How Greatly Were The Lives Of British Civilians Affected By Bombing During World War II?

By Colin Nattrass

With permission; Colin is a former pupil of Greenfield School

- this essay was done as piece of GCSE coursework.

The problem,  Deep shelters,  Anderson shelters,  Morrison shelters,  surface shelters,  Tube stations,

Effects on People,  Community Spirit,  Blackout,  Conclusion

The bombing of England during World War 2, was a tactic used heavily by Hitler in his war against Europe . Initially, airstrips, and radar stations were the primary target. But, on the 7th of September 1940 the bombers had a new target, London . The Blitz, (an abbreviation of the German word Blitzkrieg, meaning 'lightning war') had begun. For the next year Hitler focused the efforts of the Luftwaffe on bombing the British cities, in an attempt to demoralize the British civilians, and bring the war effort on the home front to a halt. This long-term, sustained bombing result in a drastic change in peoples lives, with some effects greater than others.

The priority of civilians once the bombing began was to find shelter; they did not want to remain defenseless. Before WW2, preparations had been made for the defense of the country, should an air attack occur. The use of planes during WW I led people to believe that air attack was the warfare of the future. Previous predictions about the devastation of the bombing of civilians were terrifying. Nothing was safe; industry and the home were under threat. The Government feared that under a sustained bombing attack, society would crumble. Prevision for shelter during WW2 was a must, for the safety of the country.

The problem

Another scheme was proposed by pioneering engineer Ove Arup. He suggested a 'deep-shelter system' where garden squares in London would be turned into deep-shelters. However, this idea was abandoned by the Government, because of a theory that a 'deep-shelter mentality' would develop. The Government feared that when the bombing started, people would descend into the shelters, and not resurface until the end of the war. This would render them useless towards the war effort. Without the civilians, who would make the fundamental ammo and guns for the British army ? Civilian survival was essential if Britain was to win the war. At first glance, it seemed as though the Government was abandoning it's people, leaving them to fend for themselves. But they did provide shelter, although it was a lot more meager than the proposed schemes.

Deep shelters

Those with gardens received ' Anderson shelters.' A simple, shed-like structure made of corrugated steel. However many were constructed poorly, as it was left to the people to construct them, without any proper instructions. They let in the damp and cold, and were not the thing people would want to sleep in all night with their family. The provision of Anderson shelters, effected peoples live greatly. Previously people hadn't relied on the Government, it was the other way around. Now, the people were looking to the Government to provide shelter for them. A minor effect on their lives, but still a change. People now had a little private shelter, and the feeling that they could simply run to the garden, changed peoples lives immensely, they could now stay at home, safe in the knowledge that they were relatively safe.

The Anderson shelter was supplied to families, and could in fact enforce he family spirit. In a nighttime bombing raid, families would often have to stay in the shelter all night. Because it was impossible to sleep, the family would have to spend large amounts of time in each other's presence. The bombing would bring them together, each supporting one another during the raid. However the same cannot be said for every family. Being forced to spend such a long time with a feuding family could be a nightmare. Having to sit for hours, with no escape from impending arguments could drive a wedge between the family. So whether staying in an Anderson shelter brought the family together, or drove them apart, spending night after night in an Anderson shelter hugely affected the lives of families.

The Anderson shelter, although it gave people a little protection, it changed lifestyle drastically. Whenever there was a bombing raid before, the family would simply lie in the warmth of their beds, or hide in the under-stairs cupboard. But now those with Anderson shelters would reluctantly have to get the whole family up and drag them out into the freezing cold. This was a lot of hassle, and people eventually ended up begrudging the Anderson shelter, having to lie in the cold and damp for hours was not exactly anybody's idea of a good nights rest.

The Anderson shelter was not a solution to the shelter problem. In the built up area in cities, very few had gardens. In fact only 25 % of people owned an Anderson shelter. And even the owners of Anderson shelters would grow tired of the nightly routine of drag the family out into the cold. This resulted in many owners forfeiting the safety of the Anderson shelter for the warmth of the under-stairs cupboard. Another solution was needed to the sheltering problem. So, the Government began providing Morrison shelters. These basically were a strong iron cage, which would double as a table when not in use. The theory was that when the bombing began, the family would crawl under the Morrison shelter. This would provide protection if the house was hit by a bomb, stopping falling rubble from hitting the people hiding underneath. When the bombing stopped, the family would crawl out, unscathed. That was the theory, but the reality was that people would be trapped underneath the table by the rubble, and if the house caught fire they would die, helplessly.

