One in twenty kids think Hitler was a German football coach
A veterans’ charity was shocked to discover that one in 20 children thought Adolf Hitler was a German football coach.
Scottish-based charity Erskine, which provides nursing and medical care to veterans, surveyed 2,000 children between the ages of nine and 15 about their knowledge of the two world wars.
Alongside the Hitler revelation, the survey revealed one in six kids believed Auschwitz was a Second World War theme park, one in 20 said the Holocaust was an end-of-war party, and one in 10 thought SS stood for Enid Blyton’s Secret Seven.
There was a glimmer of hope when a segment of youngsters managed to link the Blitz to World War Two. But hopes were dashed when it was revealed one in 12 believed it was a European clean-up operation following the conflict.
Despite the alarming results – with a quarter admitting they did not think about the soldiers who died and 40 per cent unaware of when Remembrance Day was – the survey revealed that 70 per cent wanted to improve their knowledge of the conflicts.
Major Jim Panton, chief executive of Erskine, said: “Some of the answers to this poll have shocked us and it has shown that Erskine, amongst others, has a part to play, not just in caring for veterans but in educating society as a whole.
“As we approach Remembrance Day it is hard to believe that 40 per cent of our children do not know when it is. Schoolchildren are the future of the country and it is important that we help them to learn about our history.”
The charity is now set to take part in a nationwide education programme in conjunction with Their Past Your Future (TPYF), a partnership of organisations including the Imperial War Museum.
Erskine hopes that some of the 1,350 veterans it cares for will share their knowledge and first-hand experience with younger generations.
Andrew Salmond, a project manager for TPYF in Scotland, said: ”This initiative offers a fantastic opportunity to inform young people about the experiences of war – both at home and abroad.
“Some, we know, will convey wartime loss and suffering, others will speak of daring and inspiration. However, all will be of great educational value, offering an insight to what previous generations have endured in times of conflict.”
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