1939 Autumn
Tension filled London's air on that foggy morning of September. Two days ago Prime Minister interrupted the regular radio broadcasts to announce that Britain and Germany were at war. As a BBC Journalist I had no choice but staying in London, facing the threat of the war. My idiot brother even wanted to become a combat pilot. One step closer to the death, well done, Mr. Burns.
1939 Winter
I boarded on an evacuation train with thousands of children to escape the danger of the city. It was absolutely shameful to be the only adult on the train but some of “wealthy individuals” I knew from Cambridge were evacuated “privately” weeks ago. I didn’t want to die in London, I was going to marry Lord Edward’s daughter.
1940 Spring
Hexham was extremely dull. I had no life there but worrying about Steven. I tried to telegram him. Last time we talked he called me a coward. We have lost our parents I really hoped he knew what would it mean to me if he cared about his life even a little bit more.
1940 Summer
Hitler was convinced that Britain would have to surrender, and soon. But the prime minister was determined to continue the fight. He railed his countrymen with one of the few weapons he had - Worlds. I needed to get back to London.
1940 Autumn
it was a Sunday morning, we heard this crump of the bombs. Everyone knew they were on the frontline at this point. The hardest day was just the beginning of weeks of bombing. I lived out those days of fear and uncertainty.
1940 Christmas
In many ways, Christmas 1940 was the first war-time Christmas. Celebrating during heavy rationing and restrictions – whilst surviving heavy bombing and coping with the threat of invasion – was a battle in itself. I was still in shock of the death of Steven.
1941 Spring
Into the dark shadowed spaces below us, while we watched, whole batches of incendiary bombs fell. immediately above the fires the sky was red and angry, and overhead, making a ceiling in the vast heavens. Up in that pink shrouding there were tiny, brilliant specks of flashing light-antiaircraft shells bursting. After the flash you could hear the sound.
1941 Summer
1941 Autumn
London stabbed with great fires, shaken by explosions, And in yourself the excitement and anticipation and wonder in your soul that this could be happening at all. These things all went together to make the most hateful, most beautiful single scene I have ever known.
Model:
Timothy Nathaniel Douglas
Voice Over:
Samuel Whitear, Timothy Nathaniel Douglas
Shot in
2013 Feb, Long Beach, California.
