Children were like this?
Robert Westall in Children of the Blitz gives a fascinating account of what it was like to be a child in 1941...
"It was a strange generation of kids who went to War. Their respect for adult authority will never be seen on this earth again. They always stood to attention when the National Anthem was being played...They regarded policemen as God. If an old lady told them to stop mucking about in the street they obeyed immediately without arguing.
All the boys wore caps and raised them to every lady they knew. By and large they were scrupulously honest. If they found a pound note in the street, they took it straight to the police station."
"They had no fear of strangers in the street. The world was utterly safe for children. They played out till all hours and very far from home, even after dark.
The boys wore shorts and the girls, very short skirts and their legs bled from the cold in winter. Posh kids wore shoes, less posh kids wore great clumping boots with studs and heelplates so they could kick sparks from the road like horses. Poor kids went barefoot, especially in summer.
Boys and girls hardly spoke, between the ages of eleven and sixteen; mute with a giant blushing embarrassment.
The young were always in bed by nine-thirty. After the nine o'clock news. Unluckier ones were in bed by eight.
They were brave, and hard as nails and it was not their style to moan or grumble. They were little monkeys, into everything and they passionately wanted to help Britain, and their hero, Mr Churchill, to win the war.
I think most of them found the War was the best game for kids ever invented."
[Children of the Blitz by Robert Westall: Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books ISBN: 0330334859]
In the news: 1941
- Germany attacks the Balkans and Russia
- Japanese surprise attack on U.S. fleet at Pearl Harbor brings U.S. into World War II
- U.S. and Britain declare war on Japan
- The first U.S. Lend-Lease shipment of food sent to Britain
- No census - total British population estimated at 48.2M
- First Canadian armoured regiments arrive in Britain. Canadian forces given operation role in defending south coast of England
- Manhatten Project of nuclear research begins in America
- Britain introduces severe rationing
- First British jet aircraft flies, based on work of Whittle
- Bailey invents his portable military bridge First use of antibiotic
What things cost in 1941
- Embassy cigarettes, 10 for 9d (4p) (0.06USD)
- Wisdom toothbrushes, 2/5d (12p) (0.17USD) each
- Eve toilet soap 3d (1.5p) (0.02USD) per bar
- Palmolive toilet soap 4d (2p) (0.03USD) per bar
- Vim 6d (2.5p) (0.04USD) per canister
- De Reszke Minor cigarettes, 10 for 61/2d (2.5p) (0.04USD)
- Hartley's headlamp masks 10/6 (52.5p) to 12/6d (62.5p) each
- Gibbs Dentifrice 71/2d (3.5p) (0.05USD) per tin
- Cremola Pudding 3d (1.5p) and 6d (2.5p) per pkt
- Rowntrees cocoa 5d (2p) per 1/4lb and 91/2d (3.5p) per 1/2lb
- Cadbury's Ration Chocolate sold at 21/2d (1p) per bar, the supply was very limited - and the weight of the bar was not mentioned.
- Gamages shirt (with a spare collar) at 6/11d (35p) (0.52USD)
- a pair of flannel trousers at 15/9d (78p) (1.16USD)
- a pair of shoes, all leather at 13/9d (68p) (1.01USD)
- mans self lined raincoat for 1 guinea = £1/1/- (£1.05) (1.56USD)
Food rationing in May 1941 - An Adult's Weekly Ration
- 3 pints of milk
- 225g of jam
- 55g of tea
- 170g of butter
- one shilling's worth of meat
- 225g of sugar
- 115g of bacon
- 30g of cheese
Films of 1941
Sergeant York with Gary Cooper and Joan Leslie.
Major Barbara with Wendy Hiller, Rex Harrison and Deborah Kerr.
How Green was my Valley with Walter Pidgeon and Maureen O'Hara.
The Maltese Falcon with Humphrey Bogart, Greenstreet and Peter Lorre.
The Big Store with The Marx Brothers.
Suspicion with Joan Fontaine and Cary Grant.
Road to Zanzibar with Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour.
The Great Lie with Bette Davis, Mary Astor and George Brent.
Babes on Broadway with Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney.
Popular songs of 1941
- The Ferry Boat Serenade
- The Hut Sut Song
- Bless 'em All
- Just One of Those Things
- Only Forever
- Maybe
- Whispering Grass
- The Last Time I Saw Paris
- Amapola
- Dolores
- When They Sound the Last All Clear
- All the Things You Are
- Flamingo
- South American Way
- You Stepped Out of a Dream
- Down Forget-me-not Lane