How much do children know about the Second World War?

  • 25 June, 2012
  • Bravery
  • Politics

If you were to ask a representative sample of 1,000 children aged between 11 and 18 when the Second World War began, what proportion do you think would be able to name the right year? How many do you think would know that the Battle of Britain was fought in the air, rather than on land or at sea?

On 28 June, the Queen will unveil a new memorial to honour the 55,573 men of Bomber Command who lost their lives in the Second World War. The prospect of this event prompted me to find out how well we are doing at ensuring that younger generations know about crucial events in their country’s recent history. Some of the results are quite startling.

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