The Sound of Doodlebugs Falling / We Children Never thought We’d Lose

This story was submitted to the People’s War site by Kathleen Lockett from Crawley Library and has been added to the website on behalf of George O’Neill with his permission and he fully understands the site’s terms and conditions.

In a recent episode of ‘Doctor Who’ set during WW2, the Doctor and his companion had returned from the future to London the 1940s at the time of the Blitz. They were talking to a child who was eventually convinced that they came from the future. She asked “Why are you not speaking German?” From my memory this was completely wrong. No child ever expected the war to be lost. I never heard my parents express such a view nor people in the street. The speeches of Winston Churchill helped convince us of final victory.

One particular event I remember took place at the end of 1944 or the beginning of 1945. This was the time of the V1 Doodlebugs. I was working as an office boy in the City. When Doodlebugs fell, usually their engines had run out of fuel, and you could hear the air whistling as it fell. In this instance the plane came down under full power. The noise was incredible. I sheltered in a doorway with 3 or 4 other people. I remember thinking “I am dead.” It landed on the other side of the Bank of England. The glass cascaded down. We got up and just walked away and carried on with our business.

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