A War Child Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Blitz

Blitz is short for blitzkreig, a German word which means "lightning war". Several bombing attacks were carried out in London mainly during 1940 and 1941. A blitz was also carried out over sea ports and industrial areas in Britain.

Answer: Blimp

The barrage balloon, or blimp, was an unmanned balloon which floated in the sky and tethered to the ground with strong ropes. It stopped enemy aircraft from flying too low making it more difficult for them to bomb exact targets.

Answer: Air raid shelter

If you heard a loud alarm, everyone would run to the nearest air raid shelter. Some shelters were built in people's back gardens but these were not very sturdy. Most people ran towards their nearest tube (underground) station and had to stay there until it was deemed safe to come out again.

Answer: Operation Pied Piper

The government did not want to separate children from their parents, but they felt it was safer if they moved temporarily out of the city during the bombings. It was given the special name Operation Pied Piper. The Pied Piper was a fictional character who led a group of children out of the German city of Hamelin by playing his pipe.

Answer: Steam train

Approximately 800,000 children were evacuated out of London during World War 2. It was a major job to move such a large number of people, so the easiest, and quickest way, was for them to travel by steam train.

Answer: False

No, tattoos were not used to identify lost children. They were all give a label which had their name, address, the name of their school, and where they were travelling to. These were pinned to their coats.

Answer: The countryside

Children were sent to rural communities in the countryside. Some went to Wales, while others went to Devon or Cornwall. These were some of the furthest places away from London.

Answer: Gas mask

A gas mask was uncomfortable to wear and felt very restrictive. Children were shown how to wear them, just in case the enemy released poisonous gas in the air.

Answer: Billets

A billet is the name given to the temporary living quarters where soldiers had to sleep. The name was also given to the place where children had to stay throughout the evacuation. They could be farm houses, manor houses or small town houses, all depending on where they were told to go.

Answer: School

Even though a war was going on many miles away, it was still life as normal for children in the countryside. This included going to school, doing homework and being given household chores. Children that lived on farms learnt to feed the chicken and milk the cows. Those that lived above shops helped to serve customers. They missed their parents but a new exciting adventure had begun!