Tales from the Blitz

Tales from London's Blitz

When Hitler's bombs rained down on London, comedian Roy Hudd was just 4-years-old.

He was evacuated to Northampton to escape the bombing raids.
 
Now 70 years on he uncovers some extraordinary stories from people who lived through the Blitz. Tales that are emotional, moving and occasionally humorous.

Londoner Pauline Harrison tells for the first time the moving story of her mother and brothers who died in an air raid shelter in Kennington Park.

As a child Pauline was taken from her mother and put into care.

Whilst in a foster home she learnt of the death of her mother and brother in this trench shelter in a south London park.

In a heartbreaking scene she remembers her mother singing to her and goes back to the scene of her death and places a bench as a memorial to her family that she was taken away from as a young girl.

Jack Arnold helped feed and cloth the homeless on London's streets but was part of a group often called cowards.

He was a conscientious objector and was imprisoned in Wandsworth prison. He remembers his time on London's streets and in prison as the bombs fell from the sky.
 
"I was a pacifist. The people in the East End were in a terrible state. We had a unit that was all conscientious objectors - we helped feed and clothe the people there. But then I was sent to Wandsworth Prison because I wouldn't take up arms." 

Wandsworth Prison historian Stuart Machlauchlin shows Roy evidence that prison might have been the safest place to be.

"Although we had many direct hits the only death was an officer Cullen who was cycling home on his bike at the time," he says.

Historian Neil Bright takes Roy Hudd on a journey around the capitol to find evidence from the time. They discover stretchers still being used as council house fences.

"Although 30,000 Londoners were killed they were expecting many more casualties so they had loads of these left over," says Bright.
 
Jack Rollins is a football historian and recalls Churchill insisting football went ahead to keep morale high. He watched games at Chelsea Watford and Fulham.

He recalls spotters with Klaxons on the terraces giving spectators warning of air raids, the Chelsea manager dismantling a bomb with his own hands and a cup final played at the same time as Dunkirk occurred.

"Chelsea started the spotter system he would stand on the roof with a klaxon and if he saw bombers approaching he would sound it and both players and fans would go to the nearest shelters. Often when the all clear sounded they would come back and carry on the game," he recalls.

As Roy Hudd finishes his journey he pays tribute too those that lived through that most terrible of times.

"The toughness and bravery shown by those Londoners still makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck 70 years on," he says.