The Blitz - 14th November 1940

Hi all & thank you for that Colcov, I am moved by the depth of your living experience. Your word "Senseless" sums up the fact that in warfare, there are no winners. Thank you so much for your post.

Attended a short commemorative service in the cathedral ruins on Friday which started at 5.30 pm led by the Dean of the cathedral. It wasn't very well advertised and as a result not very well attended. Nevertheless it was rather moving to stand in silent tribute to those that lost their lives that terrible night.

Thanks for sharing that Colcov, very moving.

I am sure that most on this forum have their own memories of Nov' 14th. I don't. I remember one of the April blitz that followed. Hitler killed my pet rabbit. A bomb dropped somewhere behind the Bell Hotel and the blast killed my pet. I was convinced that the pilot of The Flying Pencil had targeted fluffy. I took a lot of convincing that a bomb aimer at 30,000 ft would have had some difficulty spotting a black rabbit on a dark night. Norman

Norman Conquest, as a child it would be hard to convince it wasn't aimed at your pet rabbit Fluffy, something like that always stays with you when losing a pet.

I am wondering now if there was a centre set up for all the stray and lost pets as a result of those raids. There must have been a few chooks and other animals running loose. How heartbreaking for children losing their pets.

I would have thought that people at that awful time had more on their minds than worrying about pets. Chickens and rabbits were usually kept for other reasons, and I'm sure the odd stray chicken would have found a home very quickly in someone's cooking pot.

"The meek shall inherit the earth, suffer little children to come unto me". No I'm not for religion either but the sayings are very apt. My mum kept chickens and we ate them, I've also eaten rabbit but never a pet rabbit, that would be like eating your young daughter or son

Hundreds of thousands of pets were put down as soon as the war began. Thousands more were simply turned out onto the street while local councils slaughtered hundreds of stray pets at a time: The little-told story of the massive WWII pet cull Panic that drove Britain to slaughter 750,000 family pets in one week

Wow, what powerful stories. A subject I had never considered.

At least those pets did nt get fed the tripple of amount of what should of been sprayed in fertiliser on our home grown veggies even after the war. Thank goodness that stiff upper lip is fading in this country and believing in governments which lie. I could understand if the cause was to save food for humans . I think I would take my chance like these owners who s pets saved them http://www.express.co.uk/comment/expresscomment/440244/What-happened-to-Britain-s-pets-during-the-second-World-War

Sorry, Mr D-Di, but all our family pets were and are treated like members of the family, but luckily enough I don't remember having a pet at that time but my gran did and Nobby did survive the war years. Thanks Dutchman for your post, I am almost sorry I asked about those poor little companions. Another sad story to come out of the war years.

Morgana. Was there ever a government that didn't lie? Like a lot of people we had animals during the war. We always had a pig and a few chickens. Sadly they didn't have the best diet but we did our best. Neighbours would keep vegetable scraps for the pig swill while grain for the chickens came from Taylors farm. We children would also collect the spilt grain following the harvest. Pet rabbits were always happy with dandelion leaves and the occasional carrot or scrap salad leaves. The tiny amount that our animals consumed had little impact on the war effort.

Nope we are more educated now to believe any of them yet they think we still are dumb brain washed enough to vote for them, hence why most of us wont vote. I take my hat off to you looking after amimals through the war.

The shelter in the garden of my home, saved us from disaster from shards of bricks, glass and plaster When the bombs came raining down For mankind went mad when I was a lad The guns did pound that shook the ground I drew back afraid with fear, clung to my sister tight A fearsome sound, I clasped my ears with fright Time went by, it finally ends, and the earth stands still The noise abated, and so we waited, where is dad When dad appeared, we clapped hands and cheered and held each other tight