Anderson Shelters

The Morrison shelter was a complete revolution is sheltering, and completely changed people's lives. Instead of having to go outside into the cold and damp, mothers could simply bring their family under the shelter. This saved a lot of hassle, and arguments about going to the Anderson shelter. Previously families would argue, about going to shelter, driving a wedge between the family, even though they should be pulling together at times of war. The Morrison shelter was the solution. Why go outside into the cold, when you could stay in the warmth of your own home.

The Morrison shelter was also a great change in the lives of those who had no garden, and so no place for an Anderson shelter. They could now relax in the knowledge that they had some form of protection against the bombing.

But the Anderson and Morrison shelters didn't solve the huge shelter problem that Britain had during WW2. Were the people in high-density housing to simply remain undefended during the bombing raids ? The Governments solution to the growing problem was to construct large 'Communal shelters' in the basements of large houses. This was a huge disruption to the lives of the house owners, who did not particularly want a large group of strangers, rushing into their house whenever a bombing raid occurred. But it was an advantageous form of shelter. People's lives were changed partially. They could now walk into the street, knowing that they could find shelter nearby. This meant people could start going to recreational events again, such as the cinema, instead of sitting, at home, in fear, waiting to run into the shelter. This was quite a significant lifestyle change; people could socialize again at night, as they did before the war.

Morrison Shelters

The Government also decided to construct large 'surface shelters' due to the lack of these other forms of shelter. These shelters were simply placed on street corners. They were built of brick, with concrete roofs. The surface shelters were designed for families in enclosed estates. Poor families, previously had no, shelter, but now they could live in an estate and still know that they could find shelter from the bombing just down the street. It was a big change to the lives of these people, they no longer felt left out, and no longer had to live in fear. However, the fact that these were not private shelters greatly disrupted family life. Often, when a bombing raid occurred, the whole family would reluctantly have to get out of their beds, and walk, sometimes great distances, in the freezing cold to the nearest surface shelter. This was a great hassle, and greatly changed family life. In fact, near the end of the Blitz, as with the owners of Anderson shelters, simply stopped going to the shelters, opting for the comfort, and the danger that comes with it in their own homes. Having to get out of bed at 2 am every morning, and walk in the rain to an unhygienic communal shelter was not exactly a riveting prospect, and in the end resulted in many family arguments.

However these 'surface shelters' were not as much a protection against the bombing, as they originally seemed. Due to the Governments rushed specification and application of the construction of the surface shelters, 'an ambiguous instruction was misinterpreted to mean that only a sand and lime mix with no cement was used when constructing the surface shelters,' according to a historian working for the BBC when looking back. The shelters simply could not withstand the bombing, and whenever a bomb hit, would simply crumble under the pressure. Many died as a result of this poor construction.

surface shelters

Although, the Government did begin to provide some shelter, it was nowhere near what was required. In London , people decided to take the matter into their own hands. People came up with an obvious solution in a time of crisis. People congregated in there thousands down into the tube stations. These were deep underground, already built, and a quick and easy solution to the ever-increasing sheltering problem. This was a change, although quite minor compared to the other drastic changes to peoples lives during the Blitz. People were directly avoiding Government orders, which discouraged the use of the tube stations for sheltering. The people were now joining together, united in a common cause and making their voices heard by the people in power. Eventually, due to public demand, the Government approved the use of the tube stations for sheltering.

However, the use of the tube stations for sheltering was not all advantageous. During the Blitz, the single incident that caused most civilian casualties was not caused directly by the bombing. On the 3rd of March 1943 , the Bethnal Green tube disaster caused the deaths of 173 Londoners. When the air-raid warning sirens sounded that day, there was an enormous upsurge of people rushing for shelter. 173 died in the crush. This was totally out of many peoples character. Bombing changed ordinary, sensible people into mad hooligans, clawing for shelter. The bombing forced people to do things completely out of character, it was either this, or be killed. The bombing also confused many people; nobody knew what was going on. People had to make snap decisions, and do things completely out of the ordinary, such as breaking the law to survive. The bombing of civilians during WW2 changed their lives greatly, forcing them to do outrageous things that were completely out of character.

