Londoners were forced to fight for their lives during the Blitz in the Second World War and the enemy was their own government. With German bombers overhead, clearly the safest place to be was deep under ground. Yet the politicians would not allow anyone to shelter in underground Tube stations, and enforced the order with troops. They argued that if people hid in the tunnels they would never come out again.
Londoners grew angry. Government surface shelters had proved dirty and dangerous. When the bombs began to fall heavily in September 1940, most simply collapsed, killing many people. There were fights and civil disobedience was rife. Soon so many people bought a Tube ticket and refused to leave the Underground that the Government caved in. Bunk beds and toilets were supplied and some stations even had libraries, playgroups and shows. On the night of September 27, the Underground sheltered 177,000 people from the Luftwaffe.
