- Contributed by听
- liberator_pilot
- People in story:听
- Jack Pelton
- Location of story:听
- London
- Article ID:听
- A2247905
- Contributed on:听
- 30 January 2004
It was July, 1944 and I was a young bomber pilot Lt. with the U.S. 8th Army Air Force stationed at Tibenham, Norfolk, on a 3 day leave to London.
Some kind English person had left tickets for a concert at Royal Albert Hall at the officer's club on Bond St. as a gift to any Yank who wantet them. I immediately acquired a ticket and set off for RAH.
Upon arrival I was seated in a box - what luxury! And I was it's sole occupant! Eventually, A MC appeared on the stage and gave all the information about seeking shelter in the basement and hall ways in the event of an air raid and concluding with, "...but the concert will NOT be interrupted." I was impressed!
The audience was then asked to stand for the singing of "God Save the Queen". Since the tune is the same as "AMERICA", our national anthem, I sang the words to "America" in a loud baritone voice and probably with some gusto. The people in adjacent boxes took it all in good form, but I wondered if they were'nt saying under their collective breaths, "When will these colonials ever learn to show proper respect for the QUEEN?"
I returned to Tibenham and completed my tour of 32 bombing raids and eventually returned home to my wife and family.I'm now approaching my 85th birthay, but will always remember the courage of the British who sat through a 'buzz-bomb' raid in a GLASS DOMED Concert Hall! Not a soul left for shelter as the bombs flew overhead, and not a soul reprimanded me!
"God Save The Queen"
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