during the raids...The longer they go on the higher his spirits appear to rise. He rushes to the door in the hope of seeing a dogfight...".
Widowed Housewife, London,1940
"Raid at about 11:30 for about an hour...some people ran as though the devil were at their heels-while others sauntered along...leisurely...finishing their shopping...before moving; a group of old women actually stood talking in the middle of the street perfectly unmoved by the hustle and agitation round them...".
Teacher, Watford, Hertfordshire, 1940
"Hotel Notice-LIGHTING RESTRICTIONS"
"The management having taken all Reasonable Precautions for the darkening of windows, any of the Guests showing a light do so at their own risk and are liable to Police Prosecution."
A Comic Touch
Textile Warehouseman, Birmingham, 1939
"...A medium says she has been in touch with the spirit of Napoleon, who informed her that the war would last for sixty-one years...".
Printer, Durrington, West Sussex, 1939
"I have placed a copy of "Mein Kampf" in a fairly prominent position on my shelves...Before the war broke out all who observed it expressed mild interest...Since the war...the same people [suggest] 'burn it', chuck it in the dustbin', and the question 'do you realize that you are assisting Hitler by contributing to royalties?"
On Children
Railway Draughtsman, Wilmslow Sheshire, 1939
"In Sale, women residents were angry at evacuated children being insufficient to go round! Along a certain road, the residents had agreed to take certain numbers of children. Half the road had been provided with their quotas, and then, alas, the flow of children ceased, and then-disappointment and anger!"
Retired Nurse, Steyning, West Sussex, 1942
"My niece with the new baby...wanted the free cod-liver oil, etc, given out to mothers of babies...she would have six miles to go to the welfare station. Walk 1.5 miles to a long-distance, infrequent bus, and take a chance of it being too full to stop for her, when she returned...Many...village women did not go for their baby free rations because of the difficulty of getting there."
On Food
Architectural Assistant, London, 1941
"Cooking for the family. Was horrified yesterday at the price of vegetables...Shopping is now a miserable business of frustrating hopes and altered menus not helped by the exhausted patience and superior 'well I'm the boss now you see' attitude of many shopkeepers. Once so soapy and ingratiating to the customer with the big family they now don't give a damn."
Teacher, Watford, Hertfordshire, 1943
"One of my boys brought a banana, wrapped in his handkerchief. A sailor had come home with a bunch, & had given one to all the children in the street. I took it round to all the staff, & said 'Prepare for a shock!', & was rewarded with gasps of amazement & almost unbelief."
Unemployment
Woodworking Machinist, Enfield, Middlesex, 1944
"Rather thoughtful today. Feel fear at approaching end to war....Will there be jobs....I do not desire end of war. Rationally, I do. War is HELL. I feel that many others must also fear end of war for the same reason...dread of unemployment."
Factory Clerk, Manchester, 1944
"Talk in the office about men coming back to their old jobs after the war, & the problems they would create. A lot of them would go out as youths earning a youth's wage & would come back as men, expecting an adult wage, yet only possessing as much knowledge of the job as they did when they went."
"Everybody seems to be having a dose of fed-upness" however "it is good to wake up in the morning and feel that one more night has passed safely."
"Blitz Spirit: Voices of Britain Living Through Crisis, 1939-1945"as compiled by Becky Brown from the Mass-Observation Archive, demonstrates the cost of war on the homefront. Highly recommended.
On Bombing
Garage Assistant, Snettisham, Norfolk, 1939
"...Mother has been threatening to move me into the spare bedroom...Today she moved me because she said if a bomb hit her end of the house I might be saved up the other end."
Actress, London, 1940
"My father is very facetious during the raids...The longer they go on the higher his spirits appear to rise. He rushes to the door in the hope of seeing a dogfight...".
Widowed Housewife, London,1940
"Raid at about 11:30 for about an hour...some people ran as though the devil were at their heels-while others sauntered along...leisurely...finishing their shopping...before moving; a group of old women actually stood talking in the middle of the street perfectly unmoved by the hustle and agitation round them...".
Teacher, Watford, Hertfordshire, 1940
"Hotel Notice-LIGHTING RESTRICTIONS"
"The management having taken all Reasonable Precautions for the darkening of windows, any of the Guests showing a light do so at their own risk and are liable to Police Prosecution."
A Comic Touch
Textile Warehouseman, Birmingham, 1939
"...A medium says she has been in touch with the spirit of Napoleon, who informed her that the war would last for sixty-one years...".
Printer, Durrington, West Sussex, 1939
"I have placed a copy of "Mein Kampf" in a fairly prominent position on my shelves...Before the war broke out all who observed it expressed mild interest...Since the war...the same people [suggest] 'burn it', chuck it in the dustbin', and the question 'do you realize that you are assisting Hitler by contributing to royalties?"
On Children
Railway Draughtsman, Wilmslow Sheshire, 1939
"In Sale, women residents were angry at evacuated children being insufficient to go round! Along a certain road, the residents had agreed to take certain numbers of children. Half the road had been provided with their quotas, and then, alas, the flow of children ceased, and then-disappointment and anger!"
Retired Nurse, Steyning, West Sussex, 1942
"My niece with the new baby...wanted the free cod-liver oil, etc, given out to mothers of babies...she would have six miles to go to the welfare station. Walk 1.5 miles to a long-distance, infrequent bus, and take a chance of it being too full to stop for her, when she returned...Many...village women did not go for their baby free rations because of the difficulty of getting there."
On Food
Architectural Assistant, London, 1941
"Cooking for the family. Was horrified yesterday at the price of vegetables...Shopping is now a miserable business of frustrating hopes and altered menus not helped by the exhausted patience and superior 'well I'm the boss now you see' attitude of many shopkeepers. Once so soapy and ingratiating to the customer with the big family they now don't give a damn."
Teacher, Watford, Hertfordshire, 1943
"One of my boys brought a banana, wrapped in his handkerchief. A sailor had come home with a bunch, & had given one to all the children in the street. I took it round to all the staff, & said 'Prepare for a shock!', & was rewarded with gasps of amazement & almost unbelief."
Unemployment
Woodworking Machinist, Enfield, Middlesex, 1944
"Rather thoughtful today. Feel fear at approaching end to war....Will there be jobs....I do not desire end of war. Rationally, I do. War is HELL. I feel that many others must also fear end of war for the same reason...dread of unemployment."
Factory Clerk, Manchester, 1944
"Talk in the office about men coming back to their old jobs after the war, & the problems they would create. A lot of them would go out as youths earning a youth's wage & would come back as men, expecting an adult wage, yet only possessing as much knowledge of the job as they did when they went."
"Everybody seems to be having a dose of fed-upness" however "it is good to wake up in the morning and feel that one more night has passed safely."
"Blitz Spirit: Voices of Britain Living Through Crisis, 1939-1945"as compiled by Becky Brown from the Mass-Observation Archive, demonstrates the cost of war on the homefront. Highly recommended.
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