Between September 1940 and May 1941 London experienced heavy bombing raids by German aircraft. Thousands of ordinary people were killed or injured, and many more were made homeless. During the Blitz (short for ‘Blitzkrieg’, the German word for ‘lightening war’), a siren would sound to signal that a raid was about to begin. People took cover in shelters until the ‘all clear’ sounded.

One of the worst incidents of the Blitz occurred in September 1940 at South Hallsville School. Several hundred people made homeless by the bombing had gathered at the school to await evacuation to safety. The school suffered a direct hit, and official figures recorded a total of 73 people killed.

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Tom McAllister
The Old Dispensary
30 Romford Road, Stratford
London E15 4BZ
Tel: 020 8430 6393 Fax: 020 8430 6392

Last updated 17 February 2003