How did the BBC work during World War 2?

Answer 1

From what I have read the 'World Service' was listened to my a lot of people all over occupied Europe, it was used to send out codewords and information to the underground in countries such as France and Holland, and furthre afield.

I would add that while the BBC was LESS likely to over-inflate air craft scores, than the Germans did, it WAS used by the British Government to spread propoganda to the British people, by subtle means.

You have to remember that there was TOTAL press censorship all thru the war and no one could get a story on the air, or in the papers WITHOUT it being passed by at least two levels of censors. That meant that it was easy to put around what the Government wanted people to think was the truth about the conduct of the war.

Without disagreeing with the last answer it is widely agreed that the BBC World Service was among the most reliable available for many people.

The BBC was keen to safeguard its reputation and refused to broadcast 'dirty Propaganda'. This was left to MI6 (secret service). For a long period they had great fun broadcasting obscene (yes, obscene) propaganda aimed at German troops on the Eastern Front. It was enormously popular with German troops there, but whether they believed all the stories about 'Pale Heinrich' [Himmler] and his sexual escapades (with 'non-Aryan' women) is another matter. There were similar stories about some other senior SS officers. MI6 also told the listeners that senior figures were merrily enriching themselves by plundering behind the front while the front-line troops had to endure hardship.

For nearly a year the Nazi regime put up with this but then issued furious denials - a clear sign that they were annoyed by this, to put it mildly.