The Effects of the Blitz on Everyday Life

The Effects of the Blitz on Everyday Life

Civilians were involved in WW2 as well as soldiers, and as part of the

conflict Britain and Germany bombed each other's major cities. People

in both countries had to learn to adapt to a new way of living, and

cope with the effects and consequences of the air raids. Germany

intended these bombings to affect the civilians and their morale,

however they learnt to adapt as the government introduced evacuation,

air raid shelters, gas masks, black out's and rationing. Women also

played a very important part as all the men were away fighting. In

Britain the bombing of the cities became known as the Blitz.

During the first 8 months of the war, very little fighting occurred

and in this time the British Government made preparations for the

bombing of Britain. Heavy bombing was expected in Britain's large

industrial centres. The Government thought that people would be safer

in the country, so plans were drawn for evacuation known as "Operation

Pied Piper", and Britain was divided into three zones. Evacuation

Areas, where heavy bombing of the major cities was expected, this

included the cities of Manchester, London, and Coventry. Reception

Areas, which was mostly country areas, and would be where the evacuees

would move. And Neutral Areas, which may suffer light, attacks; nobody

would be evacuated into or from these areas. Children were a great

worry and in 1939 many were evacuated only to return months later in

time for the blitz to start! Evacuation was a frightening experience

for children and parents, and it meant living with a strange family.

The Blitz began on the 7th of September 1940, and the first bombers

attacked East End London because of the docks situated there which

were the sources of important goods, all communication was a target as

were all industrial areas. During the raids people relied on the Civil

Defence Workers, the Auxiliary Fire Service and Air Raid Precaution

(ARP wardens), which mainly consisted of women. The great fear was

that gas would be used as it did during WW1.