1. World War Two Resources
The Record Office for Leicestershire, Leicester & Rutland

2. Introduction
This resource has been produced from archival and local studies sources held at the Record Office for Leicestershire, Leicester & Rutland. This is the home for historical material relating to all three authorities. The resource is the product of a partnership between the Record Office and a group of teachers. The sources have been divided into nine themes. Each slide contains a title, shows an image of the document, contains an accompanying description which explains what the document shows, where it is, what is happening and its unique reference number. There are 80 slides In total.

3. The resource is aimed specifically at Keystage 3 pupils who are studying World War Two history but some of the sources could equally well be used at Keystage 2 level. Some of the material lends itself to being cross-curricular and could be used for geography. The examples of the Leicester air raid shelter map and home guard map of Charnwood Forest come to mind. Some Material could also be used for citizenship – I am thinking here of some of the evacuation material, women at war and rationing slides.
In order to demonstrate how the material could be used lesson plans are attached which have been produced by Crown Hills and Abington High School on the themes of evacuation, bombing raids and the Leicester blitz.

5. Teachers Name………………………… Subject…………………………… Class………………………………..
Number of students………………… Number of Girls…………………… Number of boys…………………
Lesson context (sow/pos): Lesson 10: the Home Front: Blitz
Learning objectives:
To understand what the Blitz was and its impact on civilians through local primary sources
Learning outcomes:
All students will know what is meant by the terms blitzkrieg and civilians
Most students will understand how the blitz affected peoples lives
Some students will begin to understand how the blitz is connected to evacuation and rationing
Inclusion:
Group work and role-play to express ideas
Provision for Gifted and Talented:
By outcome-amount of detail in role-play
Boys Achievement:
Role-play activity
Key words:
Blitzkrieg (Blitz), Civilians, Civil Defence. Air Raid Precaution (ARP) Wardens, Total War
Resources:
Flipchart 10, Primary Sources (Map of Shelters, ARP Incident Reports, Death of 12yr old boy, Fire Service Log Book)
Homework: Start preparing for Assessment-Students need to revise everything they have studied in the topic, as this a recall based assessment. Lesson 13 will be assessment

6. Starter: (Don’t tell students lesson title or objectives at this point)
ISM activity. Show students the image of the VE Day Street Party. Students have to use the 5Ws to try and understand what is going on in the picture. Take feedback from students and guide their thinking. Ensure they understand that people held these parties because they had been through 5 years of Total War
Main:
Explain what the Blitz was-Began with the bombing of London in September 1940 etc.
Show the photograph of bomb damage in Leicester. What can students find out from this picture.
Highlight the fact the bomb was probably intended for the railway station, as the Germans bombed important places/buildings etc.
Discuss censorship. Photo A would be censored. B was allowed because it had the reassuring presence of a police officer, and people were going about their daily business.
Show map of location of public shelters in Leicester and photograph of inside a public shelter.
What do students think it would be like to spend a night in an air raid shelter? – Write in books
Give each group a copy of a Blitz incident (Death of 12yr old boy G&T-highlight that nobody identified the body why not?, Fire Service Log Book or ARP Incident Report SEN) students have to work as a group to find out what the event is, important details etc and then turn this into a role-play for the rest of the class to understand.
Plenary:
Show Role-Plays
TIME:
10 minutes
5 minutes
10-15 minutes

7. Teachers Name………………………… Subject…………………………… Class………………………………..
Number of students………………… Number of Girls…………………… Number of boys…………………
Lesson context (sow/pos): Lesson 11: The Home Front –Evacuation
Learning objectives:
To understand what life was like for an evacuee
Learning outcomes:
All students will know what evacuation was
Most students will understand what life was like for an evacuee
Some students will be able to fully explain whether evacuation was a good or bad thing
Inclusion:
Writing frame for letter
Provision for Gifted and Talented:
Evaluation activity, Full explanations
Boys Achievement:
Short activities, leading to longer activity
Key words:
Evacuation, Billeted,

8. Resources:
Flipchart 11 Evacuation Sources
Homework:
To continue to prepare for assesssment
Starter;
ISM, show students the photograph of the evacuees arriving at the train station in Northampton. 5Ws How do you think these children were feeling|?
Main:
Students use the set of sources to complete the following table about the evacuation experience:
Source Number What it says about the What can you work out about the
evacuation experience evacuees’ home life before evacuation
Students write a letter to their mum explaining what their new life is like. Writing frame
available for SEN students.
Plenary:
Do you think evacuation was a good or bad thing? Explain why?
Time:
10 minutes
15 minutes
20 minutes
5 minutes

