May 13, 1940 First Speech as Prime Minister to the House of Commons Listen - 1.8 Megs Excerpt: “On Friday evening last I received His Majesty’s commission to form a new Administration. It as the evident wish and will of Parliament and the nation that this should be conceived on the broadest possible basis and that it should include all parties, both those who supported the late Government... 

Click on the images below and discover the history behind these fascinating World War II artefacts…                             Who was Hitler? Adolf Hitler was born in a little Austrian town close to Germany on the 20th of April 1889. He fought for Germany during World War I and won many medals for his bravery. But Hitler became very angry and frustrated... 

When did the blackout begin in Britain? The blackout began on September 1st 1939, two days before Britain declared war on Germany. What was the aim of a blackout? The aim of a blackout was to make it as difficult as possible for German pilots to see the land below and know where to drop their bombs. Because most air raids happened in the evening any light from the ground below would make it very easy... 

What were identity cards? Identity cards (or National Registration Cards) were introduced by the government during World War II. Written on them was the owner’s name, date of birth, address and any changes of address. Why were they important? Identity cards had a number of different uses. For example, the government could use them to check which men were old enough to go to war and fight for their... 

What was rationing? During World War II the government limited the amount of food and other items which British people could buy. This was called rationing. Why was it important? Before the war Britain imported an awful lot of food such as meat, sugar, tea and fruit. During the war Germany decided to attack the ships which brought food into Britain, making it very difficult for the country to receive... 

What is a gas mask? A gas mask is a mask which is placed over the face to stop the user from breathing in dangerous gasses which may harm them. Why were they used during WW II? During World War I (1914-1918) many soldiers had been badly injured, or killed, when their enemies threw bombs at them which released poisonous fumes when they exploded. During World War II Britain was very worried that these... 

World War II Adolf Hitler, Gas Masks, Identity Cards, Incendiary Bombs, the Blackout, Self-Help Booklets and Rationing Discover the history behind some of the artefacts, which can be found in our “History Boxes for Schools“. Learn more about World War 2  Read More →

Gas Mask Local schools are able to gain valuable knowledge regarding World War 2 and the Victorian era from Lowewood Museum, High Street, Hoddesdon.  Lowewood Museum holds boxes of memorabilia, one full of personal possessions from local residents dating back to World War 2 including a gas mask, ration book, air-raid helmet and a recipe book.  The other contains Victorian artefacts dating back to...