History of Sorts

Although war was raging throughout the world it didn’t stop ordinary people to continue with their lives as “Normal” as possible.Life went on and people had to manage as good as they could.

I have heard  stories of relatives who lived through the war on how they coped in often very ingenious ways, Having that said their lives were at constant risk even things like getting bread could get you killed.I remember a story where one of my uncles and one of his cousins went to buy or get some bread from a farmer. To be honest I am not sure how they obtained the food, but it was outside the rationing system. The Germans found out and chased my uncle and his cousin. In order to hide from the Germans they jumped into 2 barrels they encountered. The German soldiers fired a machine gun on one of the barrels, killing my Uncle’s cousin. For some unknown reason they had ignored the other barrel, so my Uncle survived.

Below are some pictures of “Normal” life during WWII. The picture above is a picture of Children practising first aid, with dolls. They are playing in a bomb-damaged building. These girls’ fathers were air raid wardens..

This photo shows how blackout curtains fitted behind ordinary curtains. The girl in this 1943 photo was Doreen Buckner, then aged 7

Young woman buys bread on the black market. Belgium, 1943.

Strict gas rationing, in America, began during the summer of 1942.  To be sure they had enough gas, before limited quantities applied, people lined-up their cars for a last fill.

This 1940 poster told people what to do before bed, in case there was an air raid.

Cards like this were sent to every home. They told people what to do if there was an air raid.

Orphan caring for an orphan (Germany, 1945

Hunger Winter 1944 – Dutch family in Amsterdam sitting around a stove while woman cuts up sugar beets.

School kids wearing gas masks

A Paris policeman salutes a German officer,1941

American war ration books

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