Their Past your Future

www.culturenetcymru.com

dysgle.llgc.org.uk

� addysg@culturenetcymru.com� 01970 632415

� addysg@llgc.org.uk� 01970 632528 / 632913

The aim of this pack is to provide school pupils and young people who are interested in theturbulent history of the 1930s and 1940s with information about the unique collections held atThe National Library of Wales. The pack offers:

5 an introduction to the subject for those who are unfamiliar with it5 a glimpse at some of the primary, secondary and digital resources held by The National

Library of Wales5 materials that school pupils can use to convey information to their peers as part of Key Skills or

Personal and Social Education5 materials for Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced Level5 more information about part of The National Library of Wales’ unique collection

The pack was produced as part of the Their Past Your Future project and is supported by TheHeritage Lottery Fund. It was created by The National Library of Wales Education Service withsupport from Culturenet Cymru.

Content: Education Service, The National Library of Wales. Images: The National Library of Wales and Culturenet Cymru.

The National Library of Wales Education Service offers:

5 general or specialised sessions for groups and schools5 tours of the Library 5 worksheets and presentations designed specifically to suit your needs5 an opportunity to view materials from the Library’s collections5 suitable rooms and spaces to work and discuss5 an outreach service – we can visit you and present materials5 Welsh, English or bilingual presentations5 videoconferencing sessions with schools or groups of schools

Contents3-5 David Lloyd George6-7 Gareth Vaughan Jones8-9 Children’s lives during the Second World War10-11 Women’s lives during the Second World War 12-15 The Home Front during the Second World War 16 The Geoff Charles Collection and Their Past Your Future Wales

3

David Lloyd George

David Lloyd George (1863-1945) is probably thegreatest international statesman to come from Wales.His influence was very marked on the life of Wales, theUnited Kingdom and Europe. He was a Liberalmember of Parliament for fifty years and served ingovernment as President of the Board of Trade (1905-08), Chancellor of the Exchequer (1908-15), ArmsMinister (1915-16) and War Minister (1916). InDecember 1916 at the height of the First World War hebecame Prime Minister and held that office until 1922.For the rest of his parliamentary career he was abackbencher. In 1945 he received the title Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor two months before his death.

As Prime Minister Lloyd George led the Britishdelegation to discuss peace terms in Versailles at theend of the First World War. To anyone who has studiedthe Second World War the terms of The VersaillesAgreement (1919) and the agreements that followedthis are of vital importance. Some historians argue thatthe harshness of the conditions placed on Germanyat Versailles, and the effect of these on the Germaneconomy and the German psyche, were some of themost important factors that led to the popularity ofHitler and his foreign policy, and ultimately to theSecond World War.

It is crucial that we understand Lloyd George’spersonality, his personal opinions on how Germanyshould be treated at the end of the First World War, hisresponse to public opinion, and the fact that he wasleading a strange coalition of Conservatives andsome Liberals, if we are to understand some of theevents that led to the Second World War.

David Lloyd George visits Morriston as Prime Minister. The slogan onthe banner says “Croesaw i’n Prif Weinidog” (Welcome to ourPrime Minister)(David Lloyd George Exhibition, The National Library of Wales)

4

David Lloyd George

Unidentified photographer, David Lloyd George inspecting volunteers during the Bangor National Eisteddfod, 1915.(David Lloyd George Exhibition, The National Library of Wales)

W Williams (Caernarfon), David LloydGeorge. The greatest internationalstatesman to come from Wales.(David Lloyd George Exhibition, TheNational Library of Wales)

David Lloyd George Diary,1886. Some of Lloyd George’sdiaries are part of the NationalLibrary of Wales‘ extensivecollection of Lloyd Georgematerials. (The Digital Mirror, The NationalLibrary of Wales)

In September 1936 David Lloyd George spent two weeks in Germany and met AdolfHitler twice. Hitler had been in power for three and a half years and had managed toeradicate mass unemployment, and this attracted Lloyd George to come and meethim. They discussed the international situation, agriculture, and social policy. LloydGeorge was very enthusiastic about Germany's policies towards unemployment,health insurance, welfare organisations and leisure.

