[Dixielandjazz] PBS series "The War"

[pat ladd]

Hi Larry,

very intrigued by the Burns `War`. A mate in Maryland has already given me a 
head up. I hope that we get it over here soon, it sounds pretty well done.

I am puzzled by the references to blackouts, rationing etc etc. All the 
stuff which I have read by our servicemen who were sent to Canada for 
training and to the US  to try and pass on battle experience to US fliers in 
training have all talked of the shock of being in a country where the lights 
shone brightly and food and drink were in good supply.
What were the blackouts and the searchlights for?  No one had an airplane 
that could reach the US. OK the Japs floated some balloons with incendiaries 
on across the Pacific and the Germans were experimenting with an up graded 
V2 with a piloted section which in theory could have reached the Atlantic 
seabord, but it came to nothing.
The U boats lurking off the US coast were targeting US coastal traffic by 
lining the cargo boats up against the brightly lit shore line.

I was 10 in Sept `39 and remember the blitz on Bath and Bristol and being 
allowed out of the air raid shelter at night to stand on the roof with my 
father and watch the fires as the centre of the cities were consumed. The 
Germans course to Bristol and Bath passed directly overhead.  The ack ack 
bursts in the sky and the occasional Heinkel 111 caught in the searchlights. 
This was pretty regular until we were bombed ourselves early one morning . 
The house was pretty badly smashed up and I was sent away to live with an 
uncle a couple of miles away who insisted I stayed in bed.
I did see one attack by Spifires and Hurricanes on a German bomber raid  of 
around 40 aircraft during their  daylight bombing period. That was pretty 
exciting but our schoolteachers drove us back into the shelters. They 
watched though.

What was the extent of the rationing? Any idea what quantities were 
involved?

This isn`t a DJML topic so if anyone is interested in taking this off list 
please say so

Cheers

Pat