Figure 1.--This is the game board for "Night Raiders", a British game about bombing Gemany. Given the illustration of the bomber, this game must have been made early in the War. There is no indication that Germany is the target--only a non-descript enemy factory. Of course this presents a major misunderstanding of the air war. Specific factories were hard go hit during the day, bombing at night it was impossible. The only thing the British could hit were cities and even then they sometimes missed.

Many children�s toys and games had a wartime theme. There were model kits about British aircraft and jigsaw puzzles when assembled had showed a picture about the war. There was a playing card game called 'Evacuation'. This was based on the game called 'Happy Families'. Some toys were home-made by adults for children to play with. These were wooden and metal toys as well as cuddly toys depicting military personnel Books and comics were available for children to read but publication was limited to a quota system. Biggles books were popular reading by boys. The Beano was a popular comic but some comics ceased publication when they could not obtain paper. Outside children enjoyed street games. Those in the countryside had plenty of space to play while those in the town found bomb-sites good places to play. However there were dangers from objects found while playing. Some of these were unexploded devices killed the children who picked up the object. There were dangers at the seaside from mines, which children found. This was a danger came when beaches were opened again for bathing after the War had finished. Many boys collected debris from downed aircraft or looked for shrapnel and other war-time artefacts. Traditional celebrations such as Mayday were still celebrated by communities and children and adults took part in parades and festive activities. Holidays to the seaside occurred but many children found they could not play on the beach or swim in the sea because barred wire defences had been built. The lucky ones found places to bathe and enjoy seaside places.

Toys

Many children's toys had a wartime theme. There were model kits about British aircraft and jigsaw puzzles when assembled had showed pictures about the war. We note jigswas of the Union Jack, a Spitfire pilot, and a flight formation. There was the Epics of the War jigsaws. Some toys were home-made by adults for children to play with. These were wooden and metal toys as well as cuddly toys depicting military personnel. Rag dolls were popular. Other toys included home made Farm machinery. POWs made toys for children. One Italian POW made a rocking horse. There was a cube game about flag recognition called "Allied Flag Puzzle".

Games

Several games with war thems were roduced. There was a playing card game called �Evacuation'. This was based on the game called 'Happy Families'. Other card games included Submarine Hunt and Battle of the River Plate. There was an ARP Snakes and Ladders game. An air war game was "Night Raider'. This was based on RAF Bomber Command's night time bombing raids on Germany. It was played with dice and counters. You throw dice and move the number of spaces shown on the dice. Here is the game board (figure 1). The payer wins who reaches target first. This game seems primarily based on the difficulties experienced by bomber crews in reaching targets. We note a German bombing game--Bombers Over England premissed on gaining ponts by destroying cities. There was an aAeroplane shooting game. It is based on five aeroplanes flying in formation and attached to a scenic background. Tey are shot by means of a gun firing elastic bands.

Books and Comics

Books and comics were available for children to read but publication was limited to a quota system. Biggles books were popular reading by boys. The Beano was a popular comic but some comics ceased publication when they could not obtain paper.

Play

Outside children enjoyed street games. Those in the countryside had plenty of space to play while those in the town found bomb-sites good places to play. Many of the boys played war. Girls rarely participated in this. However there were dangers from objects found while playing. Some of these were exploded devices killed the children who picked up the object. There were dangers at the seaside from mines, which children found. This was a danger came when beaches were opened again for bathing after the War had finished. Many boys collected debris from downed aircraft or looked for shrapnel and other war-time artifacts. Much of the play was done on their own by the children, in supervised. Children at the time were not as closely monitored as is the case with modern children. We note photographs with the children were costumed. This of course could only be done with parents participating. We suspect this was the parents idea, but the children happily cooperating. Not only do the costumes show that the parents were involved, but this also explains that why a boy and girl were involved. Play at the time was generally a single gender activity. Girls in particular had no interest for the most part in playing war.

Celebrations

Traditional celebrations such as Mayday were still celebrated by communities and children and adults took part in parades and festive activities. Holidays to the seaside occurred but many children found they could not play on the beach or swim in the sea because barbed wire defences had been built. The lucky ones found places to bathe and enjoy seaside places.

Collectables

Many boys like to collect things. This could be bottle caps, coins, marbles, rocks, stamps, toy czars, and much more. For some reason, girls, are less interested. We have no idea wht bit some how it is implanted in their DNA coding and is claerly observeable. With the beginning of the Battle of Britin (July 1940) a new form of collecting began -- shrapnel. This is metal fragments created by a bomb, shell, or other explosive devise. There was not a lot to be had at first, because the Luftwaffe was mainly targeting RAF air bases. Begiining with the shift to bombing London and other cities, there was shrapnel everywhere for the boys to collect. Shrapnel minly came from the bombs being dropped. Anti-aircraft (AA) shells also produced shrpnel, meaning FLAK. Pieces of Luftwaffe palnes were also sought after, but bery difficult to get ahold of. The authorities quickly crashed planes off limits. The shrapnel became a German prized obbject sought out by British boys early in the War. Of course as RAF Air Marshal warned that Germany with its brutal aggression was 'sewing the wind' and was going 'reap the whirlwind'. The Allies eventually dropped far more bombs on Germany than the Germans dropped on Britain and other countries when gtheyb launched the War. This there was an order of magnitude more shrspel in Germanny, bomns bombs and FLAK. We have never read about German boys collecting shrapnel. We are not sure that theybdid not do so, but we have no information about this or why German boys would behave differentkly than Vritish boys. The other country heavily bombed in World War II was Japan, but ahain we have no infirmatuin about Japanese boys collecting shrapnel. In his case heavy use of incendiaries meant that there was less shrapel.

Sources

Gardiner, Julier. The Children's War (Portrait: London, 2005).

Created: 7:39 PM 8/27/2007
Last updated: 12:51 AM 4/27/2023