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aerial bombardment Dropping bombs from aircraft.
air raid An attack by enemy aircraft.
air raid shelter A place of safety that people used when the bombs were falling.
ammunition Bullets, rockets etc., used in guns or missile launchers.
archive A collection of documents and records.
barrage balloon Large balloons, tethered to the ground by ropes, that were used to stop enemy aircraft from flying over towns and cities.
billeted Staying in accommodation for soliders. This could include private houses as well as barracks.
blackout To hide any visible light from the enemy aircraft.
blitz The constant bombing of Britain during the war.
casualty A person who is killed or injured during the war.
cipher A kind of code.
erratic Not very regular or reliable.
essential industries The production of goods that could not be done without, such as shipbuilding and coal mining
evacuees Someone who has to leave their home and go to a place of safety.
ingredients Something used in a recipe, such as flour or eggs.
Luftwaffe The German Airforce.
munitions Military equipment.
Nissen hut A military shelter, made of corrugated (ridges and troughs) steel sheets.
offal The edible internal parts of an animal such as the liver, heart and tongue.
phony war Fake or pretend
poss stick A wooden tool used to beat the washing. to get the dirt out of the clothes.
poss tub A large tub that held the hot water. The clothes that needed washing were placed in the tub and the poss stick was used to beat the clothes.
propaganda Information produced by the War Office to encourage everyone to do their job to aid the war effort.
rationing A fixed amount of something such as food or petrol.
reconnaissance Obtaining information about the enemy, land or buildings.
resilient The ability to recover quickly from hardship or illness.
siren A device that gives out a loud wailing noise that warns people of an air raid attacks or that the raid is over.
survivor To continue to live after great physical or mental suffering.
torpedoed A ship that has been struck by an underwater missile (torpedo) is said to have been torpedoed.
veteran Someone who has given long service in armed forces.
voluntary To perform an action by free choice.