Comments on: Alf Morris, Survivor

By: Marcia Howard

Marcia Howard — Thu, 09 Mar 2023 21:40:30 +0000

How very very sad

By: Neil Aves

Neil Aves — Tue, 07 Mar 2023 13:23:50 +0000

Such a simple yet moving testimony. How different things are now when faced with a tragedy it seems most of the populations first response is to reach for their phone and video it.

By: Cherub

Cherub — Mon, 06 Mar 2023 12:40:37 +0000

Many years ago I saw a documentary about this tragedy and I always thought about it if I passed through Bethnal Green tube station. Thanks to Alf for his story.

By: Susan Locke

Susan Locke — Sun, 05 Mar 2023 21:43:38 +0000

Thank you Alf for sharing your story and The GA for recording it.

By: Lynne Perrella

Lynne Perrella — Sun, 05 Mar 2023 12:50:39 +0000

…….”the story retained absolute clarity in his telling.” Indeed.

Other readers have rightfully complimented Mr. Morris this morning; so I will direct my words of gratitude to The Gentle Author. I have benefitted from so many stories, presented with such richness, in Spitalfields Life. Long live the story tellers!

Onward and upward.

By: Bernie

Bernie — Sun, 05 Mar 2023 10:16:08 +0000

” in our home at 106 Old Ford Rd, the radio went off, as it did every time there was an air raid”

I hate to disagree with testimony on such a disastrous event, but I lived through much of the blitz in Hackney and am as sure as I can be now that the radio (i.e. BBC transmission) did NOT go off during air raids.

By: Mark

Mark — Sun, 05 Mar 2023 09:57:50 +0000

What a dreadfully harrowing account by Alf.
The poor man had to live his life with P.T.S.D.
no doubt.
There is a good and sympathetic film about the tragedy shown occasionally on Talking Pictures.
This must’ve affected you G.A. as this brave man recounted the unfolding events, actually happening to HIM, not just as a witness.
I once spoke to my grandma’s second husband, Bill.He recounted his experiences of the very first day of the battle of the Somme as a 15 year old.He was as “lucky” as Alf, receiving a bullet to the throat and leg, invalided out losing his leg to infection shortly after.
One more thing. Why do the bloody church have to be involved. God giveth and takes away?

By: Di Corry

Di Corry — Sun, 05 Mar 2023 09:16:40 +0000

Thank you GA for sharing Alf’s story with us, A tragic episode in the history of Bethnal Green. The Stairway To Heaven is at long last, a fitting memorial to those Eastenders who lost their lives that day.
My great grandmother lived in nearby Warley Street at the time and lost friends and neighbours in the disaster, she still found it difficult to talk about many years later.

By: achim

achim — Sun, 05 Mar 2023 08:16:19 +0000

I didn’t know that story before and immediately started researching it. This episode from the Blitzkrieg is very moving. The city of Kassel, where I live, got a fitting response from R.A.F. on 22 October 1943 — the city was destroyed. Today there are reminders of a curious kind: a bar calls its beer garden “Bomber Harris Garten” (after Sir Arthur Travers Harris, who was flying the raid), because you can still see the fire walls of the bombing raid today…

The tragedy is reminiscent of ABERFAN, whose disaster I focus on on my website.

To sum up: war is horror in its own terms. And Moscow should be ashamed of itself for provoking the third world war.

Thank you for this contribution.

Love & Peace
ACHIM

By: Paul Loften

Paul Loften — Sun, 05 Mar 2023 08:10:50 +0000

Thank you and Alf for telling this tragic story . So many lives . Every time I travel through Bethnal Green Station and walk up the stairs to the exit a feeling of sadness hits me .