Soundtrack for a New Jerusalem
Musicians entertain the public at Aldwych station during the Blitz
Bombed Last Night
By Peter Daniel
For soldiers in World War I, as in other wars, songs provided diversion and expression of common sentiments. The song records how soldiers responded to the new horrors of modern warfare. “Bombed Last Night” uses gallows humour to tame the dread of poison gas. Singing songs like this with their comrades made it easier to cope as the men felt that they were not alone, but were facing the horror with others.
Development Activity:
Twenty years later the soldiers that survived WW1 found themselves as civilians during the Blitz of 1940. How would these men have helped their communities get through this difficult time?