London Bombing-1940

Hi, A good friend of ours was born in London, England in 1928. The German began bombing London  in May 1940 and continued almost daily bombings until May 1941. She was 12 years old when the bombing started and practically all liffe stopped meaning her education, etc was almost non existence. Her home was in a suburb of London but each night the family went out to their Anderson cover. It was a metal curved arrangement covered with cement. The bomb shelter held four bunks and  no lighting. She told me they never had a bomb hit near their shelter but did come within a block.  Her father was in the British Air Force and was home at different times but mainly gone. The lady had four sisters and her Mother. She later moved to her grandparents home but still in a London  suburb. Her grandparents also had a bomb shelter in their garden having much the same 4 bunks and below ground.
        The lady told us that the bombings were terrible and they fully expected the Germans to invade England. She also said Hitler made a big mistake when he invaded Russia really saving England from occupation. The bombings started on September 7, 1940. 348 bombers escorted by 617 fighters blasted London until 6:00 PM and two hours later guided by the fires set by the first assault and second group of raiders commenced another attack that lasted until 4:30 AM.  This was the beginning of the "Blitz." For the next 57 consecutive days  until the following May. The worst single incident was when450 were killed when a bomb destroyed a school being used as a air shelter.  The Blitz ended on May 11, 1941 when Hitler moved his bombers east in preparation for Germany to invade Russia.
          We in the USA watched all of this st the movie houses. Before each movie you would have pictures of the Blitz, fires in London and Edward R. Mureil telling about it. It seemed so far away and yet we knew that sooner or later USA would be involved. I am not sure what would have happened if the Japs had not hit Pearl Harbor? There were many in our country that didn't want to get involved in another European War.
       I was born in 1925 so was 15 in 1940. When the Japs attacked Pearl Harbor I was 16 years olf and  thought it would be all over by the time I turned 18 but little did I know that in 1943 when I turned 18 could be drafted into the armed forces but instead volunteered for the Aviation Engineers. I graduated form High School in may 1943, inducted in July and went to Camp Dodge in Early August 1943. I did not ever get home and  spent 30 months in the armed service serving in Indian-Burma and China. i received a honorable  discharge in January 1946.
            The English lady had many stories to tell about the bombings in London and when i get her talking will relate them to you.

        One of my really disappointments of WWII was the press. they failed to inform us about the extermination of the Jews in Europe. But even if we had know I am not sure USA would have acted. There was a ship load of Jews who came over to the USA and Roosevelt and staff would not let them land. they had to return to Europe and mos of them eventually were killed by the Germans in extermination camps.