The Exeter Blitz
Encyclopedia
The Exeter Blitz is a children's historical novel by David Rees
, first published in 1978. It won the Carnegie Medal
for that year. The novel is about the heavy air raid on the city of Exeter
in Devon
in May 1942, and its effect on the life of one family, the Lockwoods.
.
At the cathedral Colin notes down an inscription carved by one of his ancestors, for his history homework. As Mr Lockwood has to check on the fire-fighting arrangements, Colin climbs to the top of the south tower for the first time, and is impressed by the extensive view of the city. He accidentally leaves his jacket up there, with his homework in the pocket.
When Colin gets home, his mother recruits him to hand out sherry and snacks at the fashion show in Nimrod's that evening. Colin finds he quite enjoys his duties, and he is surprised when Mr Kitchen and his wife join the party. He gets a fit of giggles when he listens to the speaker, Mrs Wimbleball, describing the new collection in glowing terms, and is sent out by his mother. He decides to retrieve his jacket from the cathedral tower, and climbs to the roof.
At this point the sirens start, and the planes arrive unusually soon afterwards. Colin sees the bombing start and is thrilled and fascinated until he realizes his danger. During a lull in the bombardment, he runs down the steps to an air raid shelter. On the way he narrowly escapes being hit by machine-gun fire.
Mr Lockwood and his younger daughter Joan are at home where they shelter under the stairs. A bomb falls on the house, destroying half of it. When the all-clear sounds they are able to crawl through the rubble to the street.
At Nimrod's, some people are trapped in the lift when the power station is hit. When a bomb hits the shop, Mrs Lockwood is injured, Mrs Wimbleball is paralyzed and the Kitchens are killed outright.
Mary and her boyfriend Lars are at the cinema, and leave immediately for the nearest shelter. Mary, a nurse, badly wants to get to the hospital, but Lars makes her wait until the all clear sounds. Later at the hospital, Mary sees her mother brought in unconscious.
Colin meets his Cockney schoolmate Terry at the shelter, and although they have been at odds before, the common experience brings them closer. As their fish shop has been destroyed, Colin invites Terry back to his house to sleep, not knowing it has also been bombed. Instead, they camp out in the fields.
The next day, it is clear that despite devastating damage to the city centre, the cathedral has been largely spared, raising morale.
Colin and Terry decide to use some of the no-longer frozen fish from the shop to provide free food for their neighbours. They cook all day and win praise for their efforts. It is the beginning of a new phase of life for Colin, more independent and adult.
The other family members do not fare so well, although they find a new home. Mr Lockwood is overwhelmed at work, Mrs Lockwood recovers, but misses her home, Mary is depressed and haunted by the injuries she has seen, and Joan mourns for all her beloved books and toys.
The Introduction provides the historical background, the RAF raid on the ancient German port of Lübeck
which prompted the retaliatory Baedecker raids on places of historical and architectural importance. It outlines the main architectural losses, considers the mystery of the survival of the cathedral, and notes that the city returned to a semblance of normality with surprising speed.
Children's books by the popular writers Enid Blyton
and Arthur Ransome
are mentioned as having been lost in the raid.
David Rees (author)
David Bartlett Rees was a British author, lecturer and reviewer. Much of his work was written for children and young adults. His books included The Exeter Blitz, which won the Carnegie Medal for 1978.-Biography:...
, first published in 1978. It won the Carnegie Medal
Carnegie Medal
The Carnegie Medal is a literary award established in 1936 in honour of Scottish philanthropist Andrew Carnegie and given annually to an outstanding book for children and young adults. It is awarded by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals...
for that year. The novel is about the heavy air raid on the city of Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
in May 1942, and its effect on the life of one family, the Lockwoods.
Plot summary
The novel opens in Colin Lockwood's school during a history lesson, the night after an air raid. Colin has fallen asleep, provoking sarcasm from the teacher, Mr Kitchen. At home, Colin irritates his mother and older sister Mary, and so decides to go to see his father, who is working at Exeter CathedralExeter Cathedral
Exeter Cathedral, the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter at Exeter, is an Anglican cathedral, and the seat of the Bishop of Exeter, in the city of Exeter, Devon in South West England....
.
At the cathedral Colin notes down an inscription carved by one of his ancestors, for his history homework. As Mr Lockwood has to check on the fire-fighting arrangements, Colin climbs to the top of the south tower for the first time, and is impressed by the extensive view of the city. He accidentally leaves his jacket up there, with his homework in the pocket.
