Battle Of Britain

[Lillin]

Hello all, I'm new to this board. I'm an aspiring writer trying to find a specific date for a story I'm writing. I have read several sites on the internet regarding the Battle of Britain but I can't seem to find anything about the first attack on London.

I need to know what the specific date was for the first attack, and what time it was at. It would also be of great help if anyone could tell me if it came as a surpise to the people of London or not, in regards to any warnings like air raid sirens, radio broadcasts, or things of that nature.

Any information would be greatly appreciated. If anyone has any books they could recommend that could shed some light on this subject for me, it would also be appreciated. The only ones I have read have to do with spies and the MI5 and O.S.S.

Thank you.
Paul

[Gerry Chester]

Originally posted by Lillin@May 11 2004, 04:10 PM
Hello all, I'm new to this board. I'm an aspiring writer trying to find a specific date for a story I'm writing. I have read several sites on the internet regarding the Battle of Britain but I can't seem to find anything about the first attack on London.

I need to know what the specific date was for the first attack, and what time it was at. It would also be of great help if anyone could tell me if it came as a surpise to the people of London or not, in regards to any warnings like air raid sirens, radio broadcasts, or things of that nature.

Any information would be greatly appreciated. If anyone has any books they could recommend that could shed some light on this subject for me, it would also be appreciated. The only ones I have read have to do with spies and the MI5 and O.S.S.

Thank you.
Paul

Hi Paul,

First welcome to the Forum.

The first air-raid on London took place during the afternoon of Saturday, 7th September 1940, this was followed by another raid that night. The damage was very heavy and over a thousand people were killed.

Of the books in my library I believe none is better than:
"The Few, Summer of 1940, The Battle of Britain"
Authors: Philip Kapland and Richard Collier
Publisher: Greenwich Editions, London
Copyright: 1989, 224 pp

Regards, Gerry

[Lillin]

Thank you Gerry for the swift repsonse. It does me a world of good. I'll be sure to check out the book, too.

If you or anyone else has any other books to recommend, please feel free to share them. I'm looking for anything that shows a good description about what life was like on a day to day basis in London during those times. I know for the most part that most people tried to mantain regular activity. But I'd like to find out what people would do if they were in a hotel, or out shopping when they knew a bombing campaign was or would be underway.

Again, thank you Gerry for the information and the courteous response.

[jamesicus]

An excellent book is:

LONDON AT WAR, Philip Ziegler, Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1995, ISBN 0-679-43298-1

To me, the author captures the mood of the people and their attitudes toward Air Raids very well.

[redcoat]

Originally posted by Lillin@May 11 2004, 11:10 PM
I need to know what the specific date was for the first attack, and what time it was at. It would also be of great help if anyone could tell me if it came as a surpise to the people of London or not, in regards to any warnings like air raid sirens, radio broadcasts, or things of that nature.


Thank you.
Paul

The first air-raid on London was in fact on the 15th August, when the Me 110 fighter-bombers of Erprobungsgruppen 210 attacked the airfield at Croydon in London killing 6 RAF ground crew and 62 civilians ( a number of bombs missed the airfield and hit the Bourjois soap and perfume factory).
The intended target had been Kenley(which was just outside London) but due to a navigational error ( understandable as they were under attack for most of the way in, losing 7 aircraft out of a formation of 21) they attacked Kenley's satellite airfield at Croyden

[Versias8245]

Hey there. My name is Tom, but my User name is Versias I've joined this foorum no more than a few months ago and Im trying to create my own databse on all the British Pilots who took part in the Battle of Britain. to do this I need the full names of all the pilots that I don't have accounted for. I now have all of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Poland, Czechloslovakia etc,

I'm hoping some of you would know the following airmen. I'm only asking for these 5 because I have 300 more to find and I don't want to take anybodys time on this forum

Sgt TA Cooper of 92 Sqdn
Sgt RL Stillwell of 65 Sqdn
P/O HD Clark of 213 Sqdn
Sgt DK Clark and P/O Murray of 616

If anyone knows these men I would love to hear from you.

[Versias8245]

I just found Sgt Tony Cooper of 92 Squadron so I geuss you can make that four.