People were told to keep their gas mask with them at all times - why do you think this was?

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2 Picture 1: Fitting a child's gas mask at a distribution centre in Wimbledon When Britain declared against Germany in 1939, people feared that the enemy might use gas as a weapon. The Government ordered everyone to be given a gas mask. In Wimbledon special centres were set up where people could go to get their masks fitted. People were told to keep their gas mask with them at all times - why do you think this was? Most people carried a normal gas mask in a cardboard box hung over their shoulder by a string. Civil defence workers like police and air raid wardens had a special mask because they had to be on duty outside during air raids. Many children were given bright red or blue Mickey Mouse gas masks. When worn they made a funny noise as the children breathed - this was a way of making the masks seem less scary. Imagine you had to wear a tight, rubber smelling gas mask for hours during an air raid - how would you feel? Copyright: Wimbledon Borough News Wim War

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4 Picture 2: Evacuees waiting to board trains at Wimbledon Station When the war started in September 1939 there were fears of major bombing raids. The Government planned for children and mothers with young babies to be evacuated. At first people were sent by sea to places like Canada and the USA but this was stopped when German submarines sank one of the evacuation ships. Instead children were sent to the safety of the countryside, or small coastal towns. Special buses and trains were used to evacuate children in their school groups, often under the care of their teachers. Look carefully at this photo - what sort of things were the children taking with them? Why do you think it was important for them not to take drinks on their long journey? Evacuees had very different experiences. Some children from poor homes ended up living with wealthy families and had a great time. Others ended up with people who did not have children of their own and did not really know how to look after them. Many children were separated from their brothers and sisters - their parents could not visit them and they did not know when or if they would see their home again. Think about what it would be like to be an evacuee far from home - would you be happy, sad, excited? What sort of things might you worry about? Copyright: Wimbledon Borough News Wim War

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6 Picture 3: Life in the Anderson Shelter, 1940s When it became clear that there was going to be a war, the Government started to organise air raid shelters. Many homes had Anderson shelters - named after John Anderson, the Government minister who had ordered their invention. People dug a deep hole in their back garden into which they set 6 sheets of corrugated iron. These were bolted together and heavy steel plates were fixed at each end. The soil was put back over the top of the shelter to give more protection against a bomb blast. During air raids, families spent many hours in their Anderson shelters. They had a small amount of light from candles, or hurricane lamps - a type of oil lamp with a wind-proof glass cover. Some people built bunks in their shelters so they could sleep there. They also kept a bucket in a corner which was used as a toilet. Many shelters were cold, dark and damp. Anderson shelters saved many people from blasts but they could not protect them if a bomb landed directly overhead. Imagine you and your family have got to sit through an air raid in your Anderson shelter. What do you think it would be like? Copyright: Wimbledon Borough News Wim War

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8 Picture 4: A family descend the steps into a deep air raid shelter. People used different types of shelter during wartime air raids. This photo shows one of the large public shelters. These were built in certain roads, school playgrounds or near factories for anyone caught away from home during an air raid. This is an underground shelter but there were also brick surface shelters. What do you think it would have been like huddled in the shelter, perhaps with people you didn t know, listening to the sound of bombs dropping? Many people had Anderson shelters in the gardens but some had a Morrison shelter in their home. This was like a giant cage with strong metal plates at the top and bottom to protect those sheltering inside from falling masonry. Other people preferred to shelter in their cellar or under the stairs. Copyright: Wimbledon Borough News Wim War

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10 Picture 5: Dismantling bunks provided for people sheltering during wartime raids, South Wimbledon Underground Station During the Blitz - a time of long and heavy air raids between 1940 and 41, people began to take shelter in the Underground Why do you think they went there? Some stations put up bunks where people could sleep but families also bedded down on the platforms and even on the stairs and escalators. The Women s Royal Voluntary Service ( WRVS ) supplied shelterers with tea and snacks. Many people would chat, read, or even have sing-alongs to keep their spirits up. Picture refs: MerMor_World_War_5-1 Copyright: Croydon Times Cherrypicked_WorldWar_0189 Wim War

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12 Picture 6: Housewives queuing for eggs outside Gardner s Butchers shop, Arthur Road, Wimbledon Park, c.1941 To make sure that everyone got their fair share of food during the war, rationing was introduced. This was important as many ships carrying food from other countries were being sunk by German submarines. Everyone was given a ration book of coupons. Each week these were given to particular shopkeepers in exchange for a set amount of rationed foods - meat, cheese, sugar, butter, jam, eggs, milk, tea, cooking fats and canned fruit. People also grew fruit and vegetables to add to their rations. Why do you think it was important to make food last and not to waste it? Sometimes a special delivery of food would arrive. Other countries also sent food parcels to Britain and people queued up to get their share. How do you think you would have coped with wartime rationing? Copyright: Wimbledon Borough News Wim War

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14 Picture 7: Bomb damage to a house in High Path, South Wimbledon, c.1941 The men pictured here were rescue workers - can you spot the letter R on their helmets? It was their job to help people trapped in bombed buildings. Once an air raid was over, they also went into damaged properties with salvage teams to make the buildings safe and to try and find family possessions which could be returned to the owners. Imagine you are a rescue worker. How would you feel having to pick your way through a family s bomb damaged home? Picture refs: MerMor_World_War_2-3 Copyright: London Borough of Merton Cherrypicked_WorldWar_0183 Wim War

