Bombed Out

This is my Mother's story, who lived in Hackney, East London throughout the War.

"The tree in the front garden of 27 Lansdowne Drive prevented a direct hit from the buzz bomb. A branch deflected a fin so the bomb hit the house next-door but one.

It was 30 July 1944, a summer Sunday in Hackney, East London. My husband was fighting in Italy and I was living with his family: his father, brother and sister. The men refused to leave the house when the siren went. In fact, Joe, my brother-in-law, was taking a bath.

Lou, my sister-in-law, pushed me down into the Anderson shelter in the garden, but did not manage to shut the door behind her before the blast hit. She recalled hearing about a neighbour being killed by blast, so when I screamed, she stuffed the News of the World in my mouth. How about that — saved by the News of the World!

The tin bath, nestling in front of the shelter, was filled to the brim with horse manure and water waiting to be spread beneath Joe’s roses. The bath upended and we were covered with its awful contents.

The house collapsed like a pack of cards on top of James, my father-in-law, Joe and his dog. Rescuers dug in the rubble to find the two men and when Joe was unearthed, he told them to leave him. “Find the dog and leave me, I can feel blood on both legs.” All was not as it seemed though, the blood was bath water and his legs were intact. My father-in-law and the dog were brought out and the dog never forgot his rescuer (another brother-in-law) and followed him everywhere whenever he visited.

My wardrobe flew from my bedroom to the school playground over the road and later when my brother searched for my belongings he found looters, one trying on my coat, and others sorting through my things. They were soon sent off with a flea in their ears.

With what I stood up in, I caught a bus to my parents’ house. I didn’t have any money and asked the conductor whether he would take my name and address so that I could pay later. His response was, “That’s all right, luv, we Londoners ‘ave got to stick together!”

The war certainly brought out the best in some and the worst in others."

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