16. A record of evacuees who had heath problems at Taylor street primary school

18. What does this photograph tell you about the Blitz?

19. Bomb damage in Conduit Street Leicester, 13th July 1941

20. The government censored information
The government censored information. Both photographs below are of the same bomb damage in the same street. Which do you think would have been censored and why? B A

21. Where did people shelter from the bombs?

22. Describe in your book what it would be like to spend the night in an air raid shelter

25. Lesson plans
File
File 2

26. Abington High School KS3 History Evacuation Lesson plan

27. As the class enter the lesson, use this source as ISM.
Ask the class either to create some questions they want answering OR you direct the questions at the class.
If going for option one, you then have chance to either answer the questions directly or encourage other pupils to analyse and surmise, based on what they can see about the piece of evidence. Important for pupils to raise questions as this promotes more in depth thinking and ultimately reasoning.
If going for option two, questions such as ‘what does this piece of evidence tell me?’, ‘What do you think this document is about?’, ‘Who is named on this document?’, ‘Why have some additional addresses been added by hand?’ – much more controlled and centred around the teacher, less room for progressive and probing analysis by the class. But maybe more suited to lower ability or younger classes. 27

28. Now reveal the top line of the table, which indicates exactly what the source is about – missing luggage of evacuees.
Ask pupils to consider how they would feel (or have they ever experienced it) if they lost their luggage when going abroad on holiday. What is the worst thing about it? (e.g. nothing to wear suitable for the holiday climate). What might be a positive aspect about it? (e.g. Chance to buy new clothes)
Consider how an evacuee might have felt if their luggage went missing – would they feel the same as a holiday maker? Differently? Why? How would you have felt as a an evacuee with NO belongings at all? Does it matter that these [people were adults? Would it have been any easy just because the people were older?
As an additional task could go on to illustratively ‘pack’ and evacuees suitcase – and pupils can add any additional items that they think my have been desired by the mother’s who were being evacuated with their children (i.e. Photos etc) 28

29. Table of Contents Home front / Home Guard 30-38
Slide Numbers
Home front / Home Guard
Bombing raids and casualties
Evacuation
Women at War
Rationing
Posters
Civilian war deaths
Military war deaths
Military airbases

30. HOMEFRONT/HOME GUARD

31. Schoolboys building air raid shelter
Shows a school master supervising the boys at Mantle Road Senior Boys' School, Leicester, as they lay the first course of the front wall of their school air raid shelter.
Reference: DE 5028/33/2

32. Schoolboys building air raid shelter
Shows schoolboys at Mantle Road Senior Boys' School, Leicester, watching as the stone recording their construction of the school air raid shelter is placed in position.
Reference:DE 5028/33/2

33. Leicester air raid shelter map
Street plan of inner Leicester showing location of public air raid shelters and times of availability.
Reference: Misc 702

34. Messages at ARP County Control Centre
Chart writer's report of messages received and transmitted by the ARP (Civil Defence) County Control Centre for Leicestershire recording the confusion on the morning after the Leicester Blitz. Many rescue parties from the county were sent to Leicester's ARP Headquarters at Granby Halls to help in the aftermath of the raid whilst others struggled to cope with unexploded bombs (UBs) around the county. Ref:De 2013/57

35. Call room occurrence book, Leicester
A record of calls received by the Fire Brigade on the night of the 'Leicester Blitz', 19th Nov 1940 between 7.50pm and 11.37pm. As the air raid progressed Auxiliary Fire Service teams from towns around the county rushed into the city to offer assistance at Brigade Headquarters.
Reference:10D58/60

36. ARP Warden's report forms
Civil defence measures during World War Two included recruiting volunteers to protect the local population. These reports from the Anstey Civil Defence records illustrate that their work extended beyond enforcing air raid precautions and also involved dealing with air raid damage, fires and contamination.
Reference: DE1867/4/19

37. Home Guard map of Charnwood Forest
Ordnance Survey 1 inch map of the Charnwood Forest area of Leicestershire used by local Home Guard. The letter 'P' marks defensive positions manned nightly by members of the Local Defence Volunteers [later known as Home Guard] and 'G' marks 'static' guards at reservoirs. 'VP' denotes 'vulnerable point' and seems to be particularly applied to bridges. 'LO' marks an observation post manned in times of low visibility.
Reference:Misc 1361

