Freud_Burlingham_1943_War_and_Children_k_text

flat had been bombed and they had been takenin by neighbours, would demand to be takenout of bed at night during raids and to sit alldressed on a chair. She never repeated thisreaction when living with us. We also had anopportunity to observe one mother with a newbornbaby who, at a time before the shelterhad been built, slept in our house under thestairs.Whenever the whistling of a bomb washeard she would snatch up the baby and couldhardly be prevented from rushing out of doors.She must have known that the child was saferunder the stairs than in the open with thecontinual rain of anti-aircraft shrapnel. Butthis realization did not help matters; it wasevidently abrogated by a more primitive fearof the baby being buried in the house. Thebaby, of course, remained unconscious of thedanger but, in watching the scene, we feltconvinced that the mother's state of frenzymust have imparted itself to the baby in someharmful manner. Luckily, this particular motherwas able to leave London soon for thecomparative safety of the country.The fear of air raids assumes completelydifferent dimensions in those children whohave lost their fathers as a result of bombing.In quiet times they turn away from their memoriesas much as possible and are gay andunconcerned in their play with the other chil-35