One of the main dangers to Britain during the Second World War was the possibility of the country being starved out of the war. Indeed, it was what Churchill feared the most. Before the war, Britain was hugely dependent upon foreign imports of food and supplies, but with unrestricted submarine warfare these lifelines were in danger of being cut and the amount of imports hugely reduced. Britain was not unprepared. Lessons had been learned during the First World War, when people had been encouraged to grow more of their own food. The Ministry of Food, in particular, had detailed plans in the event of a future war and the 'Dig for Victory' campaign rightly went down in history as one of the great successes of the British Home Front. For the farmers of Britain the war meant a massive upheaval, as the government ordered them to plough up millions of acres of land to grow valuable arable crops. Meanwhile, with rationing a daily and inescapable part of life, the people of Britain had to get used to different foodstuffs, including powdered egg, Spam and even whale meat. Incredibly, the diets of many British people actually improved during the war and the fact that the country avoided starvation demonstrated not only the success of government planning, but also the determination and ingenuity of the wartime generation.

In 1939, North Northumberland shared a proud tradition of military service with it s wider region and this was reflected in the huge numbers of men and women from the area who came forward for service in the military or in roles such as the Home Guard, ARP services or nursing. This part of Northumberland was a key recruitment centre for the local county regiment, the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, with men from the area being heavily involved in the fighting during the blitzkrieg of France and the Low Countries, the miracle of Dunkirk, as well as many more battles. Yet, to the dismay of many, an entire territorial battalion was taken prisoner at Singapore. This district was also vital as a training area, with the wide and relatively uncluttered skies being widely used for the training of aircrew, one airfield played a key role in the build up to D-Day. In addition to combat and training, this area was also rich with fertile land and so played a crucial role in the war effort as it supplied food to its own communities and wider Britain. Many communities in the area welcomed evacuees from urban Tyneside whilst also welcoming servicemen (especially from the RAF) into their homes.Others saw the business opportunities and this book includes accounts of the struggle that many families faced in coping with rising wartime prices, longer working hours and endless worry. Despite the hardships the people of North Northumberland undertook, they all bundled together, and continued to provide incredible charitable support right up until the end of the war in addition to their normal efforts. They managed to maintain their morale throughout the majority of the war despite rationing, blackout and wartime restrictions. North Northumberland at War 1939-1945 poignantly commemorates the efforts and achievements of Northumberland s northern communities: farmers, fighters, families divided, all surviving astounding feats.

During the Second World War, Darlington had a number of industries that were important to the war effort. With its historic links to the railway industry, the town possessed several engineering firms, as well as a number of companies that produced iron and steel products, and many of these companies switched some or all of their production over to wartime demands. The town also had an extensive rural hinterland and the farmers of Teesdale were faced with a barrage of new demands and regulations governing their vital work. Many residents of the area served as members of the armed forces and losses were grievous: the number of Darlington men killed while serving with the RAF was particularly high, with the impact of these losses spreading throughout the community. Despite many setbacks, Darlington was very efficient in bring its Air Raid Precautions and civil defence services up to full strength. With Britain facing invasion in 1940, many older men in the area, along with those younger men who were in reserved occupations, volunteered to serve in the Local Defence Volunteers (later the Home Guard) and one man was still serving at the age of 89. Thankfully, Darlington did not see the heavy bombing that many other communities in the North East of England suffered. However, there were still a large number of accidents in the area caused by the blackout, resulting in a number of fatalities. Locals also had to deal with rationing and not all were willing to pull together, seeing the wartime conditions, instead, as an opportunity to make illegal profits.

Sunderland was a key shipbuilding and repair facility with a long history of providing vessels for the British Merchant Navy. As well as its shipbuilding industry, the town also possessed other important industries such as paint manufacturing and extensive industries connected with shipbuilding and coal mining. The port town, on the banks of the strategically important River Wear, was also a main hub, along with its northerly neighbour the River Tyne, for coal exports, with much of the coal produced in the huge Durham coalfield being dispatched south via the Wear. All of this meant that the town found itself on the front lines of the war effort and marked it as a prime target for the Luftwaffe. The town experienced several heavy air raids, including one which caused a great deal of damage to both housing and key industries, as well as resulting in serious casualties to the civilian population. The considerable disruption and dislocation caused meant that the authorities struggled to provide adequate shelters and to fill the gaps within what were to become vital Air Raid Precautions services. When the bombing came, these volunteers were to make a vital contribution. Sunderland also had a proud tradition of military service and many of her men and women volunteered for service in the armed forces, with many paying the ultimate price in defence of freedom. A large number of Sunderland men served in the Merchant Navy, while the Royal Navy also boasted many Wearsiders. The local Army regiment, the famed Durham Light Infantry, also boasted many Wearsiders and the regiment saw action in almost every theatre of the war. For other Wearsiders, the attraction of flight drew them to service in the ranks of the RAF, for some, service in Bomber Command was motivated by a thirst for vengeance after witnessing the bombing of their home town.

