| For those not afflicted with the old age label,
it may be advantageous to explain the complexities of V1’s and V2’s. When the
Germans were unable to launch further serious air raids, their scientists had
developed the V1 bomb. Smaller thqn a fighter plane, The 1000lb bomb had wings and a form of jet propulsion on
the tail giving it great speed and a distinctive noise. They were launched from
France with just enough fuel to expire over London. When the ‘distinctive’ noise stopped, you
waited with bated breathe for the explosion that followed some thirty seconds
later. Often, one got immune to the sound but several hundred shoppers at an
east London Saturday morning market died when a V1 zoomed silently out of the sky. The RAF Spitfires, barely able to match their
speed, often dived to fly alongside to tip their wings putting them off course,
many crashed into the sea or sent back whence they came.
The V2 was a more advanced animal; a huge rocket
that gave no warning of arrival. After several mysterious explosions, it was
announced that they were gas explosions. Load of old rubbish. Standing at a
Harrow Green bus stop at 11am one bright morning a huge bang made us all look
upwards to discover that a V2 had prematurely exploded a mile, or so, above us.
The more diligent observer quickly found shelter in a shop doorway to escape
falling shrapnel.
The window of ‘Scott’s Buffet’ that got blown
out after I cleaned it, landed in Barclay Road, Leytonstone, some half a mile away. I visited
the scene shortly after and saw a dead horse with up-turned milk float
alongside. That image remains with me despite the row of houses that were
demolished with subsequent loss of life.
After the war, the ascendancy of American
rocketry was largely down to their ‘liberated’ German scientists being better
than the Russians ‘captured’ German scientists.
LEADENHALL STREET, the hub of the shipping
industry was virtually unscathed by bombs and rockets although in the early
hours of one winter morning a patrolling bobby had his helmet knocked off by a
landmine, the parachute of which had got caught in the flagpoles adorning the Cunard Building. A land mine was a block of 1000lb explosive.
After groping around to retrieve his helmet the copper called the bomb disposal
squad and Leadenhall
Street
was closed until lunchtime. Was there any braver bunch of people than the bomb
disposal squad?
I had a weekend gig with a four piece called
‘The Blue Jays’ – the leader doubled alto and violin and we played stuff like
‘The Hokey Coke’ for the dancers at the Cock Inn. a far cry from my jazz
aspirations. Later, joining an army dance band with REAL musicians I realized
that drumming was not going to be my forte. Carrying my drum kit back from the
bus stop after the Epping gigs, the guns
on Wanstead Flats sometimes kicked up a helluva racket. Also, mobile ack ack
guns roamed the streets to give the impression there were even more around.
Probably, a bigger danger than bombs was falling shrapnel from gunfire. Being
out wandering around during air raids was foolhardy, to say the least.
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