Tube stations

People dealt with death and the loss of belongings due to bombing in many different ways. Death and the loss of possessions were probably the biggest changed to the people's lives that were the victims of bombing than any other. Hilda Merchant describes the typical reaction of women to the Blitz, 'In one of the lesser damaged streets they had found a row of houses without roofs, or windows but with the first floor still waterproof. About a hundred of them, including tenants of the houses got together and patched up windows, moved scraps of furniture, and every afternoon they would sit around the fireplace gossiping, knitting and scribbling letters for the kids. They all had Anderson shelters and several lived in them.' This is a typical sign of women taking the lead, and pulling everyone together. Even in a time of crisis, everybody is working together; they are all in the same situation of homelessness, yet they are not giving up, and trying to make the best of a poor situation. Some people simply suppressed their feeling of shock in order to keep going until the end of the war.

Life still went on after homelessness for some people; it was just changed dramatically to fit the circumstances. An onlooker described the scene she saw in a heavily Blitzed street, 'As children played in the rubble, women still referred to different areas of the unrecognisable street as 'Number 54' or 'the dairy." Many people preferred to live in a semi -blitzed room in their own street than being billeted with strangers in a West End mansion. People had connections with their neighbourhood, and did not want to leave. Leaving would result in the loss of their job, the loss of their friends, and the loss of schooling for children. For many it was impractical to leave, and the only other alternative was to just get on with it, and stay put.

Normality was what the victims of the Blitz would often desire to keep them on track. If they could maintain as steady a lifestyle as possible, then they could simply remain oblivious to their own devastation and loss, and ultimately avoid a breakdown. For the lives of many victims of bombing, their lives did not change; they were able to maintain the previous continuity. A member of the WVS describes how many adults would cope with the devastation of loosing their homes. 'The victims of the Blitz who had jobs would still go to work the following day due to a sense of duty. They would pick their way over the debris every morning. They needed the feel of something fixed and persistent. In their normal daily work they found it and gripped it hard.' People needed to maintain a constant lifestyle; the high moral in the country was what held the civilians together during the Blitz. Without this many people would've gone mad.

However, some people did give up all hope, and could not cope with the pressure of loosing friends, family and all their possessions. This was a killer blow to some people, who simply could not cope on their own. Air raids caused panic, and emotional stress, and altered the lives of some of the victims completely. In 'War Wounds and Air Raid Casualties' published by the British Medical Journal in 1939, Maurice Wright, MD wrote, 'it is recognised that the psychiatric casualties of the present war may have been even more far-­reaching than physical casualties, loss of life, or material destruction. It is a problem that everybody in our large towns is having to face, not 'shall I be killed?' but 'Can I face it?' 'Shall I keep sane or normal under the conditions that I may have to endure?' It is impossible to estimate with any certainty the number of psychiatric casualties that will have to be dealt with if any civilian population is exposed to frequent, intense, or unexpected aerial bombardment.' The psychological effects of the bombing were largely underestimated by the Government, and many people had to face life after bombing without any help whatsoever.

Effects on people

Communal sheltering was not by any means an enjoyable experience. Conditions were foul, and shelters and stations were often packed. A traveller in London describes his experience of entering a tube station during a bombing raid, 'I had to step by rows and rows of sleeping men, women and children, including their belongings.' People began taking residence in the shelters, many were homeless, and for some it was simply more convenient to simply live in the shelters. This was a huge affect on people's lives; they had now abandoned, or simply lost their homes in fear of their lives. There was no privacy, everything was public. Mothers were embarrassed to expose their children to such disgusting conditions, but it was either here or outside with the bombs. At least in the shelters they received partial safety

From the communal shelters built a community spirit, in which everybody pulled together united by a common cause. People worked together and helped the victims of the bombing those who needed it most. People did this because, they knew that at some point they could be in the situation, and they did for others how they would like to be treated in the future. The Women's Voluntary Service ( WVS ) was set up by women who wanted to help with the casualties of bombing. This was quite a large change to the lives of the women who joined the organisation. Many would have to juggle a job, and unpaid voluntary service. But, they were working through a sense of duty and pride, and a willingness to help in a time of crisis. However, the voluntary groups were very few in number, and were constantly prompting the reluctant Government for funding. It was up to the people to help each other, via their own resources.

