‘Over three hundred were killed in the blast, Ivy, and not all of them could be identified.’ He gripped her tightly as if he could imbue her with some of his strength. ‘You know what it were like when that terrace went up two streets down from Beach View. There were virtually nothing left of anything.’

Ivy stared at him dumbly, finding it almost impossible to digest this shocking news, as the images of that terrible night flashed vividly in her mind.

Andy held her close, resting his chin lightly on the top of her head. ‘I’ve been to the site, love. There ain’t much left of the mansions – just one small section of it is still standing, and all the tenants from there have been accounted for.’

Ivy shuddered as she remembered how the V-2 had devastated the terrace where her mates had been billeted, and who’d escaped only because they’d been on night shift. She began to realise why she hadn’t been told. ‘I expect Mum and Dad didn’t think it necessary to inform the authorities about staying there for just one night. So no one would think of looking for ’em,’ she whispered.

‘You’re right, love. That’s exactly what ’appened.’ Andy drew her further into his embrace, holding her close in an attempt to ease her trembling as Peggy and Gloria stood helplessly by.

Ivy tried desperately to think straight. ‘But why didn’t someone get in touch with me when they failed to turn up at their new billet? And how come you know all this, Andy?’

Andy drew a deep, shuddering breath before replying, and Peggy could see how deeply this was affecting him. ‘Last night, I went to the address yer mum gave you and met the Dutch lady what’s living there with her kids. Mrs De Vries is ever so nice, Ivy, clever too, ’cos she was the one who found out what happened.’

‘How?’

‘She works with refugees and displaced persons, so knew the right people to ask about the family who never arrived to take up the comfortable billet they’d been offered. Their no-show worried her, and as the timing coincided with the V-2 attack she started asking questions.’

Gloria slipped behind the bar and poured glasses of brandy for them all. ‘Drink that,’ she ordered. ‘It’ll stiffen yer nerves.’

Andy swallowed his in one and set the glass aside, but Ivy ignored hers.

‘Mrs De Vries started with the rehousing authorities to get their names, and some explanation as to why they weren’t concerned at their disappearance. She was told that no-shows often happened, and they assumed they’d found another place to stay that was nearer to their friends, and hadn’t bothered to tell them. They hadn’t been happy about it, but as so many people were waiting for housing, they didn’t have the time or the resources to track them down.’