Source B displays the horrendous scene of corpses at the remains of Catford Girl’s School being sacked. The photo was taken as the bodies were being cleared, and the expressions on the faces of the people in the picture are sombre and distressed, a far cry from the faces of those in Source C. In that sense the two sources contradict one another. However, Source B also implies that there may have been a Blitz spirit but that there was only one because many civilians were not allowed to see outside of the square. Source B was banned from being published and this was probably done because it was feared it could squash the high morale of the British.
Source C suggests that the way the civilians were dealing with the tragedy of the Blitz was by simply working together and continuing with their everyday lives. This helps us to understand the feelings and attitudes of Britain during this catastrophic period.
- Does Source D support the evidence of Sources B and C about the damage done during air raids?
Source D is a photograph that captures civilians ‘sorting personal property’ and does support Sources B and C in terms of both the physical damage and emotional turmoil that the British people were subjected to.
Source C shows houses completely crushed by the bombing and Source B shows the remains of a school as well as the bodies. All three sources show devastation and tragedy caused by the German air raids.
Source D also supports Source B and C in terms of the way that the British dealt with the effects of the Blitz. It shows civilians working together in a united fashion to sort out the property. Source C shows a similar image with the tenants of the destroyed buildings smiling and embracing one another for a photograph. D and C in particular help to suggest that there was a Blitz spirit.
- Use Source E, F and G, and your own knowledge to explain why the government was concerned about the morale of the British people in the autumn of 1940?
The government were anxious about the attitudes and spirits of the British people in the autumn of 1940 for several reasons. One reason for their concern was the realisation that the British people were terrified of the nightly air raids and became hysterical as soon as sirens sounded. According to Source E the Citizens Advice Bureau was inundated with mothers and their children who wished to be removed from the London district and taxi drivers were constantly making trips to London stations Euston and Paddington with families and their belongings. This implies that inhabitants of London were not happy to be living under threat and did not wish to remain there where they were constantly in danger. Despite attendance at the workplace remaining good, entire communities fled to the countryside in fear.
Another reason for the government’s apprehension was that there was reported tension and bitterness in the East End of London. Source F states that even the King and Queen were ‘booed’ when they visited areas of destruction. The hostility and animosity that was apparent in the areas of great devastation was an indication that the British morale was not quite as high as many were claiming. In fact, the way in which the royalty were greeted with such enmity suggested that many civilians felt far less than united and together as a country, a problem that the government would have been very concerned about.
The fact that so many were fleeing to the countryside out of fear yet still attending work was also an indicator that whilst civilians were still prepared to work and not yet give up, the future looked dim if the bombing should carry on. This was a huge discomfort to the government who feared that the morale of the country would drop so low that many would give up and see nothing left to fight for. Their main concern was to keep the spirits of the civilians high as they felt this would lead to victory if Britain worked as a united front.
- The impression that the British faced the Blitz with courage and unity is a myth?
I disagree with this statement as having studied the Age of New War I have come to the conclusion that there was a ‘Blitz Spirit’ but that the morale was only high because many were denied the knowledge of the bigger picture. Photographs and reports of tragedies and horrific scenes were disqualified from being published and shown to the public for fear that many would lose hope and see nothing left to fight for.
The uproar of bitterness in the East End materialised because the civilians living there experienced the real horror and saw nobody really doing that much about it. They felt bitter because they felt alone. However, others were unaware of the way they felt and assumed that Britain was doing well because the newspapers and rumours said Britain was soon to be victorious.
The media was one of the ways that morale was boosted in Britain during the Blitz. Radio broadcasts would say that around sixty German aircrafts were destroyed upon average each night, and would say Britain’s planes were left virtually untouched. However, this was falsely claimed because nobody was certain of the numbers of either German or British planes that were destroyed. It was simply said to make the people feel like the British would come out on top.
It was a concern of the government that everyone should feel that they were contributing to winning the war, and so posters were made to encourage civilians to help wherever possible. The government also asked the public to donate their old pot and pans to make new planes. The truth was that there was an abundance of materials to construct planes with, but the plea was fabricated to allow the civilians to feel they had contributed in their own way. This made the British feel they were working as a team to become victorious and increase their spirits.
It is clear why some would say that the Blitz Spirit was but a myth because there is so much evidence that suggests morale was low in Britain. However, it is my opinion that the British faced the Blitz with courage and unity because of the clever and cunning way in which they were made to believe though propaganda that eventually, despite all the obstacles, the British would win the war and be victorious and their pain would be worthwhile, and in many ways the morale and strength of Britain’s civilians did win the war.