The Boy Scouts Association was just seven years old when war broke out in 1914\. With its members brought up with a strong ethos of duty and loyalty, it was no surprise that many wanted to play the best role possible in the nation's war effort. Many members were amongst those who rallied to the colours and enlisted in the heady days of the first weeks and months of the war. Some already belonged to either the Reserves or the Territorials and so found themselves immediately thrust into the front lines and casualty rates were high. Several of those who fought were decorated for their service, with a number even wining the Victoria Cross. On the Home Front, Boy Scouts served as messengers, printers, dispatch riders etc. in the War Office and other government offices, both locally and nationally. Scouts helped gather in the harvest, hunted for spies, aided the civil and military authorities, maintained watch during air raids, helped various wartime charities and sold old bottles to raise funds for recreational huts and ambulances for the front. Others found themselves mounting guard on the coasts and on vulnerable points such as the railway network, or aiding recruitment efforts across the country. The Boy Scout became a trusted and common sight on the streets of the country and the contribution they made was great indeed.

Northumberland to the Romans it was Ad Fines, the limit of the Empire, the end of the Roman World. It was here in 122 AD that the Emperor Hadrian decided to build a wall stretching from coast-to-coast to provide protection, to show the might of the Empire, and as a statement of his grandeur. Visitors to Northumberland can walk the Wall visiting milecastles, Roman frontier forts and settlements such as Housesteads (where you can see the oldest toilets you ll ever see) or Vindolanda (where you can take part in an archaeological dig) where wooden tablets detailing life on this frontier (the oldest example of written language in Britain) were discovered, or the remains of Roman temples and shrines (such as the Mithraeum at Carrawburgh). After the Romans left, Northumberland became the heart of one of the greatest kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon Britain, Northumbria. The home of Saints, scholars and warrior kings. Visitors can see the ancient seat of this kingdom at the medieval Bamburgh Castle, visit Hexham Abbey (built in 674 AD), or tour the magnificent remains of the 7th century Priory at Tynemouth (where three kings are buried Oswin (d. 651), Osred (d. 790), and the Scottish King Malcolm III (d. 1093). No other county in Britain has as many medieval remains as Northumberland. From the most grand such as Alnwick Castle (known as the Windsor of the North, the home of the Dukes of Northumberland, the capital of Northumberland, and, to many, Hogwarts!) to humble remains such as the Chantry at Morpeth. At Warkworth visitors can tour the medieval church (scene of a 12th century Scottish massacre), Warkworth Castle (another Percy possession and the setting for a scene in Shakespeare s Henry IV), a medieval hermitage, and the fortified bridge gatehouse (one of the only surviving examples in Britain). Northumberland was ravaged during the Anglo-Scottish Wars and this led to the development of family clans of Border Reivers who were active during the 16th and early 17th centuries. Raiders, looters, blackmailers and courageous cavalrymen the Reivers have left many surviving remnants of their harsh time. Peel Towers dot the landscape alongside Bastle Houses. The active can even walk in the footsteps of the Reivers by following the Reivers Way long distance path. Victorian Northumberland was dominated by both farming and, increasingly, by the industrial genius of some of its entrepreneurs. The greatest of these, Lord Armstrong (known as the Magician of the North), has left behind one of the most magnificent tourist sites in Britain; his home at Cragside. Carved from a bare hillside and transplanted with millions of trees and shrubs and crowned with the beautiful Cragside House visitors can walk the grounds taking advantage of various trails and spotting wildlife such as red squirrels before visiting the first house in the world to be lit by electricity!

Scotland was of grave strategic importance during the war due to its geographical position, while its capital was the location of a significant number of important military and civil organisations. Aberdeen possessed important shipbuilding facilities, including Hall, Russell & Co., which built a number of vessels during the war, such as corvettes and frigates, resulting in the yard being targeted by the Luftwaffe on a number of occasions. The fishing fleet was also of prime importance in supplying food for a war-starved Britain and many Aberdeenshire men constantly risked their lives putting out to sea in order to land fish. Many were killed in attacks by enemy aircraft or mines. No member of the population of Aberdeen escaped the war, whether it was the huge numbers of men and women from the area who came forward for service in the military or in roles such as the Home Guard, ARP services, nursing, working in vital war industries, or struggling to maintain a household under strict rationing and the stresses of wartime life. Evacuation proved a thorny issue as Aberdeen was originally classed as a neutral area' and no plans were made for evacuation. By 1940, however, there was anger and frustration as several groups petitioned for this classification to be changed. These petitioners were probably proved correct as Aberdeen went on to become the most frequently raided city (after London) in Britain suffering 32 attacks and 364 air raid warnings earning the city the nickname the Siren City'. Aberdeen also suffered the final Luftwaffe attack on Scottish soil when a concerted attack was made on 21 April 1943, resulting in 125 deaths and an estimated 12,000 houses being either destroyed or damaged. Aberdeenshire also played a significant role in the war effort in the air. It was ideally placed to enable the RAF to patrol not only the north-east of Scotland, but also the North Sea and the vital approaches to the naval base at Orkney, while the RAF also launched raids on occupied Norway and enemy shipping. Aberdeen at War 1939-1945 poignantly commemorates the efforts and achievements of Aberdeen: workers, fighters, families divided, all surviving astounding tests.