I've just come across this fascinating map of the London Blitz and was astonished when I entered my own postcode to discover that I'd have taken a direct hit, or very close, had I been living here during 1940-41 ... I had no idea, though it was only stables and garages here in those days. Also, an incendiary bomb fell just over the road in October, 1940. Bad luck, although nothing to what was happening in the East End which got the worst of it.
My family weren't living in England during the war so I have no personal anecdotes or family stories other than my mum's vague memories of sugar rationing and no bananas.
But somehow it brings it home to you. There must have been flames blazing right here, broken windows, if they were lucky, on the older houses to the front ... and here I am 72 years later, with nothing much to worry about other than whether it's going to snow tonight.
6 comments:
How real that map makes it. So many bombs thudding round our house. We must have been terribly shaken. Your blog always brings fascinating things to my attention.
I was amazed that one came so close to me, Lucille - it can't have completely demolished what was here before, as part of the old roof still exists - but we must have taken a hammering. I'd no idea, especially as this area was comparatively safe.
Oh gosh. It looks like we would have taken two direct hits and one just behind! I'd never thought about bomb damage in Teddington before.
K x
Hello, Kristina - good to hear from you again. Yes, it does make you wonder if they were aiming for anything and missed.
Perhaps they were aiming for the NPL. Or then again maybe just following the course of the river. Will show the map to G tonight.
That's a thought, Kristina. Also there were AK/AK guns in park not too far down the road, so I wondered if they could be trying to immobilise them? Or maybe it's just random bad luck.
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