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Imperial War Museum Collections > Printed Books > Frequently Asked Questions

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Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions


A selection of some of our most frequently asked questions:

First World War

How did horse chestnuts help the war effort during the First World War?


What did the medical categories B1, etc., mean during the First World War?


What was the Christmas Truce?


What was the Gallipoli Campaign?


When was conscription introduced during the First World War?


When was rationing introduced during the First World War?


When was the first bomb dropped on England during the First World War?



Second World War

Did host families receive payment for housing evacuees? 


How do I find out if my area was bombed during the Second World War?


Was beer rationed during the Second World War?


What was National Service?


What were V-Weapons?


What did the D in D-Day stand for?


When was rationing introduced during the Second World War?


When was the first aerial bomb dropped during the Second World War on the British mainland?


When was V-E Day?


When was V-J Day?


When were the first and second Atom bombs dropped on Japan?


Who were the Dambusters?



Other Conflicts

Spanish Civil War
The Spanish civil war began on the night of the 17th/18th July 1936. The first signs of rebellion appeared at 4.20pm when the Melilla garrison in Morocco rose against the government, followed afterwards by troops in Tetuán.

What were the casualty statistics for the Falklands War?


What were the casualty statistics for the First Gulf War?


What were the casualty statistics for the Korean War?
The total number of deaths in the Korean War will never be known.  An estimated two million Korean civilians died in the war.  More than 1.5 million Chinese and North Korean soldiers are thought to have died.


War Memorials

The Unknown Warrior
The unknown warrior was laid to rest in Westminster Abbey on Armistice Day, 11th November, 1920, in an impressive ceremony which included the unveiling of the Cenotaph.

What is the Kohima Epitaph?
When you go home, Tell them of us and say, For your tomorrow, We gave our today

Which poem contains the line 'At the going down of the sun'?



Military Traditions

The Two Minute Silence
Research has uncovered several different origins for this tradition, some going back to antiquity.

Why were English soldiers called "Tommy Atkins" or "Tommy"?
The origins of the term "Tommy Atkins" as a nickname for the British (or rather English) soldier are still nebulous and indeed disputed...