Britain During The Blitz

Now all we need do is suggest where some of these locations could be. I think the bus/tram in the bomb crater could be somewhere around the Old Kent Road as one shot shows the South Metropolitan Gas Company offices, near a Dairy at 184 XYZ Road and across from Harper Bros Stores. I think the route number on the back might be "88" but it also looked like Acton.... as a destination.... over to the older and wiser heads. Likewise Post 48 (I think) of 2 shots of a huge crater with rescuers tunnelling into a basement. No doubt someone could match both the Church outlines together with the impressive pediment of a building on the road up to one of the Churches, and the chimney?? Any of the others? There is a sign for Lambert House in one of the London strets, where was that?

 

Churchill Speech:

Churchill Tells 'Em

 

Peckham in South East London

 

amazing photos thanks for sharing them.It shows to me how strong the people in that time were,nothing but respect.

 

My name is Lewis and i am 19 years old. I am currently involved in a project about The Blitz during the Second World War and was hoping that you could possibly shed some light and assist me if you possibly could. My aim is to find out about the role of the Emergency Services during the Blitz. What they did, how they did it, organizations involved etc. If you could possibly help me out i would be extremely greatful Ladies and Gentlemen.

Many Thanks

Lewis

 

having looked through these photos, all of which brought back personal memories, my thoughts went back to a previous thread regarding the fate of the UK if the Germans had invaded and a few were of the opinion that we would not have survived.

I think that these photos show the spirit and determination to carry on that existed in our homeland and answers the question.

Tony

 

Lewis,
Hello and welcome to the forum.

Link here for the Liverpool Museum which may answer some of your questions.
Liverpool museums - Emergency Services | Spirit of the Blitz

Regards
Tom

 

One of my tutors at University specialised in civilian morale during the Blitz. I can remember looking at some Mass Observation reports on morale at the time and from what I can gather there was a bit more panic and looting than we would tend to believe, but that it was kept quiet. Not sure if you can really quantify morale as its such a slippery concept, but an interesting thought none the less

 

This is a picture I have of the biggest bomb
crater at the Bank tube station, it shows a
temporay bridge to enable vehicles to cross
over. The caption states that the censor gave
permission for the picture to be used as long
as all the crater was blacked out and only the
image of the trucks passing over the bridge was
shown

 

Serving as a Messenger at that time at my local ARP Control Centre, it was reported that the bomb went straight down one of the Tube station entrances before exploding underground. Hence the extraordinary extent of the damage and the huge loss of life amongst those sleeping there.

 

Thank you for sharing these. When I look at some of the photos in the downtown and I know my Mum was working for the "War Office" somewhere in that area of London, it is amazing to think what they went through.

 

Andy

It's always the odd photo that jogs one's memory.

When I saw the photo you had posted of a soldier looking in a shop window my eyes were immediately drawn to his helmet slung over his gas mask holder. This was always the way both servicemen and defence workers used to carry these items and on my daily commute into London (prior to call-up, and as a CD Warden) I used to wear these items.

I think I've already thanked you for posting these superb pics but, if not, consider yourself well and truly thanked now

Ron

 

What a brilliant reminder to us old'ens and what it was like when we should have been teenagers enjoying life. I remember the the first raid on the docks very well and was horrified to see German planes flying in formation overhead, with only the ocassional ack-ack burst. The sky was lit up that night when the Luftwaffe came back to stoke up the fires. It was a case of 'sow the wind, and reap the whirlwind' and didn't they just.

 

Excellent pictures i wonder if any one can do a then and now theme using them

 

just reading the Telegraph facsimile copy of 5/11/41
there is an article with photo of how badly damaged and bombed building basements were used to store water for fire fighting all over the country.
the walls were sealed then filled with water.

 

In the early days of WW2 my oldest sister was married to a gentleman named Sol Leboff.

The Leboff family. pre WW2, was a substantial name in Timber and wood products and were well known for the quality of their merchandise.

My brother Mick was once on leave in wartime London and was very surprised to see lots of Blitz damaged houses with the name Leboff painted on the outside wall.

At first, he was extremely puzzled at what appeared to be an unusual form of advertising.

It was not until much later, when the proverbial penny dropped, that he realised that the word Leboff actually stood for LEB OFF and was simply a message left for any entering the damaged building that the London Electricity Board had switched off the power supply

Ron

 

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I was in Canterbury last week and apparently a rather large Roman house and Baths complex was found under the rubble of some of the bombing. There was a rather nice mosaic corridor with several central motifs, a hypocaust and various other finds. They are on show in the Roman Museum which was built over the site and worth a quick visit if you're at a loose end for about an hour in Canterbury. It only costs about £3-4 to get in.

 

3.
The sign reads 'Hitler's Bombs can't beat us, Our Oranges on sale have come through Musso's Lake (The Med)


I had always thought bananas disappear during the war?

 

Excellent pictures i wonder if any one can do a then and now theme using them

It's been quite awhile since I posted, but perhaps I can add something in response to this:

A link to a then photo of St. Paul's Cathedral

Google Image Result for http://www.corbisimages.com/images/67/A31136FA-0246-4D8B-8C55-EAA0C9AC8DFF/IH171841.jpg

and a photo I took in 2005 of the same side of the Cathedral, albeit from a slightly different angle.


I did find another shot that looks like it was taken from the same angle (although higher in a building's rubble) in 1941
Google Image Result for http://cache4.asset-cache.net/xc/3296839.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=45B0EB3381F7834D0B957780689ADC39C537445791D308488D143FD4AE7FC81B

 

Absolute brilliant pictures, thank you for sharing them! I am amazed to see so many people smile!