A Wartime Childhood A closer look at the life of a child growing

up in Britain, during World War 2…….

By; Nicolle, Kayleigh, Jesse and Cherish

Children were given lessons on how to evacuate the building if a bomb drops. Children who stayed in the bombing areas went to school and each school had their own air raid shelter facilities. All children that were evacuated wore labels to indicate their destinations. Most were sent to foster homes in the country side and some were sent over seas. Children carried gas masks around at all times, and were taught to be put on in a hurry. The war lasted six years but for most children their childhood was ruined. For a few children they had never travelled out of Great Britain.

The evacuation of Britain's cities at the start of World War Two was the biggest and most concentrated mass movement of people in Britain's history. In the first four days of September 1939, nearly 3,000,000 people were transported from towns and cities in danger from enemy bombers to places of safety in the countryside.

The daily life of the wartime children, was rather

scary with many parents away or at work, children

were often left to look after themselves. They

played in fields or in the street. Street games were

safer than they would be today, because there were

so few cars. Children helped clear up after air raids.

They ran errands to the 'corner shop'. Older

children looked after younger ones. Often

neighbors and grandparents helped too. Many

families were 'bombed out' (their homes were

damaged by bombs). When this happened,

neighbors offered food and beds, and lent clothes

or furniture.

Thousands of children left home for the first time as evacuees. School lessons and exams went on

more or less as usual, though children also learned 'air raid drill' and how to put on a gas mask. At night, many children slept in air raid shelters.

There were fewer toys for Christmas or birthdays, and not many sweets either. Many seaside beaches

were closed. However, children found new playgrounds on 'bombsites' - waste grounds where

buildings had been flattened by bombs.

In World War Two there were no supermarkets.

The people would go to different shops for

different items. They would mainly shop for fruit

and vegetables, at the greengrocer. For meat, they

would go to the butcher. For fish, they would go to

the fishmonger. For bread and cakes, the would go

to the baker. For groceries such as jam, tea,

biscuits and cheese they went to the grocer. Other

shops sold clothes, shoes, medicines, newspapers

and all the other things people needed to buy.

In most shops, the shopkeeper or shop assistants

served customers from behind a counter. Many

shops were small family businesses. Most big

towns had department stores.