World War Two: evacuees and rationing

How British children and families coped with evacuation and food rationing during WW2

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Try each question. If you're stuck, leave it and come back. The answer key is on the last page.

1
Why were many children evacuated from British cities at the start of WW2? A) To keep them safe from bombing B) To send them on a long school trip C) To find them better swimming pools D) To make them join the army
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2
What was the name of the evacuation plan that started on 1 September 1939? A) Operation Pied Piper B) Operation Dynamo C) Operation Overlord D) Operation Sea Lion
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3
True or false? During WW2, families used ration books to buy limited amounts of certain foods. A) True B) False
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4
What is an 'evacuee'? A) A person, often a child, moved to a safer place during war B) A type of plane C) A football player D) A type of school
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5
Fill in the blank. People carried ___ masks in case Germany used poison gas.
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6
Where were most evacuee children sent during WW2? A) To families in the countryside or smaller towns B) To other countries in Africa C) To space stations D) To stay alone in empty hotels
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7
True or false? All evacuated children were welcomed into kind, happy homes. A) True B) False
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8
Roughly how many children were evacuated in the first wave of Operation Pied Piper? A) About 1.5 million B) About 1,500 C) About 15,000 D) About 150 million
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9
Why did rationing continue for many years after WW2 ended in 1945? A) Britain still had food shortages and money problems B) People had decided they preferred rationing forever C) Other countries banned trade with Britain D) Rationing officially ended on the same day as the war
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10
Why are diaries and letters from evacuees valuable to historians? A) They give first-hand accounts of how children felt and lived B) They prove the war never really happened C) They are the only sources we have about WW2 D) They tell us mostly about the lives of kings and queens
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Answer key

World War Two: evacuees and rationing · for parents and teachers

1
To keep them safe from bombing
Children were evacuated from cities to the safer countryside so they would not be hurt in expected German bombing raids.
2
Operation Pied Piper
Operation Pied Piper began on 1 September 1939. Around 1.5 million people, mostly children, were moved out of cities in the first few days.
3
True
Rationing began in January 1940. Each person had a ration book with coupons for foods like butter, sugar, meat and eggs.
4
A person, often a child, moved to a safer place during war
Evacuees were people, especially children, sent away from cities to safer places during WW2.
5
gas
Everyone, including babies, was issued a gas mask. People were told to carry them at all times in case of a gas attack, although no gas attack on Britain ever happened.
6
To families in the countryside or smaller towns
Most evacuees were billeted with host families in the countryside and smaller towns, away from likely bombing targets.
7
False
Experiences were mixed. Some children were treated kindly and made lifelong friends. Others were treated badly, missed home or felt out of place.
8
About 1.5 million
About 1.5 million people, mostly children, were evacuated in the first three days. Many more were moved later as bombing increased.
9
Britain still had food shortages and money problems
Britain had huge debts and food shortages after the war. Some rationing carried on until 1954, when meat was finally taken off the ration.
10
They give first-hand accounts of how children felt and lived
Letters and diaries from evacuees are primary sources. They help historians understand how ordinary children experienced the war.