When Colin gets home, his mother recruits him to hand out sherry and snacks at the fashion show in Nimrod's that evening. Colin finds he quite enjoys his duties, and he is surprised when Mr Kitchen and his wife join the party. He gets a fit of giggles when he listens to the speaker, Mrs Wimbleball, describing the new collection in glowing terms, and is sent out by his mother. He decides to retrieve his jacket from the cathedral tower, and climbs to the roof.
At this point the sirens start, and the planes arrive unusually soon afterwards. Colin sees the bombing start and is thrilled and fascinated until he realizes his danger. During a lull in the bombardment, he runs down the steps to an air raid shelter. On the way he narrowly escapes being hit by machine-gun fire.
Mr Lockwood and his younger daughter Joan are at home where they shelter under the stairs. A bomb falls on the house, destroying half of it. When the all-clear sounds they are able to crawl through the rubble to the street.
At Nimrod's, some people are trapped in the lift when the power station is hit. When a bomb hits the shop, Mrs Lockwood is injured, Mrs Wimbleball is paralyzed and the Kitchens are killed outright.
Mary and her boyfriend Lars are at the cinema, and leave immediately for the nearest shelter. Mary, a nurse, badly wants to get to the hospital, but Lars makes her wait until the all clear sounds. Later at the hospital, Mary sees her mother brought in unconscious.
Colin meets his Cockney schoolmate Terry at the shelter, and although they have been at odds before, the common experience brings them closer. As their fish shop has been destroyed, Colin invites Terry back to his house to sleep, not knowing it has also been bombed. Instead, they camp out in the fields.
The next day, it is clear that despite devastating damage to the city centre, the cathedral has been largely spared, raising morale.
Colin and Terry decide to use some of the no-longer frozen fish from the shop to provide free food for their neighbours. They cook all day and win praise for their efforts. It is the beginning of a new phase of life for Colin, more independent and adult.
The other family members do not fare so well, although they find a new home. Mr Lockwood is overwhelmed at work, Mrs Lockwood recovers, but misses her home, Mary is depressed and haunted by the injuries she has seen, and Joan mourns for all her beloved books and toys.
Characters
- Colin Lockwood, a 14-year-old Devon schoolboy
- June Lockwood, his younger sister, still at junior school
- Mary Lockwood, his older sister, a student nurse
- Brenda Lockwood, their mother, the assistant manageress at Nimrod's, an expensive dress shop
- Ron Lockwood, their father, a verger at the cathedral
- Terry Wootton, Colin's classsmate, one of the London evacuees
- Mrs Wootton, Terry's mother, who runs a fish shop in Exeter since her shop in London was bombed
- Mr Kitchen, a history teacher recalled from retirement due to the war
- Pam Foster, June's best friend
- Mr and Mrs Foster, Pam's parents
- Lars, Mary's boyfriend, a ballet-dancer who has just been called up
- Lorna Wimbleball, a visitor from Nimrod's head office in Kensington
Allusions to actual history
As the author explains in the Introduction, the novel is not intended to be an exact reconstruction of the air raid: most notably, there was no raid on the previous night (the earlier, less damaging raids having taken place in late April), and the actual raid started at around 1am in the morning of May 4 rather than in the late evening of May 3. The change in time is for dramatic effect, allowing the family to be believably scattered around the city. However, the other details of the raid, such as the machine-gunning, and the extent of the devastation are accurately portrayed.The Introduction provides the historical background, the RAF raid on the ancient German port of Lübeck
Lübeck
The Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the "capital" of the Hanseatic League and, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, is listed by UNESCO as a World...
which prompted the retaliatory Baedecker raids on places of historical and architectural importance. It outlines the main architectural losses, considers the mystery of the survival of the cathedral, and notes that the city returned to a semblance of normality with surprising speed.
Allusions to other works
On the dedication page, there is a quotation from Exeter Phoenix by Thomas Sharp, the town planner who redesigned Exeter.Children's books by the popular writers Enid Blyton
Enid Blyton
Enid Blyton was an English children's writer also known as Mary Pollock.Noted for numerous series of books based on recurring characters and designed for different age groups,her books have enjoyed huge success in many parts of the world, and have sold over 600 million copies.One of Blyton's most...
and Arthur Ransome
Arthur Ransome
Arthur Michell Ransome was an English author and journalist, best known for writing the Swallows and Amazons series of children's books. These tell of school-holiday adventures of children, mostly in the Lake District and the Norfolk Broads. Many of the books involve sailing; other common subjects...
are mentioned as having been lost in the raid.