The Next War in the Air: Britain's Fear of the Bomber, 1908-1941

Abstract

In January 1935, the Evening News invited its readers to send in their memories of the German air raids on Britain during the Great War. The prospect of a guinea for the most interesting letter published each day no doubt spurred interest, but even so the response was impressive. The newspaper published dozens of letters from Londoners over the next six weeks, telling stories of 'the horror, the ruin, the stoicism and the heroism of a bombarded city'. A doctor reported that a Gotha raid on the night of 24 September 1917 had caused 'an indescribable panic' outside his Finsbury surgery: terrified people tried to fight their way inside past others desperately trying to get out. He was sorry to say that 'the aliens were the chief cause of the mad stampede, mostly Russians and fairly young One selection of letters focused on the experiences of women: the Honourable Mrs M. Greville wrote of the 'legacy of shattered nerves' among her generation, and Mrs E. Broomfield recalled the air-raid drills she and her classmates had practised in school - ducking under their desks - something she hoped that British children would never have to go through again. Another issue was devoted to the Zeppelin raid of 13 October 1915. Writers told of 'The horror! The terror! they endured that night, with one seeing an old woman with half her face blown off, and another stepping in a pool of blood. There were also many heart-rending stories of loved ones killed or wounded by the German bombs. Joyce Berry saw one of her sisters, aged eight, politely thank those who pulled her out of the ruins of their home, and then die.