38. Oral history
00405/02/cd/10/025/c25

39. BOMBING RAIDS
AND CASUALTIES

40. Bomb damage at Conduit Street, Leicester
Shows rescue workers salvaging material from a house damaged by bombs probably intended for the nearby railway station on 13th July This was the last air raid suffered in Leicester.
Reference: DE5234/14

41. Leicester Blitz Souvenir
The introduction to a published booklet entitled 'Leicester Blitz Souvenir' which contained 50 official photographs of war damage in Leicester and surrounding area. Includes photograph of burnt out factory of Messrs Freeman, Hardy & Willis, Rutland Street, Leicester
which was bombed on 20th Nov 1940.
Reference:DE1615/21

42. Civilian war death form (Front)
Official form completed at the mortuary recording the recovery of the body of a twelve year old boy who died with his parents in the Leicester Blitz on 20th Nov Name digitally removed.
Reference:15D70

43. Civilian war death form (back)
Official form completed at the mortuary recording the recovery of the body of a twelve year old boy who died with his parents in the Leicester Blitz on 20th Nov Lists his personal effects.
Reference:15D70

44. List of civilian casualties in Leicester
First page of an alphabetical list of civilian casualties in the County Borough of Leicester, sent to the Medical Officer of Health for correction in September 1949.
Reference:15D70

45. Police Officers at site of flying bomb
Shows Police Officers beside a crater made by the only flying bomb (V1 rocket) to land in Leicestershire. It landed at Glebe Farm, Skeffington, Leicestershire on 18th Dec.1944, inflicting only light damage.
Reference:DE5491/631/10

46. Leicester Mercury, 20th November 1940
The front page of The Leicester Mercury published on the day after the 'Leicester Blitz' on 20th Nov 1940 reports the event, including an unidentified photograph of firemen tackling the blaze at the factory of Messrs Freemen, Hardy & Willis in Rutland St, Leicester.
Reference: Leicester Mercury November 1940

47. Bombing of Belton-in-Rutland
Photograph of the Black Horse Inn taken from the Leicester
Mercury of 26th May 1942 and article researched and written by
Audrey Walker reproduced in Belton History Society Journal, vol
2 Autumn 2003

48. Bombing of Belton-in-Rutland
Eyewitness accounts of the bombing of Belton-in-Rutland on 25th May 1942
researched and written by Audrey Walker and reproduced in Belton History Society
Journal, Vol 2 Autumn 2003

49. Bombing of Belton-in-Rutland
Report taken from the Leicester Evening Mail dated 26 May 1942
and reproduced in Belton History Society Journal, vol 2 Autumn
2003

50. EVACUATION

51. Admission register for evacuees' school
Records of an infants department of a school for evacuee children set up at Nottingham Road, Loughborough. This page lists pupils with details of date of admission, Loughborough address and address of parent or guardian.
Reference: DE1360/127

52. Admission register for evacuees' school
Records of an infants department of a school for evacuee children set up at Nottingham Road, Loughborough. This page lists details of date of birth, last school attended, education authority and date and cause of leaving.
Reference: DE1360/127

53. Death of evacuee at Hallaton
Newscutting cutting concerning the death of a six year old boy on the day after he had arrived in the village of Hallaton, Leicestershire as an evacuee. He was killed accidently by his elder brother when they were playing with a gun which they had found in a barn.
Reference: DE877/17

54. Entertainment organised by evacuees
Entry in log book of Hartfield Crescent Senior Girls' School, Birmingham which was evacuated to Baxter Gate Chapel, Loughborough on 10th December It describes an entertainment organised by the girls for their foster parents in May 1941 with the aim of raising funds for the Loughborough war effort and showing appreciation for all the kindness shown.
Reference:E/LB/207E

55. Evacuees with health problems
List of evacuated children attending Taylor Street Primary School, Leicester, who have health problems including malnutrition and rickets.The code for the remarks is given at the top of the sheet. Names digitally removed.
Reference: DE3594/14

56. List of evacuees' missing luggage
Luggage lost by mothers evacuated to Wigston, Leicestershire. The new address of each evacuee has been added under 'address from where evacuated’
Reference:DE877/17

