It was important for the government to maintain morale, to encourage the impression that, despite the Blitz, life in London was still 'business as usual'. The official Ministry of Information captions for the first two photographs on this page show just how seriously they took this task

LONDON SHOWS THE FLAG

"German bombs have not stopped London, and they have not stopped the Londoners' spirit. Even in the hardest hit areas the Union Jack, placed here by the people Hitler could not crush, flies gaily and defiantly. There's not much left of Leslie's home, but Leslie makes sure that what is left will be British"

LONDON IS STILL LONDON

"After months of the German blitz and boasting, London is still very much London. Damage certainly has been done. Churches, hospitals, historical buildings and the homes of ordinary people have been destroyed, but London, heart of the British Empire, still beats strongly and undismayed. Tall buildings still rise in the sky, traffic still crowds the pavements of the main arteries of the greatest city in the world"

In many ways the Ministry of Information's propaganda had the ring of truth. Even after the most horrific bomb attacks, Londoners still turned up for work. Their favourite meeting place may have been gutted, but that didn't prevent Londoners stopping there for a quick chat with friends. Their shop may have been demolished in an air raid, but that wasn't going to stop them doing business, as usual. Half the street may have been blown away, but children still played in the streets of Silvertown.