The Blitz: London's Longest Night

The aftermath - rescue worker sits on bombed out rubble.

This is the night Hitler hoped would break the spirit of the British people and leave them begging for peace. On December 29th, 1940, the German Luftwaffe attacked London with devastating results - tens of thousands of incendiary bombs were dropped on the heart of the city. Firemen and heavy workers fought all night to control the burning buildings, many risking their lives. Londoners fled for the protection of shelters, uncertain if their home would still stand after the bombing. The following morning they emerged after a terrifying and sleepless night to face the smoking ruins of the city. The program airs on PBS Wednesday, February 15, 2006, check local listings.

THE BLITZ: LONDON'S LONGEST NIGHT is based on more than two years research uncovering eyewitness accounts, true, intimate personal stories are transformed into exciting and emotional drama. The program features the following perspectives:

* Sid Feldon - Lost most of his family in the raid and hunted to find his younger brother and sister who were saved from the wreckage of their shelter.

* Jessica Jacobs - watched the attack from a vantage point and saw the whole city ablaze. In the morning 16 year old Jessica went into the city to see the damage.

* Richard Hollsgrove - Fire fighter tackled the firestorm that was started by the falling incendiaries

* George Wheeler - Describes the horror of the Heavy rescue workers pulling people from the bombsites and how the attack nearly crippled the city.

* Leonard Rosoman - Renowned War Artist was at the time of the attack working as an auxiliary firefighter with the writer William Sansom. He describes the horror of the firestorm and the memories of the night which still haunts him.

* Joe and Marie Gilmore - Joe was working as a barman at the Savoy hotel were many of the foreign correspondents were billeted. He describes seeing the city on fire for the first time.

* Barbara White Walker - adopted daughter of William White, an American Correspondent who details the night in his Diary.

* Ann Regan-Atherton - her father, Bill, a Heavy Rescue worker, kept a detailed diary of the night which describes how he and his wife Vi struggled through the bombs and the firestorm to get back to their home in East London

Innovatively mixing CGI and archive footage, the program creates visually spectacular scenes that bring the awe-inspiring night alive.

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