000441

Description

A file containing summaries of fortnightly reports prepared by police chief constables on public morale, civil defence, and living conditions in the north-west of England. Topics covered by the reports include the public's reaction to the progress of the war, especially to notable events such as the German invasion of Holland, Belgium, and Luxembourg; attitudes towards the government, including the news that Winston Churchill has replaced Neville Chamberlain as Prime Minister; and the public's reaction to living in war conditions. Other topics covered include the effect of enemy propaganda and the amount of public interest in enemy radio broadcasts, such as those by Lord Haw-Haw; the public's opinion on censorship and the official release of information relating to the war; and social tensions, including industrial disputes, drunkenness and crime, attitudes towards foreign aliens, and the activities of communist, pacifist, and fascist groups.

Keywords

air raids, air-raid shelters, Alfred Duff Cooper, aliens, animal feed, anti-aircraft defences, bacon, blackout, British Union of Fascists, butter, censorship, Communism, conscientious objectors, crime, dairy, drunkenness, enemy propaganda, entertainment, evacuation, evacuees, Fascism, fish, food supplies, fruit, fuel, gas masks, George VI, German nationals, industrial disputes, industry, internment, J.B. Priestley, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, labour shortages, Lord Haw-Haw, material shortages, meat, milk, Neville Chamberlain, newspapers, Oswald Mosley, pacifism, paper, parachutists, petrol, police, pork, prisoners of war, propaganda, public morale, public opinion, Queen Elizabeth, race relations, radio broadcasts, rationing, refugees, royalty, rumours, schools, sugar, threat of invasion, tribunals, unemployment, wages, Winston Churchill