57. Protest over evacuees compulsory billeting of
Newscutting concerning the resignation of the Chief Billeting Officer for Blaby, Leicestershire in protest against the compulsory billeting of evacuees in the area in October 1940.
Reference: DE877/17

58. Numbers of children and adults evacuated to Rutland
Extract from report to elementary education sub- committee listing the the numbers of children and adults evacuated from London schools to Rutland villages.
Reference:DE2257/15

59. Wartime evacuation to Belton-in-Rutland
Page one of John Nash’s memories of wartime evacuation to Belton-in-
Rutland as reproduced in Belton History Society Journal Vol 3 summer
2006

60. Wartime evacuation to Belton-in-Rutland
Page two of John Nash’s memories of wartime evacuation to Belton-in-
Rutland as reproduced in Belton History Society Journal Vol 3 summer
2006

61. Oral history
001419/01CD2/EV/002
001422/01cd/ev/007
PLEASE PLAY THE RECORDINGS ON SPEAKERS TO GET THE FULL EXPERIENCE

62. Women at War

63. Land Army girls and farm workers
Shows Land Army girls and farm workers working at Stoughton, Leicestershire posing for a photograph.
DE5743/5

64. Land girls on parade
Land girls waving from trailer during parade through University Road, Leicester. n.d. c.1945
Reference:DE5732/13

65. Women Timber Corps March
Members of the Women Timber Corps marching through Bristol, September 1943
Reference: DE5732/15

66. ORAL HISTORY
00415/01CALO/035/C35
00409/02CDL0/029/C29

67. Rationing

68. Clothing Ration Coupons
Page of clothing ration coupons taken from a ration book issued during
Reference: Misc 733

69. Petrol Coupon
Petrol coupon for two units of motor fuel issued by the Ministry of Fuel and Power with a note that it is not valid after 31 December 1949
Reference: Misc 733

70. Notes to expectant mothers about ration books
Detailed notes to expectant mothers about war-time benefits with the green ration books, n.d. [1940s]
Reference: Misc 723/3

71. Cheerful Rationing Pamphlet
Pamphlet published by The Electrical Association for women entitled “Cheerful Rationing”. Nov. 1939
Reference: Misc 933

72. Food Ration Coupons
Page from ration book showing food coupons issued by the Ministry of Food for the period
Reference: Misc 132/3

73. Identity Card
The government introduced National Registration Identity Cards during the war. Everyone, including children, had to carry one at all times to show who they were and where they lived. The identity card gave the owner's name and address, including changes of address. Each person was allocated a National Registration number as in this case. The local registration office stamped the card to make it valid Reference: DE2939/6/1

74. POSTERS

75. Invasion Notice
Poster designed by Leicester College of Art for Leicester City Council during the war of1939 – 1945
Reference: Misc 38/8

76. Help After Air Raid
Poster designed by Leicester College of Art for Leicester City Council during the war of 1939 – 1945
Reference: Misc 38/6

77. Invasion Film
Poster produced by Hills of Leicester advertising a film and address about the Invasion Committee on15 Feb
DE1678/8

78. Invasion Film-German Defeat
Poster produced by Hills of Leicester advertising a film and address about the Defeat of the Germans near Moscow to be shown on 24 March
DE1678/15

79. Carnival Dance
Poster produced by Hills of Leicester advertising the Aylestone and District Working Men’s Club Carnival Dance. n.d.
DE1678/24

80. Civilian War Deaths

81. Civilian deaths recorded at Aylestone Baths Mortuary –sheet 1
The registrar’s department acted as the mortuary office during WW2. This is
the first of several sheets listing civilian deaths recorded at the Aylestone
Baths Mortuary as a result of the ‘Leicester Blitz’ on 20 November Reference:DE 2372/70

82. Civilian deaths recorded at Aylestone Baths Mortuary –sheet 2
Continuation of civilian war deaths recorded at the Aylestone Baths Mortuary as
a result of the ‘Leicester Blitz’ on 20 November 1940
Reference : DE2372/69

83. Civilian deaths recorded at Aylestone Baths Mortuary –sheet 3
Continuation of civilian war deaths recorded at the Aylestone Baths
Mortuary as a result of the ‘Leicester Blitz’ on 20 November 1940
Reference : DE2372/68

