A History of the Ministry of Information, 1939-46

175

MINISTRY OF INFORMATION
Weekly Report by Home Intelligence - No. 29
Copy No. 28

(From Wednesday April 16th to Wednesday April 23rd, 1941)

Note : The figures in brackets refer to sources of information, a list of which is given at the end of this report.

I. GENERAL COMMENTS

1. General state of confidence and reaction to news .

Once again, a clear line must be drawn between public feeling in the heavily-raided towns, and in the rest of the country. In the former, war news has taken second place to the raids themselves, though even there, the news has been studied seriously. In the latter, the public reactions vary from “vague depression” to “deep anxiety”, with a big decline in complacency, which was previously noticeable in places which had so far been little touched by the war.

The London raid on Wednesday night found the public mentally unprepared. It was generally believed that heavy raids on the capital were unlikely, for the following reasons:-

  1. The enemy bombing tactics were thought to be directed for the present primarily against our ports.

  2. It was suggested that bombers could not be spared from the Balkans.

  3. Our night-fighters' recent successes were beginning to produce a half-hearted hope that the conquest of the night bomber was in sight.

  4. There had been no really heavy raids on London for some time, and as a result, the public had become “unconditioned.”

Nevertheless, the effect on the public was not as severe as after the first blitz in September last year. The morning after the raid most people were tired and depressed, and it was not unusual to hear such remarks as: “A few more nights like this and it would be all up with us”; “If the Germans have any sense they'll be back again tonight”. Transport difficulties added to the general fatigue, and the strain and lack of sleep showed themselves in “edginess”. About 10% of people who were questioned got no sleep at all, and another 58% said they had slept less than 4 hours. In the two raid-free nights before the next attack, there was a marked recovery and a restoration of confidence; feeling was a good deal less upset by Saturday's raid. Arrangements for the care of raid victims worked as well as could be expected under very difficult conditions, and there were few complaints. Since the raids, the number of shelter users has greatly increased, and shelters which were practically empty are now full. There was little or no rush to evacuation, though increased applications, particularly among elderly people, are reported from some districts.

The main features of the Belfast raid of April 15/16 (briefly reported last week) were the fire-fighting difficulties, and the evacuee situation. Belfast has no large neighbouring towns on which to call for fire-fighting help, and in spite of assistance from the surrounding districts, help had to be asked for from Dublin and some English cities. The evacuee situation was extremely difficult. People left the town by train, bus, car, particularly among working-class families, who can no longer afford salads.

(1, 2, 5x, 9, 10, 20 N. Western P.C., 34)

5. Registration of Women .

Reports on the first registration of women show that it went off smoothly and efficiently. The girls were cheerful, and there were no signs of reluctance or depression. They appeared to be proud of the fact that they were being called on to play their part in the war effort.

It has been suggested that it would have been a good idea to have had uniformed members of the various Women's Services in attendance at the Exchanges. At the entrances to some Exchanges communist leaflets are being distributed.

(1, 6, 9, 12, 18, Midland, 23)

6. Labour .

It is reported by the R.I.O., Midland Region, that local factory workers are absenting themselves “two or three days a week rather than pay income tax on their earnings at 10/- in the £.”

(14 Midland)

7. Trade .

The scarcity of cigarettes is reported again from several parts of the country; the provinces are comparing their poor supplies with those of London, where visitors report that there are plenty to be got.

(2, 9, 14 N. Midland)

8. Broadcasting .

A. P. Herbert's postscripts have aroused none of the enthusiasm, and little of the controversy, which followed those given by J. B. Priestley. Though reports show no strong feeling either for or against Mr. Herbert, he is described in some of them as “superficial”, “fatuous”, and “boring”; there is also some disapproval of his "levity”.

(1, 6, 23, 34)

177

REFERENCES .

1. Northern Region (Newcastle) Weekly reports from R.I.O.'s.
2. North Eastern Region (Leeds)
3. North Midland Region (Nottingham)
4. Eastern Region (Cambridge)
5. London Region (London)
5x. Special London reports.
6. Southern Region (Reading)
7. South Western Region (Bristol)
8. Wales (Cardiff)
9. Midland (Birmingham)
10. North Western (Manchester)
11. Scotland (Edinburgh)
12. South Eastern Region (Tunbridge Wells)
13. Northern Ireland (Belfast)
14. Special Reports from R.I.O.'s.
15. M.O.I. Speakers' reports.
16. Local Information Committees' reports.
17. Home Press Summaries, M.O.I.
18. Regional Press Summaries.
19. Hansard.
20. Postal Censorship.
21. Telephone Censorship.
22. Police Duty Room Reports.
23. Mass Observation.
24. War-Time Social Survey.
25. B.B.C. Listener Research Papers.
26. B.B.C. Special Papers.
27. Citizens' Advice Bureaux
28. W.V.S.
29. Scottish Unionist Whips' reports.
30. Liberal Party Reports.
31. Economic League's reports.
32. W.H. Smith's questionnaires.
33. War Office Post Bag Summaries.
34. Primary Sources.

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