For the victims of air raids, the need for hot water and food came even before housing. The Ministry of Food advised women to construct communal street stoves out of mud and bricks, but they needed no telling. The Blitz was a huge change to people's lives, which were now out on their own, having to act on their own initiative, and having to compensate to survive. Hilda Marchant describes the first reactions of a group of homeless women, 'After the first awful numbness as they stood before the wreckage of their homes they began to pick it up forlornly in search of belongings. They then began to construct 'field kitchens' out of the broken brick walls of their homes. With wood from their own doors and furniture, they made fires and cooked something hot for the old mans dinner. They had miles to walk to find shops, for their own shops and butchers had been blown out.' This is an example of people working together in order to survive. It is this strong community spirit that held the country together, without it the victims of the Blitz would have no one to turn to (after all the Government were not exactly supplying a great degree of support) and would be struggling to survive.

However, many historians do not agree with this 'myth of the blitz,' how everybody pulled together, united by a common cause. Between September 1940 and March 1941, Britain 's major cities experienced a new kind of terror - a sustained and unrelenting bombardment by Nazi Germany. The Blitz has been etched in our country's conscience, but had victory in WW2, clouded the way we view it? Our heritage industry has encouraged a ` myth of the Blitz' that differs from the reality of the situation. The myth that everybody, young and old, poor and rich, pulled together is simply not true. The truth is that the lower classes muddled their way through the war while the upper class could avoid the Blitz and escape to the country. The establishment would simply take refuge in the large country houses; however, this was impossible for the poor, who didn't have the money to move. The lower class was forced to stay in the cities with inadequate shelter. It was a time of terror, confusion, and anger. Government incompetence, almost criminal in its extent meant that, displayed what was almost contempt for its own people. It was a complete overhaul of people's lives, it was a class war, and people now time for people to help themselves

Community spirit

During the Blitz, in order to confuse the Luftwaffe night bombers, the British Government ordered a blackout. Without the lights to guide them, the German bombers could only guess the location of the British cities, improving the chance of survival. The terms of the blackout meant that every home, factory, and place of recreation had to show no light visible from the air. Meaning that buildings would have to black out all their windows, in order to comply with the terms. Streetlights would not be lit, and cars also had to have blacked out headlights. And to check that everybody was complying with the terms of the blackout, wardens were employed. Not complying with the terms of the blackout would see your lights be quickly put out, and issued a firm warning.

The blackout affected the nightlife of people very much. Because there was little light due to the lack of streetlights, to some people the streets no longer seemed safe. Some people were afraid to go out in the dark. It also confused a lot of people, it was pitch black, and many saw it better to simply avoid going out at night all together. However the blackout did provide many jobs, in the form of the self-righteous blackout wardens. Due to the fact that people used cars without headlights, there was an increase in accidents. And during the Blitz, the emergency services were rushed off their feet, resulting in car accidents being put way down on the priority list. During the Blitz, people were reluctant to use their cars at night, because it was an extremely dangerous prospect. This resulted in people staying in at night, because they could not go to recreational activities, more time would be spent at home, socializing with the family.

Shop and location signs were also taken down at the time of the Blitz. Because of Germanys increased use of air warfare, people feared that Germany would attack the British Isles by paratroopers. In order to confuse the attacking Germans if an invasion was to occur, an order was issued by the Government on the 31 st May 1940 for the, 'taking down of any sign which furnished any indication of the name of ... or the location of ... or the distance to any place.' The removal of the signposts was soon preceded by a bill requesting, 'the wholesale uprooting of milestones, the defacing of the names of towns on war memorials, and the painting over of shop signs identifying the town or village.' This was quite a minor effect on people's lives, but it was a confusing and inconvenient one. Travelling to a new area was a difficult prospect, without any signs a map was useless, and the only way to find the location of a place was by word of mouth, or previous knowledge. The defacing of the names of towns on war memorials, looked ugly, and to many who had lost friends and relatives during World War 1 felt it disrespectful to the dead, and many complaints were lodged. Shop signs were also taken down, a major effect to the livelihoods of shop owners. How could you advertise of your shop if customers couldn't even read a sign, not forgetting even finding the place. However during WW2 shops had extremely loyal customers due to rationing, and could quite easily get by on the earnings from its previous customers.

Blackout

However, the effects of bombing were not all negative. As a result of bombing there were many more jobs available, and a general willingness to get on with the task in hand. Many saw their jobs as the only form of stability in their lives, and the need to preserve this was paramount. Many would hang onto their jobs with everything, and put all their efforts into working.

The Blitz changed the lives of civilians in cities up and down the country during WW2. Some people were affected in minor ways, such as having to shop elsewhere, due to their local shop being destroyed by bombing. Others had their lives completely turned on its head, loosing their homes, loved ones and having to take up residence in communal shelters with complete strangers.

Conclusion