James Doherty was a young man at the outbreak of the Second World War. Living in North Belfast, he volunteered as an Air Raid Warden in his part of the city and was at Post 381 when the Luftwaffe attacked in 1941.
The events of the Belfast Blitz feature heavily in Doherty’s memoirs. He was in the thick of the action during the Luftwaffe raids in April and May 1941. As well as undertaking his role as an Air Raid Warden, he helped rescue survivors, worked with the homeless, and volunteered for duty at the temporary morgue opened at the Falls Road Publis Baths. In the midst of the chaos of Easter 1941, Doherty’s own home was destroyed. This memoir is not only a detailed record of wartime events but one told with warmth and affection. It is not just the story of Warden James Doherty, but of a city, and a way of life that would change forever.