London's Bravery in the Face of Fire

Arianna Williams, Chief Author, Craving Narnia News

October 15, 1940

London—After a long night of bombings from the power-hungry German Luftwaffe, Londoners have woken up to more death and destruction, and yet still manage to put on a brave face and carry on with life. Last night brought a total casualty count of 447 deaths and 663 individuals in a serious condition, but as the ever-so-popular Winston Churchill said, “Keep calm, and carry on.”

In the face of the tyrannical German Luftwaffe, citizens of London have put on a courageous face and carried on with their daily lives. It is part of the Londoners daily routine to hide out in the London Underground by night and appear in the morning to check out the latest damage. Here in London, the ordinary British citizens have become heroes overnight, as they put out the nightly fires (as pictured above), clear the rubble that the Luftwaffe have broken off buildings, and help those injured from the destruction.

But these attacks have come with a high price to the families of London. The parents of the city understand that their dear children are no longer safe in their homes as the Germans light up the skies by night. After numerous interviews, C.S. Lewis of The London Times reported, “…they were sent away from London during the war because of the air raids” (Lewis 3). Parents are forced, in a bittersweet sorrow, to move their beloved children out of the dangerous, hot target that London has become in this gruesome war, to the British countryside. It has been tough for the parents to give up their children, but they know it is for the best. Mrs. Eliza Smith summed up the shared sentiment felt as she exclaimed, “I couldn’t stand it passing by the dead bodies lined up on the streets and imagining that next morning it would be my children in their place.”

Though the British have done a marvellous job in keeping their morale up, without a doubt this war has taken a strong toll on its citizens. Reporter and prominent author C.S. Lewis stated in a conference that, “This war must not be forgotten, we must remember it, and look back on the time when we feared for our children’s lives each night. We should look at it, and see that the cruelty and greed originating from Nazi Germany has done nothing but ruin the lives of Londoners, split families apart, and break relationships.” These were very wise words spoken from our senior reporter Lewis, and all very valid points that he mentioned when this time of brutality comes to a close.

Here at The London Times, we would like to thank the British citizens for staying strong, as the resolve of the entire nation is threatened by the greedy and corrupt German Army. Our hearts go out to the British Soldiers as they valiantly fight against the German Army. Please keep them in your nightly prayers! Stay tuned for the latest war-time reports and figures with The London Times.