What was life like on the home front during World War 2?

Answer 1

World War II had a great impact on those on the homefront. The national debt increased to cover the cost of the war which meant that taxes would also increase. Many businesses accepted wartime unionization of workers, even though they opposed it prior to the war. Women joined the workforce in large numbers to make up for the loss of manpower as a result of men joining the military. (Rosie the Riveter) Government agencies were created to help the war effort at home. One example was the Office of Price Administration which had the job of controlling consumer prices so that the effect of high wages and scarcity of goods did not lead to runaway inflation. A National War Labor Board was created to mediate industrial disputes. Many consumer goods were scarce, not because there was not enough of the product, but because most of the items produced were for the military. There was rationing of important items, like gas. Individuals were only allowed so many gallons of gas for their automobiles per week. The major reason for gas rationing was not the fear of little petroleum, but the fear of a rubber shortage since the Japanese gained control of most of the world's rubber tree plantations. Driving less would mean less wear and tear on tires. There were neighborhood drives to collect items to help the war effort. Iron, steel, tin, and paper were some of the items collected by groups such as the boy scouts. The shortage of certain food items lead to gardening as a "patriotic" endeavor. MrV
If the family wasn't intact due to a parent's service obligations, the "at home" parent assumed all of the responsibilities of both parents. Back in that time, extended families often lived together, lessening the burdens of everyone involved.

Many commodities such as sugar, butter, gasoline and tires were rationed.

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Answer 2

Two days before the war began, the enire city of London was blacked out.Under blackout rules, everyone had to cover up their windows at night with black material. This was to make it difficult for German bombers to find their target in the dark.

The street lamps were turned off and often people bumped into one another. Traffic accidents were common because car headlights had to be blacked out, and deaths from drowning increased as people fell off bridges or walked into ponds.

During 1939 and the start of 1940 hardly any bombs were dropped on Britain. But Hitler planned to invade Britain.

In September 1940 the Germans started to bomb Britain's cities instead of RAF air bases hoping that Britons would panic and surrender. This period was known as The Blitz. As soon as the aircraft were spotted in the night sky, air raid sirens sounded to warn everyone that an air raid was coming. Some families would run down to a communal brick or concrete shelter in their street. Others sheltered from the bombs at home in their cellars or underneath a table or the stairs. Families with shelters in their gardens could hide in there. These were usually damp and dark and made from corrugated iron. they were known as Anderson shelters.

In London they could shelter in the underground railway stations. At first this was very uncomfortable but as time went on bunk beds, toilets and snacks were provided.

These stations were not totally safe in January 1941, a bomb fell above Bank underground station killing over 100 people who were sheltering below.

Each street had an Air Raid Warden. Their job was to send for fire engines and ambulances, and to check for casualties or unexploded bombs.

As soon as the raid was over a siren sounded the "all clear" and people went outside to survey the damage.

Some found their homes flattened. Others found dead or injured relatives and friends. The Germans showered Britain with bombs, fire bombs and delayed action bombs. This kept the police, the fire fighters, bomb disposal men, ambulance drivers and ARP wardens very busy.

As the war continued people became used to this carnage and adjusted their lives where possible continuing "Business as Usual".

Being an Evacuee at this time was horrible at first. You were sent off to some strange place and might never see your parents again!

The evacuation begun on Friday 1 February the day German troops invaded Poland.Most children were evacuated in school groups with their teachers. Children and their teachers met in the school grounds. They wore name tags and carried their gas masks in cardboard boxes over their shoulders.

Many children were sometimes sent to farms and worked. Some were sent to big country houses. Many of these children had never been out into the country before. Some were afraid of the farm animals and others were surprised to see that apples grew on trees. Lots of them from the slums were surprised to find themselves staying in houses with inside toilets and carpets.

Also some well off country families were horrified to find that some of the children had head lice and skin disease.

Some children stayed in danger areas because their parents refused to have them evacuated.

In most countries women worked in war factories to make war materials. 75,00 women joined the Land Army in Britain to help grow more food.

In 1941 women between the age of 19-30 had to register for war work Women who joined the forces were mostly secretaries, drivers, cooks and mechanics. Lots of them also joined the Women's Royal Voluntary Service (W.R.V.S.). They provided meals and clothing etc. for survivors and rescue workers.

All fit young men were "called up" and had to leave home and join the army, navy or air force. At first they had to be between 20-22 but this was changed to between 18 and 41. British men were sent to Africa, the far East and Europe. Some of them were away so long that their families did not recognise them when they came back.

