Blitz compensation?

[ndofu]

During the war, if your house was bombed and destroyed did you get compensation from the gevernment to rebuild it? or did the gavenment rebuild it for you?

[Ethel]

At the beginning it was the norm to get compensation from the government for damage to homes, so they could be repaired or rebuilt.

As you may imagine, towards the end this was easier said than done - builders were overstretched and there was a shortage of materials.

As time went on though, most minor damage was dealt with by gangs of workmen who did repairs quickly without the red tape which seemed to take weeks.

[ndofu]

Thank you Ethel I can understand the red tape involved in getting minor repais compensation would have been slow and frustrating and,as you say, quicker and easier to get someone to do it for you; but if your house was totally detroyed what happened? Were you re housed by the government after the war, given cash in settlement ot what? I was born just after the war in the country so never heard the problem discussed.

[Ethel]

Sorry for misleading you - it was the government that provided the gangs of workmen to do the more minor repairs. The householder didn't pay, and the work was carried out fairly quickly.

To what standard, though, is anybody's guess!

Although this site refers to Liverpool, it was the same for all cities and towns that suffered in the blitz and should be of interest:

http://www.nwlg.org/pages/resources/liverpool_ blitz/page03_4.html

It is a fascinating subject and I can't help but wonder how we would cope with similar circumstances today.

[ndofu]

Thanks again, Ethel., and for the link which is good and has some interesting facts. As you say goodness knows how we would cope to-day.

[vehelpfulguy]

There was a Time Team special on recently (October) where they went back to an area of London that was bombed during the war and the houses knocked down.

They excavated the site and spoke to some of the people who lived there at the time.

More here
http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/T/t imeteam//2006_blitz.html

[ndofu]

Thanks, vehelpfulguy, I will check out the Time Team link. I generally watch the pprogramme but must have missed that one.

[Toureman]

I doubt you would get much help now, Don't all insurance policies have the clause.....not covered for acts of war.

[ndofu]

You are probabloy right there, Toureman.
Did anyone see 'Housewife 49' , on ITV, last night? If you lived through those times, what did you think about it?

[Ethel]

Toureman - insurance excluded war and terrorism all those years ago.

It is the Government's duty to recompense for these acts now, as it was during WWII.

[derekpara]

People who were bombed out towards the end of the war were given Prefabs ( Prefabricated houses) and very good they were, too. Well insulated, everything like kitchen, bathroom & toilet, storage etc all built in. They remained in use for many years after the war, and some are still in use in the street opposite St Thomas Hospital in London.

[ndofu]

Thank you all for your answers. I remember those houses opposite Tommies in London, they looked pretty cosy but I guess not a patch on what was flattenend. In these days with average house prices of nearly �200.000 goodness knows what the govenment would give by way of compensation. No doubt they would find a way of wiggling out of their duty to recompense ; and certainly wouldn't do it at market value.