5

David Lloyd George

Central Office of Information (London), "The RightHonourable David Lloyd George." Thephotographer uses light to conjure up a magicalimage of "The Welsh Wizard”.(David Lloyd George Exhibition, The National Libraryof Wales)

Letters from David Lloyd George to his brother, November 1918. DavidLloyd George wrote mainly in English to his brother William, but hewould also include Welsh sentences when discussing personal matters.(The Digital Mirror, The National Library of Wales)

David Lloyd George Exhibition: http://www.llgc.org.uk/ardd/dlgeorge/dlg0002.htm

Various items: http://www.tlysau.org.uk/en/subjects/5367

Lloyd George Diary: http://www.llgc.org.uk/drych/drych_s037.htm

Video of Lloyd George visiting Germany: http://www.llgc.org.uk/drych/drych_s005a.htm

The National Library of Wales collection of materials about David Lloyd George includespersonal diaries, family and official letters, notes from speeches, portraits, photographs,history books, biographies and digitised items. Some of these can be found on thefollowing websites:

6

Gareth Vaughan Jones

The National Library of Wales collection includesunique materials by the Welsh journalist GarethVaughan Jones. Gareth Jones was brought up in Barryand went to study modern languages at the UniversityCollege of Wales, Aberystwyth. From there he went onto gain further degrees at Trinity College, Cambridge.After being a lecturer for a period he received a postas an advisor to Lloyd George on foreign affairs. Hethen became a journalist and joined the staff of theWestern Mail, where he had the opportunity to travelthe world and write articles about foreign affairs.

During his short life he met Krupskaya, Lenin’s widow,shared a plane with Hitler and Goebbels, met WilliamRandolph Hearst, exposed the Great Famine in TheUkraine, and travelled to sensitive areas like InnerMongolia where it is said he was murdered by banditsin 1935.

Articles, notes, letters and comments by Gareth Jonesabout the international situation during the 1930sprovide us with an unique and different picture of theperiod, and some of these materials are available aspart of The National Library of Wales collection.

Gareth Jones, the journalist whorecorded important internationalevents during the 1930s in diaries,articles and notebooks.(Photograph courtesy ofwww.garethjones.org)

The notes and diaries of Gareth Jones. Gareth Jones was the first journalist toexpose the truth about the Holodomor, The Great Famine in The Ukraine, and heis held in high regard in that country to this day.(The National Library of Wales)

Gareth Vaughan Jones

Extract from the notebook of Gareth Jones for 1931. Inthis notebook he describes the poverty of thepeasantry in a Kolkhoz, or cooperative farm, in theSoviet Union.

“The peasant women talked to me. It was the samestory. How can we live on 10lbs of bread a month forwomen. And no clothes. I’ve been in the Kolkhoz nowfor the second year and not a scrap of new clotheshave they given us”.

(The National Library of Wales)

7

8

Children’s lives during the Second World War

During the Second World War over a million (1,000,000)children were moved from British cities so that theywould be safer from the bombs and air raids. Over200,000 of these children were sent to all parts ofWales, and the name used for children that were sentto the Welsh countryside during this period isevacuees. They often had to travel on trains andwould leave their families with only a few personalbelongings, a gas mask and an identity tag.

The lives of Welsh children also changed during thisperiod. They were encouraged to contribute to thewar effort by learning skills like gardening and sewing,and collecting materials for recycling. Children had topractice wearing their gas masks regularly, and goodslike chocolate were rationed and scarce.

The Geoff Charles Collection at The National Library ofWales provides a range of images of children’s livesduring the Second World War. Culturenet Cymruwebsites also provide an insight into the lives of peopleduring the war using digital images of objects from thisperiod.

