Lord Ashcroft Survey: Most Young People do not Know Battle of Britain was Fought in the Air; Only One in Five Know What Happened on D-Day

Lord Ashcroft Survey: Most Young People do not Know Battle of Britain was Fought in the Air; Only One in Five Know What Happened on D-Day PR Newswire LONDON, June 25, 2012 LONDON, June 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Only just over two in five secondary school children know the Battle of Britain was fought in the air, according to a new survey conducted by Lord Ashcroft. The research also shows that only one third of children know the Second World War began in 1939, while only one in five know what happened on D-Day. The survey of 1,000 children aged 11 to 18 throughout Britain was commissioned to mark the unveiling of the Bomber Command Memorial in Green Park, London, on 28 June. The Memorial honours the 55,573 men of Bomber Command who lost their lives during the Second World War. The findings of the survey highlight the importance of ensuring that current and future generations remember the sacrifices made by those who served Britain in time of war. The survey found: Only 34% of children - including less than half (45%) of those aged 17-18 - knew the Second World War began in 1939. 39% knew it ended in 1945 (again including 45% of 17-18 year-olds). While 92% of children could correctly identify a picture of Churchill the insurance dog, only 62% correctly identified a photo of Sir Winston Churchill. 43% knew the Battle of Britain was fought in the air; 29% said it was fought on land, and 8% at sea. 20% said they did not know.