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WWII Survivor: Mum's Bravery in the Blitz
11 May
Summary
- Survivor recalls mother's calm demeanor during intense bombings.
- Documentary highlights experiences of children who weren't evacuated.
- Coventry's St. Michael's was the only English cathedral lost.
A new documentary, "Children of the Blitz," is set to air, marking 85 years since the end of the devastating World War II bombings. The film presents the testimonies of some of the last surviving witnesses, focusing on children who were not evacuated.
Gill Kirkham, 86, from Coventry, shared her experiences, recounting how her mother's presence provided comfort. She described her mother sitting with her through the night, never showing fear despite the bombings.
While the Blitz is often associated with London, this documentary explores the impact on 70 other towns and cities, including Liverpool, Sheffield, Hull, Belfast, Cardiff, and Coventry.
The film centers on the approximately two million children who remained at home during the war. Operation Pied Piper, the government's evacuation plan, managed to relocate only 800,000 children from vulnerable areas.
Kirkham described Coventry as a close-knit medieval city before the attacks. On November 14, 1940, the city endured its most concentrated raid, with over 43,000 homes damaged and St. Michael's church destroyed.
She recounted a particularly harrowing moment when her mother revealed the reality of the bombings after a neighbor's house was hit, and baby chicks she loved were found dead under rubble.
Nearly 500 Luftwaffe bombers dropped 500 tonnes of high explosives, 30,000 incendiaries, and 50 landmines. The raid resulted in 554 fatalities, with many more unaccounted for. "Children of the Blitz" will be broadcast on BBC Two at 21:00 BST on Monday and is available on BBC iPlayer.
