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This story was submitted to the People's War site by a volunteer from CSV London Volunteers on behalf of William John Beazley and has been added to the site with his permission. Mr Beazley fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

I would have been 12 years old in 1940 and lived in Long Lane, Bexleyheath. Long Lane was lined with semi-detached houses on both sides with reasonable front gardens.
Before the bombing started, neighbours might acknowledge each other, but seldom engaged in conversation.
After a bad air-raid - the following morning, the people used to stand at their front gates and call across the road to each other to make sure they were alright and talk about the air-raid. This would have been from September 1940 to May 1941.
After this time, because the raids were not affecting Bexleyheath in the same way - this curiosity and comradeship ebbed away and everyone went back to how they were before.

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