The Second World War at Home in Britain Quiz

Answer: Vera Lynn

Dame Vera Lynn was a singer, songwriter and actress who was extremely popular during the Second World War. The most famous songs she performed were 'We'll Meet Again' and 'The White Cliffs of Dover'. As part of the ENSA she travelled to India and Burma to entertain the troops.

The full name of ENSA was the Entertainments National Service Association, often jokingly referred to as 'Every Night Something Awful'.

Answer: A comedy programme

ITMA (It's That Man Again) was a very popular comedy radio programme that was broadcast from 1939 to 1949. The star was Tommy Handley and the sketches often poked fun at current war news. In this way it helped to keep morale up. There were several regular characters who had catchphrases which carried on being quoted long after the show was off air e.g Mrs Mopp always introduced herself by saying 'Can I do you now, sir'.

Answer: Knit long socks to wear instead

In wartime nylon was needed for the manufacture of parachutes and so nylon stockings disappeared from shops. When the American soldiers arrived in Britain they were very popular for the nylons they were able to give as gifts.

Answer: Home Guard

The Home Guard (initially the Local Defence Volunteers) was mostly made up of men who were either too young or too old to be conscripted for service and those whose physical problems made them unsuitable for the front line. It also included men from occupations exempted from conscription).

At the beginning they were a rather rag-tag crew with improvised uniforms and weapons. However, before the end of the war they were a well trained fighting force. As well as being prepared for invasion the members of the home guard took on other duties such as bomb disposal and manning anti-aircraft guns. 1,206 members died during the war as a result of their service.

Answer: Money

The squander bug was a character created by the British national savings committee to encourage the public to save money, and to lend money to the government for the war effort. It was designed by Phillip Boydell, a freelance illustrator, but was used by many other artists during the war, and eventually came to be used to scorn any unnecessary wastage.

Answer: William Joyce

Lord Haw Haw was William Joyce, an American born Anglo-Irishman who broadcast Nazi propaganda to the British from Germany. He was always presented to the audience with the words 'Germany Calling, Germany calling' in a supercilious upper class accent.

In 1945 he was captured, tried for treason and convicted. The House of Lords upheld the conviction and he was hanged on 3rd January 1946.

Answer: Over here

British men were often resentful of the American soldiers because they were well dressed, and had plenty of money to take the girls out. They often exhibited 'Olde Worlde' charm, and because they had been better fed they were taller and handsome. Even without the trump card of the nylons it is easy to see why British women were attracted to them.

Answer: Never

Very fortunately poison gas was never used and the gas masks did not become necessary. People had to carry these masks about wherever they went because as a popular poster said 'Hitler Will Not Send a Warning' meaning that gas attacks could happen at any time. Mickey Mouse gas masks were supplied for children and special masks for prams.

Answer: Ensuring that all homes had the blackout properly in place

ARP stands for air raid protection and the wardens, who wore tin hats with a large W on the front, patrolled the streets at night and alerted anyone who had left a light showing. It was an important job because lights could assist enemy bombers. Wardens also did other work such as reporting on the extent of the bomb damage and organising help where needed from the emergency and rescue services.

They were also responsible for distributing gas masks and air raid shelters such as Anderson and Morrison shelters.

Answer: 4th July 1954

On 25th July 1948 the rationing of flour ended.
On 3rd October 1952 tea rationing ended.
On 19th May 1950 rationing ended for canned and dried fruit, chocolate biscuits, treacle, syrup, jellies and mincemeat.
On 3rd October 1952 tea rationing ended, but it was not until 4th July 1954 that rationing finally came to an end.

Note that the actual amounts of the various things rationed varied during the period, sometimes even from one week to the next.