Men like scientists and engineers did not join the forces because their jobs were important in wartim

e.

Also some men were not fit enough to join they sometimes volunteered as fire fighters or ARP wardens. They could also join the "Home Guard".

Home Guard units had to protect Britain from German parachute attacks. They kept a look out for spies, guarded factories and airfields. Their nickname was "Dad's Army" because some of them were quite old. They sometimes wore tin helmets to protect their heads.

Answer 3

The war was tough for Americans but not like it was for the Britons. Since my family lived through this time period I chose to answer this for you. Families suffered from missing their loved ones. They really suffered when they received telegrams from the War Department telling them their loved ones were hurt, missing in action and killed.

Some had trouble with the service people came home suffering from post traumatic stress disorder.

The women had to go to work in the war manufacturing places and children who were school age had to become latch key kids. That means they carried keys to their houses around their necks. They learned to fend for themselves with neighbors checking on them. The young ones were cared for by friends or relatives or strangers who did it for the money.

The people learned to live with the rationing. They grew victory gardens of vegetables so they could let the large farms ship the vegetables to the companies that made the food products for the armed forces and hospital people. They learned to make do, do without or reuse it. They donated many tons of stuff to the war efforts. They bought billions and billions of war bonds then surrendered them in ten years to get their interest earnings.

They did not really understand the seriousness of the Jewish concentration camps. The Roosevelts both tried to educate the public on the Holocaust but it really did not register with the American public.

Community was a huge concept in those days. Every one knew their neighbors, went to church and wrote letters to those overseas even when they were not related to them. They supported one another when service people and medical people were killed.

They donated their dogs to the military for serving in the armed forces too. Some of their pets died in the war serving the soldiers and marines. Some of the pets could not be returned because they could not unlearn their military training so some kids were heartbroken. The soldiers were heartbroken over losing the dogs too. The Americans went to dances, fundraisers, movies and other things to keep them in better spirits.

They did not have television, internet, computers, global phones but they did have radios and newspapers and magazines (Life was the number one seller). They played games together, not just families but friends, neighbors and church people played cards, Chess, checkers and Monopoly together.

Answer 4

Here is how World War 2 was experience by the women during World War 2.

• First the American men were sent to training camps and then overseas to fight in the war or do war support jobs.
• Second women had to take over their husbands' businesses and farms.
• Next women were recruited to work in war plants and to join the armed forces. 300,000 women joined the armed forces to serve as nurses, officers, clerks and to do jobs which were left unfilled when the men went to the war front.
• Women were needed to work on the farms and they went.
• Women who could not work in war plants often did childcare for the women who did work in the war plants, on the farms and at their husband's businesses.
• Women had to cooperate with a strict rationing program that rationed certain foods, goods, products and gasoline. They did a good job of it and started growing "victory gardens" to supplement their diet.
• Women lost their loved ones or had their loved ones come home either wounded, without a limb or suffering from combat fatigue, now known as PTSD. Some men came home changed and most would not talk about the war. Not all men were ruined by the war but it was hard for the families who had men return from war "messed up".
• Blacks had to struggle to get wartime jobs but Eleanor Roosevelt intervened for the black with Congress and her husband President Roosevelt. This forced the Congress to enact laws allow the blacks to work in the war plants, local civilian jobs and businesses. She also intervened on behalf of the blacks in the Army. They were allowed to fight with the infantry, tank battalions and the combat airmen.
• People had to give up driving and use public transportation.
• The people held war bond drives and Americans bought many billions of dollars of war bonds to support the war effort.
• Teens held dances to raise money for the war bonds and to entertain armed forces if they were nearby.
• The Entertainers of the US started up the USO and Canteens where servicemen could get free food, entertainment and dance with women.
• The hardest part for the home front was losing their men or having them injured or missing in action. Some of the men are still listed as missing in action sixty five years later.
• People who worked in the war plants often saved their salary pay so they could get a home, get married, buy a car or whatever they dreamed up. Some went to college with the money.
• The GI bill was created. The GIs benefited with college money, housing purchase aid, and some could get cars with their GI money. Not true today however. The GI program is different now.
• While life was difficult and bleak during World War 2 the people managed to thrive and come together as a community to provide support for one another.
• The minorities suffered before, during and after the war because segregation and racism did not end with the war. They did not get their civil rights and full citizenship until the 1960s.

Answer 5

It was very difficult. Especially for the women and children who had their husbands/fathers away at war.

Answer 6

brutal and very scary.

Answer 7

it was hell