84. Civilian deaths recorded at Aylestone Baths Mortuary –sheet 4
Continuation of civilian war deaths recorded at the Aylestone Baths
Mortuary as a result of the ‘Leicester Blitz’ on 20 November 1940
Reference : DE2372/67

85. Civilian deaths recorded at Aylestone Baths Mortuary –sheet 5
Continuation of civilian war deaths recorded at the Aylestone Baths
Mortuary as a result of the ‘Leicester Blitz’ on 20 November 1940
Reference : DE2372/66

86. Civilian deaths recorded at Crumbie Stand Mortuary- sheet 1
Civilian deaths recorded at another city mortuary- Crumbie Stand as a result
of bombing activity on 21 August 1940
Reference DE2372/73

87. Civilian deaths recorded at Crumbie Stand Mortuary- sheet 2
Civilian deaths recorded at another city mortuary- Crumbie Stand as a result
of bombing activity on 14 September 1940
Reference DE2372/74

88. Leicester civilian war dead- page 1
This is the first of 7 pages of civilian war dead for the city of Leicester which
was compiled by the Imperial War Graves Commission. Full names,
addresses, ages and next of kin are given. Details of burials, cremations and
grave plots have been added by the City Cemeteries Department Reference: 15D70

89. Leicester Civilian war dead-page 2
Continuation of civilian war dead for the city of Leicester
Reference DE15D70

90. Leicester civilian war dead-page3
Continuation of civilian war dead for the city of Leicester
Reference DE15D70

91. Leicester civilian war dead-page 4
Continuation of civilian war dead for the city of Leicester
Reference DE15D70

92. Leicester civilian war dead-page 5
Continuation of civilian war dead for the city of Leicester
Reference DE15D70

93. Leicester civilian war dead–page 6
Continuation of civilian war dead for the city of Leicester
Reference DE15D70

94. Leicester civilian war dead-page 7
Continuation of civilian war dead for the city of Leicester
Reference DE15D70

95. Military War Deaths

96. Roll of Honour for Lutterworth
Roll of Honour for the men of Lutterworth who it is assumed lost their lives
during the war
Reference: DE4336/64

97. Admission and discharge register for Bosworth Park Infirmary
This infirmary formerly the ancestral home of the Dixie family was used
to house injured military personnel during the war. Note a lot of the
entries in column disease are shrapnel wounds
Reference DE3300/105

98. Newscuttings of War Casualties
Newspaper cuttings of local Leicestershire lads who were
killed or injured during the war
Reference DE5377/27

99. Military Airbases

100. Photograph of Bruntingthorpe R.A.F.
Group photograph in front of the Wellington bomber at the Air Training Corps
annual training at Bruntingthorpe RAF Station. Flight Lieutenant J.H. Pettit is
the Liaison officer, August 1944
Reference: DE3799/92

101. Fates of 207 squadron crew captains
Page reproduced from scrapbook of S/O Marie Cooper a WAAF
intelligence officer at Bottesford, showing the fates of crew captains on 207
squadron Reference: L358.4 pg13

102. Crash Log for Rutland-page 1
First page of the crash log for Rutland, compiled by John
Rennison and published in his book,’ Wings Over Rutland’.
Reference: L385.4 p145

103. Crash Log for Rutland-page 2
Second page of the crash log for Rutland, compiled by
John Rennison and published in his book,’ Wings Over Rutland’.
Reference: L385.4 p146

104. Crash Log for Rutland-page 3
Third page of the crash log for Rutland, compiled by
John Rennison and published in his book,’ Wings Over Rutland’.
Reference: L385.4 p147

105. Crash Log for Rutland-page 4
Fourth page of the crash log for Rutland, compiled by
John Rennison and published in his book,’ Wings Over Rutland’.
Reference: L385.4 p148

106. Crash Log for Rutland-page 5
Fifth page of the crash log for Rutland, compiled by John Rennison
and published in his book,’ Wings Over Rutland’.
Reference: L385.4 p149

107. R.A.F.buried at Cottesmore-page 1
Name, rank, number, comments and date of burial of R.A.F. personnel who
are buried at Cottesmore, published by John Rennison in his book, “Wings
over Rutland”,
Reference: L p150

108. R.A.F.buried at Cottesmore-page 2
Name, rank, number, comments and date of burial of R.A.F. personnel who are
buried at Cottesmore, published by John Rennison in his book, “Wings over
Rutland”,
Reference: L p151