Air Raids and RAF Days

'Air Raids and RAF Days' offers a vivid and deeply personal account of wartime London through the eyes of Londoner, John Teague. As bombs rained down during the Blitz, John, who was just 17 when war broke out, documented the devastation in South London while helping to rehouse displaced families. His diary captures the resilience of his loved ones, the camaraderie of his colleagues, and his own frustrations as a young man yearning for education and a simpler life.

Determined to serve, he volunteered for the RAF, hoping to become a pilot. But when his eyesight fell short of the requirements, he trained as a wireless operator mechanic instead. Through his diaries and letters from home, John brings to life his RAF training in the UK, his postings across Europe, and the people he met along the way.

This memoir is a must-read for anyone interested in personal accounts of World War II, the RAF, and the resilience of ordinary Londoners during the Blitz.

Della Judd and Helen Allinson

• 452 pages
• Paperback
• Diary extracts
• Letter extracts