Image Bank
Hartlepool
Christmas 1945
Christmas could be a sad time during the war. Most of the men were in the armed forces and could not come home for the holidays. Many children did not see their fathers for four or five years and did not recognise them when they came home. This picture shows a Christmas card sent home by a soldier in the 49th West Riding Infantry.
Decorations were mostly homemade with paper and glue. There was very little money to buy presents. A girl might get a sewing kit or a celluloid doll. A boy could get a wooden tank or perhaps a football. An orange was a real treat. Mothers would scrimp to provide a good meal on Christmas Day. Some people kept ducks or chickens, which the children often thought of as pets. Sadly, their ‘pet’ would often disappear before Christmas, only to turn up roasted on the dining table!
Activity: Connections
Look at the picture and read, listen to, or print the story.
Now think about how any of the pictures might connect, save the Connections Write Sheet and use your imagination to explain how you think they could connect.