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'London, once the greatest city in the world,
has become a frontier town.'
This was how an American journalist described the capital in the early years of the war. In every frontier town there is the problem of lawlessness and the ideal conditions for crime to flourish. German bombers facilitated entry to other people's houses, and under cover of the blackout, looters set out on their gruesome treasure trove. The strict enforcement of rationing led to a flourishing black market and emergency laws made a whole new range of offences punishable with terms of imprisonment. The prison population increased by 50% between 1938-45. Beside the crimes of greed, crimes of passion increased. The enforced separation of husband and wife often led to one or other taking a new partner, often with tragic results when an armed soldier arrived home unexpectedly. Murderers, black-marketeers, prison-officers, prostitutes and prisoners tell us, in their own words, about their war - When the Lights Went Down. |