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Activities for Families: Armed Forces

In learning about the past it is always best to start in an environment that is familiar. All children have some understanding of the world of today, which they can use as a point of reference in comparison with historical events. When learning about World War Two, it is important for the children of today's multi-cultural society to view their world as a continuation of society in the 1940s, not as completely detached from it.

The activities below have been designed to supplement formal education by giving a sense of what life was like in the 1940s, rather than a detailed factual knowledge of it. They are meant to be engaging - both for children and for the adults helping them - but not to appear to be part of a structured curriculum. You can do one or all of the activities, depending upon the time available.

Knowledge of famous battles, and of the role of the different armed forces, is often taken for granted by the older generation when discussing World War Two. The following activities are aimed at helping younger people develop some background knowledge of the war, in order to boost their confidence and empathy when exploring the oral testimonies on the website.

The RAF

Activity 1

Read the Battle of Britain (1940) fact file in the Timeline with your child.

Now write or print a large 'W' on three sheets of paper. The 'W' needs to be big enough for you to write inside. The three 'W's represent Why the Battle of Britain happened, Where the Battle of Britain happened, and Who fought in the Battle of Britain.

Re-read the Battle of Britain factfile, and record the key points that are raised as you read, by writing in the spaces within the relevant 'W'. Only record key words and short phrases, not detailed notes, as the aim is just to stimulate memory.

Read the extract Service with 56 Hurricane Squadron during the Battle of Britain on the Story extracts page, and discuss the questions that follow.

Now read the following extracts.

• Lucky to Have Legs: Saved by a Brave Pilot, RAF Attlebridge, Norfolk
• Night Flight to Turin

These extracts are available on the Story extracts page

Discuss the difficulties and dangers experienced by pilots. Consider why these men flew the planes despite the danger, and why the Royal Air Force was so important in World War Two.

Read the Dambusters Raid (1943) fact file in the Timeline with your child.

Retell the story of the Dambusters raid to your child as an adventure story. Together you could then compose a song or poem about this event. The poem/song could include comments about what type of bombs the planes carried, what the Dambusters' mission was, who the commanding officer was, what happened during the raid, and what impact the raid had on the war effort.

The Army

Activity 2

Read the fact files about D-Day (1944) and the Italy Campaign (1943) in the Timeline to prepare for the activity.

Repeat the 'W' sheet exercise in Activity 1, this time in relation to these two major campaigns.

Once you have done some research and discussed the campaigns, read the stories on the Story extracts page of the men and women involved in each of these theatres of war.

The Royal Navy

Activity 3

Read together the fact files on the Battle of the Atlantic (1939) and the Sinking of the Tirpitz (1944) in the Timeline. Also read the story X-craft, the Tirpitz and Inadequate Tow Ropes on the Story extracts page.

As you are reading, discuss the following questions:

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