Evacuees from Birkenhead arrive at Oswestry, 1939. The childrencarry their personal belongings in bags, their gas mask in boxes,and wear identity tags.(Geoff Charles Collection, The National Library of Wales)

9

Children’s lives during the Second World War

Baby's gas mask, 1930s. The baby was placed inside the gasmask and air was pumped in.(Culturenet Cymru and Michael Donovan)

Evacuees from Birkenhead arrive atNewtown, 1939. This iconic image by thephotographer Geoff Charles portrays thebravery, fear, anxieties and determinationof the children that came to Wales.(Geoff Charles Collection, The NationalLibrary of Wales)

Children practicing wearing their gas masks, 1939. TheGovernment encouraged people to practice wearingthem in case of enemy attacks.(Geoff Charles Collection, The National Library of Wales)

'Mickey Mouse' gas mask, 1939-45.A gas mask for children.(Culturenet Cymru and SouthWales Police Museum)

10

Women’s lives during the Second World War

Before the Second World War the social roles of bothgenders was more clearly defined. It was believedgenerally that the woman’s place was the home, andthe man’s role was to go out and work. It wasacceptable for women to work outside the home ifthey had no family to care for, but women were paidless than men even when doing exactly the samework.

The lives of many women changed dramaticallyduring the Second World War. This was the first timethat many of them had left home to work: in 1939there were 94,000 women working in Wales, but by1944 the number had increased to 204,000.

Many of these women went to work on the land aspart of the Women’s Land Army. By 1943 nearly 4,500women were members of the Land Army in Wales.Thousands of women also worked on family farms inthe production of food for the war effort.

Others went to work in new jobs like chemical andmunition factories and in the construction ofaeroplanes. By 1944 55% of war workers in Wales werewomen. Women also worked in shipbuilding, theproduction of vehicles and machinery, on therailways, the canals and buses. Others were membersof the emergency and rescue services.

Schoolgirls in Oswestry learning sewing skills, 1939. TheGovernment encouraged people to mend clothes insteadof throwing them away as part of the “Make do andmend” campaign.(Geoff Charles Collection, The National Library of Wales)

A Land Army girl, 1939-1945.Women were employed as farmlabourers, ratcatchers, in fellingtrees and milking cows.(Geoff Charles Collection, TheNational Library of Wales)

Many women joined the Armed Forces. FromDecember 1941 onwards every woman betweenthe ages of 20 and 30 had to register for warwork or for work with the Armed Forces. Somejoined The Women's Auxiliary Services of thearmy, navy and air force. They were not allowedto fight but supported the work carried out bymen with tasks like cooking, typing, cleaning,answering the phone etc. Later on in the warthey were given work that was directly linked tothe war effort so that more men could go awayto fight.

The Geoff Charles Collection at The NationalLibrary of Wales provides a range of images ofwomen’s lives during the Second World War.Culturenet Cymru websites also provide aninsight into the lives of people during the warusing digital images of objects from this period.

11

Women’s lives during the Second World War

A woman in Montgomeryshire workingon a machine for knitting socks, 1940.During the war women also worked innew jobs like chemical and munitionfactories, and in the construction ofaeroplanes.(Geoff Charles Collection, TheNational Library of Wales)

Land Army girls, 1939-1945. They would usually wear green jumpers, brown trousersand brown felt hats.(Geoff Charles Collection, The National Library of Wales)

12

The Home Front during the Second World War

During the Second World War some items becamevery scarce as a result of attacks on ships importinggoods to Britain and the fact that factories focused onproducing munitions.

Essential items had to be rationed to ensure that whatwas available was shared as fairly as possible amongstthe population. Ration books were distributed andpeople got used to exchanging coupons for food andother items.

Textiles and clothing were especially scarce and TheBoard of Trade published leaflets encouraging peopleto 'Make Do and Mend', effectively recycling oldgarments by repair or alteration. Many foods werealso scarce, and as well as rationing the Governmentencouraged people to grow their own food.

People were also encouraged to use resources moreeffectively and reuse goods rather than throwing themaway. Posters and leaflets were published askingpeople for aluminium goods to melt to make parts foraeroplanes.

Schoolboys in Oswestry learning gardening skills. TheGovernment encouraged people to grow their ownfood because food was scarce.(Geoff Charles Collection, The National Library of Wales)

13

The Home Front during the Second World War

The Government also asked people toprepare for enemy attacks. The workcarried out by civilians to help Britain’swar effort is all part of what is known asthe Home Front.

