Wartime Childhood (Shire Library)

Growing up as a child during the Second World War could be a frightening, strange or even an exciting experience. For many city children the war brought evacuation to the countryside and a way of life very different from the one they were used to. For children who remained in areas that suffered from German air strikes, escaping to bomb shelters, and donning the 'Mickey Mouse' gas mask, became part of life. War brought new excitement for boys who could now add parts of downed German aircraft, or parts of bombs, to their collections of conkers and string. For many girls the war brought greater responsibility, as their fathers went off to fight. This book recounts the British child's experience of the War with photographs, objects and ephemera. A feast of nostalgia for anyone who grew up during the war, it will also provide younger people with a fascinating insight into the childhood of their parents or grandparents.