London's West End hit badly

8th March 1941: No one, no matter how privileged, is safe from the bombs, as the Cafe de Paris is hit

The small dance floor in front of the band in the basement of the Cafe de Paris was the perfect place to enjoy a night out, even if bombs were falling outside.

There were few places to get away from the war in London. Even if bombs were no longer falling every night, the threat never went away, and sometimes when the Luftwaffe returned, the raids were severe.

For the affluent, the Café de Paris looked like a good option to forget about the war. There was dinner and dancing until the small hours, and the resident band was very good. Ken ‘Snakehips’ Johnson's brand of ‘Swing Jazz’ had been a sensation in the 1930s, and now, at 26, he was better than ever. The nightclub's basement location gave the feeling of security away from the outside world. It was advertised as "the safest and gayest restaurant in town - even in air raids. Twenty feet below ground".

Although the Blitz was happening outside, you felt quite safe because you were underground, away from where the bombs were landing.

But on the night of 8th March, the Luftwaffe had not forgotten about London.

The band leader, Ken ‘Snakehips’ Johnson, was killed on stage at the Cafe de Paris, along with other members of hisband. Previously thought to be a safe West End venue because it was located in a basement, but there were dozens of casualties when a bomb exploded in the confined space.