The blackout came to force in 1939 toprevent enemy aircraft from seeing lightson the ground. People had to ensurethat no lights were visible throughcurtains, and special covers wereprovided for car headlamps. Air RaidWardens were appointed to make surethat the blackout was enforced.

Large public bomb shelters were built,and smaller shelters in gardens("Anderson” shelters) and in houses("Morrison" shelters). Some people inlarger towns and cities used railwaybridges, tunnels, and cellars to shelterfrom the bombs.

'Dig for Victory' information leaflet, 1939-1945. TheGovernment encouraged people to grow theirown food. (Culturenet Cymru and Ceredigion Archives)

Translation of an extract from the “DIG FORVICTORY” leaflet

“THE MOST VALUED onions are those that can bestored for the winter. When they have grown well,been harvested carefully, and stored competently,they can be kept successfully for six months. It ishowever important to have the most suitablevarieties for storage.”

Ministry of Information leaflet, 1940s(The National Library of Wales)

Translation of an extract from the leaflet Os Daw’rGermansIF THE GERMANS COMEWHAT TO DO – AND HOW TO DO ITIf the Germans come, in a “parachute” or aeroplaneor ship, remember to remain where you are. That isthe order – “Everyone stay where they are.”…Don’t believe groundless tales and don’t repeatthem. When you receive an order, make sure it is nota false order… Use your common sense.

14

The Home Front during the Second World War

Clothes Rationing Book and Food Rationing Book. Ration books were distributedand people got used to exchanging coupons for food and other items.(Culturenet Cymru and Elizabeth Richards)

Welshpool women’s contribution to Lord Beaverbrook’s campaign to collect scrap aluminiumfor Spitfire, 1940. Posters and leaflets were published asking people for aluminium goodsto melt to make parts for aeroplanes.(Geoff Charles Collection, The National Library of Wales)

15

The Home Front during the Second World War

Air raid shelter in Swansea, 1941. People wereencouraged to contribute to the war effort bypreparing for enemy attacks. (Culturenet Cymru and West Glamorgan ArchiveService)

Second World War headlamp cover usedduring the blackout. The blackout came toforce in 1939 to prevent enemy aircraft fromseeing lights on the ground.(Culturenet Cymru and Powysland Museum &Montgomery Canal Centre)

'How to patch a shirt', Board of Trade leafletissued during the Second World War, 1940s.Textiles and clothing were especially scarceand The Board of Trade published leafletsencouraging people to 'Make Do and Mend'.(Culturenet Cymru and Elizabeth Richards)

Their Past Your Future WalesWelsh memories of the Second World War

Their Past Your Future Wales is a website that commemoratesthe Second World War through stories, images and thememories of those who lived through the war. Thesememories come from people with very different experiences:

6 those who served in the armed forces 6 those who were children during the war years6 people who waited anxiously for news of loved ones6 those who worked tirelessly at home to support the war effort

Their Past Your Future Wales, which is supported by the BigLottery Fund, forms a lasting tribute to those who livedthrough the war, and provides an educational resource forfuture generations to learn from. The website contains over1500 images and numerous stories that document people’sexperiences during a remarkable period in history.

Geoff CharlesPhotographs of Wales and the Borders during the Second World War

Geoff Charles' photographs from the period 1939-1945capture the spirit of Wales and the Borders during the SecondWorld War. They provide a permanent reminder of the wareffort on the home front and capture a vanished way of life.

The Geoff Charles Collection is one of The National Library’streasures, and a new website sponsored by the Big LotteryFund as part of the Their Past Your Future educationprogramme will provide everybody with an opportunity toenjoy and use these unique photographs. It includes:

6 more than 6,500 photographs taken by Geoff Charles6 interactive and interesting educational activities for childrenand young people

6 curricular links and further information about The National Library’s collections

6 an opportunity to search an extensive database of Geoff Charles photographs by theme, subject, area or keywords.

It also provides guidelines for teachers and pupils on how touse photographs as evidence, a section on the history ofphotography as a medium and information about GeoffCharles himself.

RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS AND PUPILS STUDYING THESECOND WORLD WAR

www.tpyf-wales.com

geoffcharles.llgc.org.uk

16