Foyles War Analysis

   This particular episode focuses primarily on the subject of looting during bomb raids by the AFS or Auxiliary Fire Service. We know this to be true from court records of the time and descriptions of a type of ‘Black Market’ in fake fire service uniforms where looters would pose as officers and steal from a bombed out house while there was a scare. In Hastings it has been recorded that looting happened six times in six months which shows that this type of crime occurred quite frequently in this area.

   The punishment given for looting was hanging and this is mentioned a couple of times in the film; however no one ever actually got hanged for looting during the war which suggests it might not have been as big a problem as was first thought, or simply that looters were let off such a drastic form of punishment.  

   Murder is also included and we know from sources that murder rate increased dramatically in the war such as in the case of ‘Harry Dobkin’ who murdered his wife and buried her under bomb wreckage hoping she would be discovered as an air raid victim. The way the investigations are carried out by the police is done quite realistically and is well written so as to create an exciting yet believable drama.

   However this drama was created for the sole purpose to entertain its audience and so Horowitz has had to exaggerate his story to make it dramatic. Although the crimes featured did certainly go on it is very unlikely that they would have happened all in the same place at the same time. This does in turn decrease the reliability of this source as some details must have been embellished.

   In conclusion this source is very reliable in that it is based on historical facts that have been collected by the author. The looting crime is shown exactly as it might have happened with AFS uniforms and a sign afterwards reading ‘Hanging’ which we know the Lord Mayor of London suggested be put up to warn people of the consequences of their actions. Conversely this drama was designed to entertain its audience and as a result it must be dramatized and therefore painting a less accurate view on crime rate in Hastings during the war. Overall I think this is quite a reliable source as it shows a wide variety of crime situations that may have happened as well as suggesting the way the police force in that area may have reacted.