William and Dorothy Rose lived with their two children at 81 Brook Green, Hammersmith, London.  Brook Green is a charming London neighborhood in the Hammersmith area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. It is located approximately 3.6 miles (5.8 km) west of Charing Cross and is bordered by Kensington, Shepherd's Bush, Holland Park and Brackenbury Village. Notable past residents included John Milton (1608–1674) and William Morris (1834–1896).

 

Jasper: "It was 1938. German and Italian Jewish refugees were living at our house. My father was a university teacher and translator of German and French. Many were people who he knew through his work."  We had lots and lots of refugees that came through."

With the start of the Second World War in 1939, Jasper and his fellow students were evacuated to the English countryside for fear of the aerial bombardment of the whole city of London by the German Luftwaffe.  For the same reason, Jasper's mother Dorothy left London for her rural English village of Sutton Courtenay.  And, German high explosive bombs did fall on Brook Green during 1940-41.   Jasper's father William left London in 1939 to be deployed with the British Army.

Above:  Brook Green about 1920.  The Rose family lived at 81 Brook Green, but the local street numbering system has since changed.  Their old house can't be easily identified via street number ("81" doesn't exist), but these pictures are very typical of the architecture of their whole street.

Above: The Brook Green street scene from 1920 revisited in 2019.  The 1940-41 German bomb damage to residences and the Green itself were repaired.

Above:  Brook Green residences and the Green itself were hit by German bombs at these locations during the London "Blitz" of 1940-41.

Above:  Postcard sent from Zurich, Switzerland to Jasper's father William Rose at 81 Brook Green, London on January 24, 1939.

Above:  Brook Green from a 1940 map of London.

Above:  Brook Green from a 2019 map of London.

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