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World War II Quiz - answers

Below are the answers to the 10 questions about World War II

We hope you found our links helpful?!

General

1. What year did Hitler commit suicide?

Adolf Hitler 1945 - 30 April

Several attempts were made on Hitler's life during the war, but none were successful. As the war appeared to be inevitably lost and his hand-picked lieutenants, seeing the futility, defied his orders, he killed himself on April 30, 1945. His long-term mistress and new bride, Eva Braun, joined him in suicide. By that time, one of his chief objectives was achieved with the annihilation of two-thirds of European Jewry

2. How many people died in the Holocaust? 12 million

Children

3. When did WW2 begin? 3 September, 1939

The Second World War was started by Germany in an unprovoked attack on Poland. Britain and France declared war on Germany after Hitler had refused to abort his invasion of Poland.

4. What were children's gas masks called?

Mickey Mouse Masks

Young children were given these red and blue gas masks. They were called "Mickey Mouse" masks because they made children look a bit like the cartoon character!

Domestic

5. Why did the Ministry of Food encourage
people to eat carrots during the war?

The Ministry of Food told the public that carrots would help keep you healthy and help you see in the dark, which of course is useful in the blackouts!

Women in War

6. Why were working women in the 1940s encouraged to wear scarves around their heads?

Land girls To protect against the risk of hair getting caught in the machines

The need for women to work in large numbers on the land arose again in 1939. By 1943 it was almost impossible for a woman under 40 to avoid some kind of war work (this created a dilemma however, at the end of hostilities when the men returned to take up their old jobs). By June 1944 the Women's Land Army had 80,000 members, a sizeable task force.

7. What kind of activities did the 80,000 women in the Land Army do?

Dug ditches, brought in the harvest, drove tractors, trimmed hedges and caught rats
After 4 weeks' training they were paid only �1 8s(increased to �2 8s in 1944) for a 50 hour minimum working week. Twenty-five shillings of this might be paid out for lodgings. There were some WLA hostels, though their rules were strict.

8. What happened on the 15th May 1942? Legislation creating the Women's Army Corps becomes law

A bill establishing a women's corps in the U.S. Army becomes law, creating the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps (WAACs) and granting women official military status.

Local

9. What was the name of the Shropshire unit who were involved with the D-Day landings in Normandy?

4th KSLI mortar team. Mortars were used as small scale artillery support for the infantry companies

King's Shropshire Light Infantry badge 4th King's Shropshire Light Infantry

The King's Shropshire Light Infantry (KSLI) was formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 53rd (Shropshire) Regiment and the 85th King's Light Infantry.

The Regiment consisted of two regular battalions, the 1st and 2nd, and two Territorial Army battalions, the 4^th Battalion The King's Shropshire Light Infantry and the 1st Battalion The Herefordshire Regiment. The 1st Battalion spent most of the inter-war years in India, whilst the 2nd Battalion, after a brief period in Germany and England, was in the West Indies at the outbreak of the Second World war.��
In 1939 the 1st Battalion, h a v i n g returned from India, was sent to France as a part of the British Expeditionary Force and subsequently formed part of the rearguard covering the withdrawal through Dunkirk. The Battalion remained in England until 1943 when it was sent to Tunisia and finished the war in Italy having fought its way up the spine of Italy from Anzio. The 2^nd Battalion returned from the West Indies in 1942 and was not committed until 1944 when it landed in France on D Day, to be followed four days later by two of the Territorial Army battalions. All three battalions took part in the battles in and beyond Caen and fought their way through the low countries to Germany.

10. According to Mavis Evans who was on the home front in Ellesmere, how many evacuees came to Ellesmere during World War 2? 600

How many did you get right?

9-10 Excellent
6-8 Good
3-5 OK
0-2 Oops - better luck next time!

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1.	What year did Hitler commit suicide?	1945 - 30 April Several attempts were made on Hitler's life during the war, but none were successful. As the war appeared to be inevitably lost and his hand-picked lieutenants, seeing the futility, defied his orders, he killed himself on April 30, 1945. His long-term mistress and new bride, Eva Braun, joined him in suicide. By that time, one of his chief objectives was achieved with the annihilation of two-thirds of European Jewry

2.	How many people died in the Holocaust?	12 million

3.	When did WW2 begin?	3 September, 1939 The Second World War was started by Germany in an unprovoked attack on Poland. Britain and France declared war on Germany after Hitler had refused to abort his invasion of Poland.

4.	What were children's gas masks called?	Mickey Mouse Masks Young children were given these red and blue gas masks. They were called "Mickey Mouse" masks because they made children look a bit like the cartoon character!

6.	Why were working women in the 1940s encouraged to wear scarves around their heads?	To protect against the risk of hair getting caught in the machines The need for women to work in large numbers on the land arose again in 1939. By 1943 it was almost impossible for a woman under 40 to avoid some kind of war work (this created a dilemma however, at the end of hostilities when the men returned to take up their old jobs). By June 1944 the Women's Land Army had 80,000 members, a sizeable task force.

7.	What kind of activities did the 80,000 women in the Land Army do?	Dug ditches, brought in the harvest, drove tractors, trimmed hedges and caught rats After 4 weeks' training they were paid only �1 8s(increased to �2 8s in 1944) for a 50 hour minimum working week. Twenty-five shillings of this might be paid out for lodgings. There were some WLA hostels, though their rules were strict.

8.	What happened on the 15th May 1942?	Legislation creating the Women's Army Corps becomes law A bill establishing a women's corps in the U.S. Army becomes law, creating the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps (WAACs) and granting women official military status.

9.	What was the name of the Shropshire unit who were involved with the D-Day landings in Normandy?	4th King's Shropshire Light Infantry The King's Shropshire Light Infantry (KSLI) was formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 53rd (Shropshire) Regiment and the 85th King's Light Infantry. The Regiment consisted of two regular battalions, the 1st and 2nd, and two Territorial Army battalions, the 4^th Battalion The King's Shropshire Light Infantry and the 1st Battalion The Herefordshire Regiment. The 1st Battalion spent most of the inter-war years in India, whilst the 2nd Battalion, after a brief period in Germany and England, was in the West Indies at the outbreak of the Second World war.�� In 1939 the 1st Battalion, h a v i n g returned from India, was sent to France as a part of the British Expeditionary Force and subsequently formed part of the rearguard covering the withdrawal through Dunkirk. The Battalion remained in England until 1943 when it was sent to Tunisia and finished the war in Italy having fought its way up the spine of Italy from Anzio. The 2^nd Battalion returned from the West Indies in 1942 and was not committed until 1944 when it landed in France on D Day, to be followed four days later by two of the Territorial Army battalions. All three battalions took part in the battles in and beyond Caen and fought their way through the low countries to Germany.

10.	According to Mavis Evans who was on the home front in Ellesmere, how many evacuees came to Ellesmere during World War 2?	600