Subterranean London's 'finest hour' was the moment at which it was decided that 79 underground stations (and the children's shelter – The Aldwych Extension) would become bomb shelters for over 100,000 people during the air raids of World War Two.
London During the Blitz
Images of stoic Londoners lined up in the tunnels and platforms of London's tube are enduring images from World War Two. However, as the authors reveal through some fascinating source material, life underground was often grim, dreary and dangerous. Trench and Hillman refer to the artist Henry Moore who 'rediscovered' the London Underground in 1940 when cutting back on his car use. Moore's first encounter with the shelterers made such a deep impression on him that he was moved to draw an evocative series of sketches on the subject.
Henry Moore refers to the 'grim tension' amongst the shelterers and states that, 'I never made any sketches whilst underground, it would have been like drawing in the hold of a slave ship.' Moore's sketches of the 'reclining figures' are suggestive of skeletons or corpses. Bereft of defining features, impossible to discern gender, race or age, they suggest a living death in an interminable tunnel tomb.
Underground Shelters in World War Two
Amidst the often appalling conditions, the intrepid spirit of London prevailed. The reader of London under London is allowed a fascinating insight into the 'subterranean society' which developed during the long hours spent underground. Lending libraries, canteens, first-aid posts, underground theatre, evening classes and station committees all played their part in helping shelterers maintain some sense of routine amidst the chaos.
As Trench and Hillman point out, it was not just the Tube that was used for underground shelter. Crypts, cellars and warehouses also provided subterranean sanctuary for Londoners. Photos of the Blitz-weary sleeping in stone coffins or against beer kegs are at once raw and emotive.
Two enormous subterranean warehouses which were used as shelters by London's East Enders are described in vivid detail. The horrendous conditions endured by the frightened people who flocked underground are portrayed in further sketches by Henry Moore and stark eye-witness accounts.
London Underground's Disused Stations
Chapter One of London under London also lists interesting facts regarding Winston Churchill's plans for an extensive subterranean shelter network. The authors briefly allude to the fascinating subject of disused or 'lost' underground stations; Down Street, Dover Street, Brompton Road, to name but a few, and the significance of these abandoned stations during World War Two.
The chapter is concluded with reference to the 'myth' of subterranean wartime London in contrast to the grim realities. As the readers are reminded, 'They [the myths] are part of the city's history. But they are only a part.' To fully appreciate the 'complexity' of the world that lies beneath London's pavements, it is necessary to understand the significance of the underground rivers, past and present, that flow there.
London under London, a Subterranean Guide by Richard Trench and Ellis Hillman, first published 1984 by John Murray, ISBN 0 7195 5288 5
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