Horrible Histories: Heroic Home Front

Marking the eightieth anniversary of the outbreak of World War II, Horrible Histories looks at how the war affected those left back home in the UK, on the home front. We start with the initial panic following the declaration of war and the measures taken at home to prepare for an imminent Nazi invasion, which didn't actually turn out to be that imminent at all. However, the Nazis are busy planning their invasion - Operation Sea Lion is being carefully orchestrated to avoid damaging places in the UK that they have previously been to on holiday. We see how the blackout during the Blitz affected everyday life, and also how King George and Queen Elizabeth refused to leave Buckingham Palace while London was being bombed, despite being advised to head to Canada by their staff. We meet the 'ATA Girls' - the heroic women of the Air Transport Auxiliary led by Pauline Gower. It was their (horrendously dangerous) job to fly broken planes around the country, so that they could be fixed and put back into battle. The planes had no manuals, were often very badly damaged and had nothing in the way of guns mounted on them, so this was a hugely brave undertaking. We see how things on the home front change when the American GIs arrive, bringing with them items like chocolate and nylon tights, which had not been seen on these shores for some time! German spies were also a real concern for those on the home front, but we tell one real tale of a set of spies who were caught after they washed up in Scotland in possession of radios, guns and, most tellingly, German sausages. Finally, we chart the path to allied victory, including Churchill holding conversations with American president Roosevelt in his secret loo, and a barnstorming song as the nation celebrates VE Day.