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16 Picture 8: Wimbledon Air cadets serving as cycle messengers It was important for everyone to do their bit to support the war effort - that included children and teenagers. The boys shown here helped to take messages between different Civil Defence posts - this could be dangerous, particularly during air raids. Young people also worked as fire watchers, warning the air raid wardens if they saw fires started by enemy bombing. They grew vegetables to boost the wartime rations, did household chores and ran errands to help their families. Schoolchildren often knitted socks, scarves and gloves for the troops fighting overseas. When the Salvage campaign was launched, children also helped to collect scrap metal, rubber and paper - this was recycled to make the most of the limited wartime resources. Think about what it would be like to be a child during the war - what would you do to help out? Copyright: Wimbledon Borough News Wim War

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18 Picture 9: Medics and stretcher bearers pictured at a Civil Defence depot in Worple Road, Wimbledon, c.1942 During the war, some people were in reserved occupations - these were jobs that were so important to the war effort that workers could not be spared to join the armed forces. They included miners, farmers, dockworkers and railway workers. Some local people were also too old, or too young to fight - many of these people joined the Civil Defence. They spent part of their time working as Air Raid Wardens, Home Guard and part time firemen. The people shown here worked for the Auxiliary Ambulance Service. During air raids they worked as stretcher bearers carrying injured people to safety; they gave first aid and some drove ambulances. This was an important job, as the existing ambulance service needed help to cope with the number of air raid casualties. If you had to join the Civil Defence, what job would you have chosen to do? Copyright: Wimbledon Borough News Wim War

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20 Picture 10: Members of Wimbledon Red Cross pictured in 1943 Local women played an important part in the war. They trained as nurses and first aiders to help those injured during air raids. They also joined the WRVS, helping to run community kitchens, find homes for evacuated children and people whose houses had been destroyed by bombs. Some women became air raid wardens, checking that lights were not visible at night; sounding the air raid warning; making sure that people had their gas masks and could get to a shelter. Wardens ran special offices where people could go if they needed help. They also reported fires and unexploded bombs, helping people to reach safety. This work was very different to what women had been used to before the war. It was exciting but could also be dangerous. How would you cope if you were an air raid warden? How would you stop yourself from being scared? Copyright: Wimbledon Borough News Wim War

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22 Picture 11: Sorting waste paper at the Salvage Depot on Garth Road, c.1942 During the war many local women were called up to work in factories, taking the places of the men who were fighting overseas. The lady pictured here is helping to sort scrap materials for recycling. Many women went to work in the munitions factories making guns, bombs, tanks, planes and boats for the military. They also supported the war effort by driving taxis and buses. Some women joined the Land Army, helping local farmers to plant and harvest important food crops. They were also called up to serve in the armed services, working on anti-aircraft guns, helping with military planning and code breaking; delivering supplies and working as mechanics. What sort of changes do you think the war brought to the lives of these women? Remember some of them had never had a job or been away from home before? Picture refs: MerMor_World_War_4-1 Copyright: London Borough of Merton Cherrypicked_WorldWar_0187 Wim War

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24 Picture 12: Bomb damage to the Wimbledon Tyre Company, 1940 Many homes across Wimbledon were damaged or destroyed by enemy bombing during the Second World War. This shows the damage caused during one of the first air raids over this area on August 16th 1940 The property shown here took a direct hit from a bomb and seven people were killed. Incendiary bombs were particularly damaging because they fell over a wide area and caused major fires. Firemen and civil defence staff had to cover them with sand to stop the flames, as water made the chemicals inside the bombs burn more fiercely. Imagine what it would be like if your street was bombed. You might lose your pets, your toys and all your family possessions. The places where you grew up might be destroyed and it could be hard to recognise the area around you. Picture refs: Mit_War_2-2 Copyright: News Chronicle Wim War

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26 Picture 13: A German Satan 1500KG bomb that failed to explode when dropped near Camp Road, Wimbledon, 1940 German planes dropped hundreds of bombs over Merton during the Second World War. These included incendiary bombs, shells and High Explosive bombs, some of which were huge. Local residents were lucky that the bomb in this photo landed on Wimbledon Common and failed to explode. When this happened army bomb disposal teams had to risk their lives trying to defuse the bomb, to stop it exploding later. These men were very brave - sadly many were killed in the course of their work. Parts of Wimbledon suffered heavy bombing because the area was on the flight path back to Europe. To make sure they had enough fuel for the flight home, German pilots emptied their bomb bays to make their planes lighter. Copyright: Wimbledon Borough News Wim War

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28 Picture 14: Damage caused by a High Explosive bomb, Revelstoke Road, Wimbledon Park, 1940 During the last year of the war, Hitler s forces created some terrifying new weapons to use against Britain. These included the V1 or Doodlebug. This was a flying bomb that looked like a small pilot-less plane. Doodlebugs were launched from German occupied land in Holland and Belgium. They were powered by a jet engine and made a loud whirring noise as they flew over Britain. When the engine cut out, the bomb dropped suddenly, exploding and causing terrible damage. Local people always listened carefully as the V1s flew over - they knew that when the droning of the engine stopped, they had to take cover fast. Copyright: Wimbledon Borough News Wim War

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30 Picture 15: Street parties to celebrate V E Day in Wimbledon, 1945 The surrender of German and Italian forces on May 8th 1945 brought the war in Europe to an end. In Merton and all over Britain people held street parties to celebrate V E Day ( Victory in Europe.) People were really happy. The roads were decorated with flags and ribbons. Tables were set out and covered with all sorts of food, including treats that had been carefully saved for the occasion. There was dancing and singing, bonfires and fireworks to celebrate Peace. Although the fighting was over in Europe, the war against Japan continued for another three months. It finally ended after the USA dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In Britain V J Day parties ( Victory against Japan ) were held on August 15th 1945 these were a bit more low key than the V E Day celebrations, as people reflected on all the damage that had been done and all the people who had died during six years of war. Copyright: Wimbledon Borough News Wim War