During the summer of 1944 when London was being attacked by German V-I planes, I as a 12 year old, would sometimes take a train from home up to London Bridge railway station to visit my father, who was at that time on light duties (because of an injury) from his usual job s a Leading Porter with the Southern Railway.
These duties consisted of working shifts, spotting for V-I's from the stations roof, although as a large station London Bridge has a vast covered area, which in those days was mainly covered with glass, the only flat area to observe any thing, what so ever, was an area approximately 20 yards square, this had a low wall surrounding it, and had a sand bagged dug-out installed in one corner.
He was aided with a warning bell sounded at intervals from lookout posts along the route from the coast, when one reached within a distance of approximately 5 miles from the station, a red flag was raised over Martin's a leather manufacturing company in Grange Road, Bermondsey about ¾ a mile away, this was the signal to sound the station alarm, a 'push switch' situated within the dug-out, to evacuate everyone from the station, that is, except the two on duty on the roof and perhaps me.
