Waving goodbye as London burned:

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

Poignant photos show children

sent to the country during The Blitz as the capital suffered nightly bombing raids

75 years ago on September 7, 1940, the German air force dropped their first bomb on London in what would be the start of eight months of terrifying attacks. More than 43,000 people were killed as terrified families huddled in specially-made shelters for protection and thousands of children were evacuated (left; top right) to the countryside in a desperate bid to keep them safe. One million people were left homeless as 50,000 tonnes of explosives were dropped across the city (bottom right) in an almost nightly pounding, setting hundreds of buildings - including scores of churches - ablaze. Now, the day before the 75th anniversary of the start of the attacks, Dame Vera Lynn - one of wartime's most iconic singer-songwriters - has revealed how she coped with the daily bomb scares.