But was it really a true reflection of the mood during the London Blitz of 1940?

Once, when they had had nights of continuous bombing and couldn't stand it any longer they went to my mother's parents home in North Wales for a few nights but my grandparents had a very large family and didn't encourage them to stay. Port cities and epicentres of industry were always the main targets during the Blitz, with a similar fate suffered by many locations across the UK including Sheffield, known for its steel production and the port of Hull. In total it is believed that around 25,000 bombs were dropped on the Docklands area, a statement of German intention to destroy commercial life and weaken civilian resolve.

Across the UK, towns and cities were subjected to the German bomber raids which, over the course of eight months resulted in 43,500 deaths of innocent civilians. Confusion and panic conspired to trap hundreds on the staircase entrance.

The real story of the Liverpool Blitz: Outside of London, Liverpool was the most bombed area of the country. Anderson shelters were able to provide a certain level of protection as they were made by digging a large hole and placing the shelter within it. British Fighter Command was able to track and plot the course of German bombers from the moment they took off from bases in Europe. Across the country however, a similar picture was beginning to unfold as the Blitz was an assault on the entire United Kingdom.

The Blitz will forever be remembered as a crucial episode of the Second World War, a time when people needed to stick together, help each other and resolve to continue life as best they could.

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Winston Churchill visits the ruins of Coventry Cathedral. In the peak of activity in November 1940, the Midlands city of Coventry was subjected to an horrific attack which resulted in huge loss of life and a complete destruction of infrastructure which would forever change the blueprint of the city. Jessica Brain is a freelance writer specialising in history. Based in Kent and a lover of all things historical. The raids followed the failure of the German Luftwaffe to defeat Britain’s Royal Air Force in the Battle of Britain (July–September 1940). The medieval Coventry Cathedral was amongst the casualties on that fateful night on 14th November. Sadly, the bombs continued to rain down on cities around the UK. From this moment onwards, the capital city would be forced to become shrouded in darkness as the German bombers launched a sustained attack for consecutive months.

The ruins of a once magnificent historic building were left behind as a poignant memory of the atrocities of war. The Blitz will forever be remembered as a crucial episode of the Second World War, a time when people needed to stick together, help each other and resolve to continue life as best they could. The Liverpool Blitz was the heavy and sustained bombing of the English city of Liverpool and its surrounding area, during the Second World War by the German Luftwaffe.. Liverpool was the most heavily bombed area of the country, outside London, due to the city having, along with Birkenhead, the largest port on the west coast and was of incalculable importance to the British war effort. My aunt was in the armed forces, I think the army. When the air raid sirens sounded, Lononders would often be forced to sleep in shelters, either in underground stations running throughout the city or Anderson shelters built at the bottom of gardens in case a public shelter could not be reached in time. So people could work out which of their neighbours were well-off! Yet what Churchill described as ‘the worst single incident of the war’ occurred during an air raid on the city in November 1940. The ominous sound of the air raid siren became a sadly familiar sound as it echoed through the streets warning the public of incoming dangers. those of the BBC. Nearly 350 German bombers (escorted by over 600 fighters) dropped explosives on East London, targeting the docks in particular. The views expressed are theirs and unless specifically stated are not We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. During the same year, it was Liverpool that would be the second most targeted area besides London, with the docks serving as the principle focus whilst the surrounding residential areas were left completely destroyed. The bombing was known as The Blitz from the German word Blitzkrieg meaning lightning war. © Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author.

She was stationed down on the south coast in the run-up to D-Day and her American fiancee was killed in the Normandy landings.

By May 1941, night time attacks were decreasing as Hitler turned his attention elsewhere. Blitzkrieg – the lightning war – was the name given to the devastating German bombing attacks to which the United Kingdom was subjected from September 1940 until May 1941.

I never asked why he went into the fire service maybe he didn't know then he was afraid of heights, maybe he didn't realise it would be so bad.

In the eight month period of bombardment, the docks would become the most heavily targeted area for civilians living in fear of attack.