Figure 1.--Here we see London's Musdlarks as the Luftwaffe turns on London during the peak of the Battle of Britain. In a way, this symbolizes the entire war for Britain. The war was was won by the everyday people of Britain who faced diown the Luftwaffe and the NAZIs when many in the moneyed-class were willing to make a deal.

Film Scene

During an air-raid sequence we see London's Mudlarks. Three boys are seen standing in a very shallow part of the River Thames. They wearing only their underpants and arguing whether or not the German aircraft are Messerschmitts or Heinkels. Two other boys are briefly seen, each wearing dark blue slipovers. One of these boys wears a grey shirt, while the other a blue one. The latter is holding a yellow fishing net. In this scene, on the day the Luftwaffe began attacking London, these boys are enjoying playing in the river Thames. The Luftwaffe bombers arrive. The boys identify the planes but there is disagreement among the them. We get close ups. The expression changes from wonder to slight alarm as the bombs begin to fall.

London Mudlarks

These boys are easily recognizable in Britain as "Mudlarks". The name is based on the wading birds that feed on tidal flats. The children are the impoerished children of East London who played on the tidal flats of the Thames.

Bill

It was not just the East End children that played in the T^hames. A British reader from West London remembers playing in the muddy tidal flats of the Thames. Bill and his friends called in "the beach". They were sometimes a real mess by the time that they got home.

Created: 9:37 PM 9/27/2004
Last updated: 8:04 PM 9/28/2004