Lights Out

As I learn about my family history, I often think about the time period in which family members lived. It is important to keep that in mind, to understand what their life was like and to understand the experiences that shaped them.

My mother shared a story with me about what it was like living during WWII, between 1939 - 1945, she was 10 - 16 years old during this war.  She did not have immediate family members in the war, but still the war left an impression on her.

Newfoundland is the furthest eastern point in North America to Europe.  During WWII, Newfoundland was still a British Colony.

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As a child, my mother remembered the rule, lights out at night, completely out.  She told me, no lights and no radios were allowed. Total blackout precautions were enforced to prevent the enemy from finding a target. I can imagine how extremely difficult this made life for those who were required to follow this precaution and the fear it created.  This could explain why my mother was always uncomfortable in the dark.

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    Heinkel He 111 bombers during Battle of Britain
         http://ww.worldwar2facts.org/battle-of-britain.html