1962: Children IMAGINE the LONDON BLITZ | Tonight | Classic TV | BBC Archive

Kenneth Allsop narrates a short piece on the London Blitz, before Fyfe Robertson interviews a number of children in Stepney, in London's east end, about what they believe the Blitz was like.
Children growing up in a very different world draw impressions of what an air raid must have been like for their parents.
Clip taken from Tonight, originally broadcast on BBC Television, Wednesday 9 May, 1962.
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[@Mick_Ts_Chick]

The kid at the end saying what his father told him reminds me of my grandparents. I'm a tail-end baby boomer, and my grandparents told me what it was like here in the US during the Great Depression. You don't get the whole experience, but you do get a feeling of the fear and desperation that was so prevalent then. They said having their dairy farm probably saved them, as they had food and milk. The war sounds way more terrifying though! 😬

[@James_RC]

My parents grew up in London as children but were evacuated when the bombing raids began. Food was on ration until they were school leaving age in the 1950s. Mum's parents were Irish and when she'd go over to Ireland the fresh food would bring her out in hives - her body wasn't used to fresh dairy products or eggs.

[@MrDastardly]

Interesting, historic report. 👏👏👏👏

[@James_RC]

Both my parents were evacuated from London as children. My father's house was destroyed (near Battersea Power station) and after the war he lived in a Prefab in Battersea until 1961. His father served overseas in the 8th Army. My maternal grandfather being Irish volunteered to serve and was in Anti-aircraft Batteries on the south coast during the Blitz.

[@EErail26]

Great piece of history about history!

[@MrACOUSTICPETE]

I could listen to Fyffe Robertson 's calm melodic voice all day ! The last interviewee was very self assured . I wonder what became of him ?

[@analogueman123456787]

No longer with us I'm afraid. I believe Fyfe passed away sometime in the late '80s.

[@andydixon2980]

@@analogueman123456787 How do you know this?

[@analogueman123456787]

@@andydixon2980 - How do you think? I remember it.

[@MarkStevens8899]

There is this thing called Google that has this site called Wikipedia on it.​@@andydixon2980

[@user-ub1dz8js7s]

Also the German bombers jettisoned bombs that were unwanted on failed bombing raids and there was a house that got bomber in a remote suburb of Preston once, I remember reading.

[@analogueman123456787]

Indeed. They were often referred to as 'stray bombs'. I believe all the air forces during the war did similar. And given 10% of them were duds, UXBs are still regularly unearthed across the UK and mainland Europe.

[@analogueman123456787]

Anything involving the late Fyfe Robertson gets a thumbs-up from me. If only 'roving reporters' in modern broadcasting had even half his character.

[@sassy_brit1975]

Ahh..back in the days when children spoke properly and didn't carry knives ❤🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@analogueman123456787]

Oh, they certainly did. But they were pen-knives, rather than things which are solely for use against others (though often excused as something for self-defence).

[@jadebel7006]

It must be really hard functioning without a brain between your ears lol

[@Hazy808]

They were so polite back then. I'm originally from England, but I wouldn't like to raise kids in some parts of London these days. My friends grandkids told me how at their schools kids get stabbed over nothing. And the ones who stab them get a slap on their wrist.

[@mrdeathgaming1457]

Bless

[@alyro-ls1dv]

Thank you for the video. It rather touches me listening to the children. They were, like me, lucky not to experience a war in their own country. I do not know any good reason for a war which is always loss of a lot you love or are used to. It all ends up with a big mess of victims which are not only the casualties but those who survive hurt physical and psycological, relatives and friends of those who passed away, destruction of many humans houses and flats, belongings and sherished commemorables of their families. Even though this generation was born after the war the information is transitioned to them by the circumstances of their families life. Many adults just never wanted to experience such pressures time and bring their children up without permanent telling them about this time I assume just because they were traumatised themselfs and didn't want to pass this on to the next generation. If there was any chance for the majority in mankind to live in peace NO war would be the best access to the attempt. Brilliant interview it is and neccessary to get these media out of the archive and into the public. It really touches me.

[@khiggins7231]

Imagine growing up and your city being populated by foreigners and having to move well out into the suburbs .

[@josephduckworth2122]

Sharp kid the last one

[@andydixon2980]

I reckon that young lad of 14....going on 50....could run the country better than our current excuses for MP's.

[@jadebel7006]

Would have more of a human heart too

[@user-vh7eu5bt4i]

I bet they couldn't imagine the cesspool it has become today.

[@Jack_Warner]

It's hard to believe that 1945 was only 17 years away from 1962. The year I was born.

[@mrroobarb]

What a very intelligent and articulate kid that spoke to Fyfe.

[@swaneknoctic9555]

Why didn't they ask the children what they thought about Operation Gomorrah?

[@analogueman123456787]

What an absolutely ridiculous comment to make! These are kids being asked about the bombing of the area they're now growing up in, NOT wider details of the war, including Gomorrah, which incidentally, most adults wouldn't have heard of.

[@swaneknoctic9555]

The Royal Air Force and U.S. Air force did far more damage to parts of Germany than the Luftwaffe did to parts of the United Kingdom. People aren't supposed to be bothered about the countless German civilians murdered?

[@fredo1070]

Why didn't they ask their parents?

[@analogueman123456787]

Presumably, they wanted the child's perspective. A clue is in the title of the piece.

[@fredo1070]

@@analogueman123456787 No, why don't the children ask their parents rather than imagining.

[@analogueman123456787]

@@fredo1070 - Children are full of imagination - that's what children do!

[@moominmay]

@@fredo1070lol the whole point of this piece is to find out how much awareness the young post war generation has of what their parents went through…kinda defeats the objective to just ask

[@alyro-ls1dv]

Thank you for the video. It rather touches me listening to the children. They were, like me, lucky not to experience a war in their own country. I do not know any good reason for a war which is always loss of a lot you love or are used to. It all ends up with a big mess of victims which are not only the casualties but those who survive hurt physical and psycological, relatives and friends of those who passed away, destruction of many humans houses and flats, belongings and sherished commemorables of their families. Even though this generation was born after the war the information is transitioned to them by the circumstances of their families life. Many adults just never wanted to experience such pressures time and bring their children up without permanent telling them about this time I assume just because they were traumatised themselfs and didn't want to pass this on to the next generation. If there was any chance for the majority in mankind to live in peace NO war would be the best access to the attempt.

[@purefoldnz3070]

1:34 "Why are you smiling? Don't me take off my belt and give you a good what you have you!"

[@stephfoxwell4620]

You forgot to mention climate change or the transatlantic slave trade.

[@user-js8eg2fp3x]

When England was English.........a better place

[@hopebgood]

Not many comments on this vid from sad "Proud to be English" right wingers eh?

[@dean6816]

🤫

[@jadebel7006]

'Bk in the gd old days' lool

[@unnamedchannel1237]

They are the Russians , my goodness .