Character Bios

Nigel Snap:

Loves Charles, his son, but wishes that he was tougher, because after all Nigel was the only one who raised him after his mother’s death. He believes that his son being drafted into the Royal Army Engineers is the best thing that has happened to Charles, it will help make a man out of him and with engineering he also gets to use his intelligence. Nigel himself is a veteran, and lost his leg to World War I. Unlike Charles he was willing to die for his country and found it an honor to go to war. He is always pushing Charles to do things that he (the father) wasn’t able to do as a younger man. Since he feel that Charles needs to be pushed he is very stern, and a believer in tough love. Secretly he just an emotional roller coaster who hides his not so manly emotions with being stern. He then receives news that Charles was in a bombing and automatically thinks that he dies. This devastates him and makes him wish that he had shown more affection for Charles, thus showing that his father does really care.

Lesley Velum:

Really sweet young lady only job she knows is being a nurse for the war, and one of Charles' nurses. Before the London blitz and being Charles' nurse she helped with the very dangerous evacuation of children. She is a part of the WVS (Women’s-voluntary-service) and works as a nurse in the rest centers taking care of bomb victims. Lesley and other volunteers take care of up to 10,000 people every night during the blitz. Although rest centers were not magnificent it still provided a roof, food and most importantly, sanitation. Lesley loved her job as dangerous as it may have been working so close to the centre of the bombings. She is very devoted to her job because she lost her brother to war. That helps her understand what the soldiers are going through and that their families would want them to be taken care of, if injured. Being Charles' nurse she really opens up to him and is outgoing. He grows very fond of her like a sister, she is very spunky but when it comes to her work she is very serious.

Charles Snap:

Prior to his life in the war when he was growing up he wasn’t very “tough” as said by his father to father’s. He always felt like a disappointment because he never knew a mother’s parenting side, which he would have fit in a lot more. He is very stressed our by his father but respects him and abides by his rules as much as he can. When he meets people he usually comes of as arrogant because of his shyness, and awkwardness which is seen as him having a lack of interest. People when they get to know him think he is a wonderful and very intelligent person but because of his father always on his case he has a low self esteem. During the war he patrols the city as one of the British Army Royal Engineers. Charles not only patrols the city but he also has to find and defuse these unexploded bombs (UXBs).This job was a special one only the smartest were picked for because of the sharp thinking, delicate treatment, and split-second timing. During the Blitz Charles and a friend are both assigned to defuse bombs in a section of London. Charles was willing to fight for his country but not die for it. When Charles' friend is defusing a bomb Charles wanders off thinking his friend will be okay. Suddenly there is an explosion and his friend is killed and Charles is severely injured. His cuts get infected resulting staph infections. In the hospital he is used as a guinea pig and has an experimental medicine tested on him (penicillin). Charles slowly gets better and is intrigued by this new medicine. So he begins to study the history of the "miracle drug" that saved him, by reading the newspaper on his hospital bed.

Jude Beulah:

Also works in the Royal Army Engineers as Charles' partner and short time friend. He comes from Yorkshire and was also drafted. Unlike Charles, who was an only child, he has many 3 younger brothers and 2 younger sisters that have been evacuated into the country side. He sees that what he does in the army is his way of protecting his family. Another difference between Jude and Charles was that Jude was willing to die for his country as well as all his family. Jude is the all around great guy, very outgoing and very thoughtful person. Women are constantly flirting with him because of his charm and good looks. Him and Charles are different in so many ways but it all works out. His family always noticed his intelligence but it was very hard for his family to afford school, they thought that him joining Royal Army Engineers was great, but scary. At times he can be very happy but in the blink of an eye be serious. Sadly while defusing a bomb it explodes and he is killed.