Bath Under Fire
The inspiration that made me decide to write a
series set in Bath during WWII came from a friend who asked if I knew much
about the Baedeker raids that happened over three days in the city during April
1942. I knew nothing! I’d never even heard about them, but my need to learn more
was instantaneous and the start of my research for my new series, The Home
Front Nurses began.
I read books and immersed
myself in everything I could learn online, I also went to my local archive
centre and found lots of amazing facts and stories from letters and diaries of
people who lived through the raids. However, one of the most useful aspects of
my research occurred during this year’s annual Bath Festival when I signed up
for the Bath Blitz Walking Tour. I was so looking forward to it as I had very
little to no idea of which areas of the city had been affected by the bombing
(my mum went on to tell me my nan’s house, who lived in Bath at the time, was flattened on the second night of
the raids!).
The tour guide – whose
name I forgot to note down, much to my shame – proved himself a fountain of
knowledge and enthusiasm who walked with us for two hours and talking about
many different spots in Bath. I saw bomb damage I’d never noticed before,
evidence of demolition and rebuilding and sadly learned the names of entire
families who were killed outright when their homes suffered direct hits. The
guide also told us stories of the industrial area situated along part of the
River Avon that runs through Bath which was a slum area at the time. A bomb hit
the gasworks here, but never exploded – if it had, it would have been
catastrophic.
An unexploded bomb also
landed in the grassed area in the centre of The Circus, a beautiful circle of
Georgian residential houses. The bomb was later disturbed by the clearing work
of firemen and volunteers and killed at least one person, injuring many others.
It would have been a lot worse if the bomb had exploded when it was dropped.
Other buildings close to The Circus were also affected. An upper-class hotel at
the time, The Regina, took a direct hit, killing all the people taking shelter in
the basement except for two, the force of the blast setting fire to the
Assembly Rooms across the road which was nearly completely gutted. The Assembly
Rooms were Bath’s premier venue for balls and soirees and was visited by famous
writers such Charles Dickens and Jane Austen during their time staying (and
writing) in Bath.
If you are interested
in learning more about the Bath Blitz, I cannot recommend the walking tour
enough – here is a link to the website detailing the next available walks (and
other things that might interest you): https://www.bathguides.org.uk/summer-walks-calendar2024/
A memorial listing all
those who were lost stands at the main entrance way to Victoria Park which can
be found in the centre of the city off of Gay Street and near Queen Square…
Rachel x
Here's the blurb & buy link for The Home Front Nurses - out now!
September
1941, Bath – three friends are about to find that some of the biggest battles
are to be found on the home front…
As war rages and brave
soldiers returning home from the frontline need nurses more than ever, fiercely
proud redhead Sylvia Roberts is
determined to help in any way she can. In spite of her mother’s belief she
isn’t good enough, Sylvia believes that becoming a home front nurse is her
calling.
Together with the two friends
she makes on her first day in the job – Freda and Veronica – she knows she can help save
lives. And, as the devastation of war shows no signs of ceasing, their work
becomes ever more vital.
Then Sylvia’s life is thrown
into the path of a man who might just be able to capture her heart. Even though
he is somebody who everyone – except her best friends – seems prejudiced
against. Can love really conquer all, in times of war?
One thing she knows is that –
in the dangerous days that will follow – she and her friends will all need to
support each other right to the end…
The
Home Front Nurses is a gripping,
uplifting story of unbreakable bonds of friendship in times of strife and
heartbreak.
I wonder if Gay Street is named after one of my ancestors. My mum was a Gay and her father's family was originally from Bath. Many were married in bath Abbey.
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