World War II impacted the lives of civilians on a scale unlike any war before or since. In many places around the globe, the war was an inescapable and dominating element of life. As the men left for war, women took their spots in factories. In order to boost war production, scrap drives and rationing discouraged civilian waste and unnecessary consumption. In both Allied and Axis countries, civilian goods and luxuries, indeed civilian life itself, was subordinated to the all-consuming task of fighting the war. In Europe and Asia, millions of civilians were made homeless by the war through battle, bombing campaigns, and even forced emigration. More revealing is the civilian death toll. More than 35 million civilians died in World War II, outpacing military deaths by about 12 million.
The World War II Victory Museum's Home Fronts gallery is currently under construction but open to museum guests. At present, guests come across a number of small artifacts and several unique vehicles, including a British made Humber Hexonaut GS prototype amphibious truck. The museum's Hexonaut GS is the only survivor of two Hexonauts believed manufactured. The museum plans up to six exhibits for its Home Fronts gallery. These exhibits are planned to include war production; prisoners of war; the expansion and preparation of the U.S. Army for war; occupation, resistance, and espionage; civilians' perspectives on war; and propaganda.
