Schools: World War II Anniversary

Baroness Twycross Excerpts

Thursday 30th January 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Evans of Rainow]

To ask His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to involve schools in the commemoration of the 80th Anniversary of the end of World War II.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Baroness Twycross) (Lab)]

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord for his Question. We owe our freedom to those who fought in World War II. The 80th anniversary of VE Day and VJ Day will be marked with a series of events paying tribute to the millions of people across the UK and the Commonwealth who experienced the war, from the front line to the home front and beyond. It is vital that children understand the important roles played by their forebears. Resources and educational material are being developed for schools to help young people learn about the Second World War, and children and young people will be involved in a range of commemorative events.

[Lord Evans of Rainow (Con)]

I thank the Minister for that excellent Answer. She will know well that her government department did an excellent job of commemorating the 100th anniversary of the First World War, as noble Lords will remember, between 2014 and 2018. With that in mind, given that it is the 80th anniversary of the ending of the Second World War, what plans does her department have to engage with all schoolchildren, but particularly those in state schools, to make sure that they interact with surviving veterans in their communities before it is too late?

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

I agree wholeheartedly with the noble Lord that the 100-year commemoration of the First World War was indeed powerful. Whether through activities in schools, conversations in the home with older relatives or the work of some of our fabulous museums, such as the Imperial War Museum, I wholeheartedly agree with him that living history is a hugely powerful way for children to gain an understanding of the past. Sadly, we will soon be at the point where we will not have the voices of people who experienced the Second World War, whether as veterans or as children. I am very clear that that should be incorporated into how schools, and we more broadly, mark these important 80th anniversaries of VE Day and VJ Day.

[Lord Boateng (Lab)]

My Lords, I declare my interest as chair of the Memorial Gates foundation. Over 600,000 African service men and women served alongside the British forces in World War II. Some are still living, including Warrant Officer Joseph Hammond, who served in the “Forgotten” Fourteenth Army in Burma. Will she meet with the foundation, the legion and others concerned to see how we can best facilitate the witnesses who are still living to make their contribution to the education of young people during the 80th anniversary?

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

We are keen at DCMS and across government to make sure that all voices are heard. I would be very happy to meet the organisations my noble friend has raised. We are clear that there were a huge number of troops and people deployed and that their voices and stories should be part of the commemoration of these important events.

[Lord Wallace of Saltaire (LD)]

My Lords, I was a member of the Government’s advisory committee for the commemoration of World War I. I felt that my Conservative colleagues were reluctant to emphasise the role that the 1.5 million Indian soldiers played in World War I. In our schools, we now have the grandchildren and, in some cases, the great-grandchildren, of the 2.5 million Indians who served in the British Imperial Army in World War II—not to mention the many West Indians who served mainly as ground staff in the RAF and the Poles who were unable to go home afterwards. Can we make sure that we emphasise how much today’s society and schoolchildren are descended from all of those who fought with us in World War II?

[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.

[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.

[The Earl of Effingham (Con)]

My Lords, I am proud to say that my father was president of the Royal British Legion. He loved his time working under the direct command of Admiral Lord West—the noble Lord, Lord West. So I must declare an interest: for them, and for the honorary captain of the Royal Navy Reserve, the noble Baroness, Lady Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent, and every other reservist, active and retired Armed Forces personnel, I want this to be an amazing anniversary. Does the Minister agree that one of the best ways of doing this is via the cadet force, which encourages children between the ages of 12 and 18 to be the best they can be?

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

I pay tribute to the noble Earl’s father’s role and to all those in your Lordships’ House who have served or are serving in various capacities in our Armed Forces. I am happy to agree with the noble Earl about the cadet forces. The Combined Cadet Force programme will continue to receive £3.6 million in government funding through the Ministry of Defence for this academic year. This funding supports the ambition for it to grow to 600,000 cadets in 500 school cadet units across the UK. It is in addition to the annual cost to the MoD of the Combined Cadet Force, which is estimated at over £42 million per year. I ought to note that my nephew benefits hugely from being a member of one of the cadet forces.

[Lord Vaizey of Didcot (Con)]

My Lords, as the Culture Minister who was responsible for the World War I commemorations, I first utterly reject the notion that Ministers were reluctant to commemorate the contribution of Commonwealth soldiers. I felt very strongly that their contribution was very much to the fore.

The Minister mentioned the Imperial War Museum. I urge her to include all our cultural institutions in the 80th anniversary commemorations, in particular our regimental museums, which are central to the services and their identity. They are funded by the Ministry of Defence and—this is not a criticism—I always feel that they are a bit of an orphan when it comes to thinking about our cultural strategy. So this will be an opportunity to really recognise the cultural contribution that our regimental museums make.

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

At DCMS, we are really keen for all museums with a relevant interest and those with a broader social role in telling the story of the people of Britain to take part. I had an initial conversation about the celebrations yesterday with my noble friend Lord Coaker and I will be happy to pick up the point the noble Lord raised.

[Baroness Stuart of Edgbaston (CB)]

My Lords, I welcome what has been said about the plan to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. On this day in 1933, Adolf Hitler became Chancellor of Germany. In those commemorations, when we look at and celebrate the end of World War II, we should not forget about the conditions that gave rise to World War II. The next generation needs to be just as aware of that as of the ending of it.

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

I am absolutely confident that Members from across your Lordships’ House will agree. This week has also marked Holocaust Memorial Day and this year will also mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp. I am confident that those stories will be told. His Majesty the King recently visited Auschwitz. It was the first state visit by our head of state and it is really important that those stories are told as part of this. It is a commemoration of all the events of the Second World War.