Home Front Heroism

Home front heroism investigates how civilians were celebrated as heroic during the Second World War. It explores how conflict altered the relationship between the civilian and state, and how this shift created unique opportunities for civilians to behave heroically and be framed as heroic. From acts of life-risking bravery to displays of endurance, this book explores how constructions of Home Front heroism were flexible and malleable, and directly linked to the impact of war. Through exploring the spatial, material, corporeal and ritualistic dimensions of heroic representations, this book offers the first comprehensive study of Home Front heroism. Through a focus on London, it explores how heroism was manufactured through the way that civilians occupied spaces of production and danger, through the use of uniforms and gallantry medals, and in the way that civilians were wounded and killed during periods of bombardment. It particularly questions why certain individuals or virtues were identified and raised as heroic, and the motivations behind the constructions. This study provides a valuable contribution to the study of heroism and promotes new ways of thinking about the meaning and value of heroism during periods of conflict. By drawing on a range of sources, including films, posters, art, legislation, government correspondence, newspapers, diaries and memoirs, this study reveals that Home Front heroism was produced on a national, local and personal level. It will appeal to anyone interested in the social and cultural history of the Second World War as well as the sociology and psychology of heroism.