Schools: World War II Anniversary

Baroness Butler-Sloss Excerpts

Thursday 30th January 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

We are clear that this is an important part of the commemoration. As the noble Lord has identified, our victory and our freedom relied both on the 365,000 British troops and the 1.5 million Commonwealth troops who were deployed alongside 2.5 million soldiers from the pre-partition Indian army. It is right, as the noble Lord makes clear, that the sacrifices made by those serving across Europe, Asia and the Pacific, and all the troops who fought as part of the British and Commonwealth response, will be very much at the heart of the commemorations.

[Baroness Butler-Sloss (CB)]

My Lords, I am probably the only person in this House today who was a child during the Second World War, between the ages of six and 12.

[Noble Lords]

Alf!

[Baroness Butler-Sloss (CB)]

And the noble Lord, Lord Dubs—of course. But there are not very many of us, I have to say. Does the Minister think it might be useful to have some views from those of us who lived through it on what happened: for example, on rationing?

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

I am not going to comment on how many noble Lords were children during the Second World War. I still have my great aunt’s ration card, which is one of my very valued family memories of the Second World War. I agree with the noble and learned Baroness that the stories of children from the Second World War, as told to children, will help them understand the full experience of what war was like. There are children still going through war situations now, including, very sadly, some of the children who may be in our schools. I will not go into the story about my mother talking about the first time she managed to eat chocolate and a banana and hated them, but all of this adds flavour and colour to the stories that we would all want children to learn from and understand.