Forums
Posted By: mikeeb Blitz: The bombs that changed Britain - 30th Sep 2020 3:02pm
Very interesting show on BBC2 at 7pm.
Tonights will be the second show of 4.
Last nights was about a bomb in Canning Town and the aftermath of it in the surrounding area with stories from those that remember it and descendants of those affected. Most of the residents had to go to this school for shelter but unfortunately that school was then bombed a few days later and many of the survivors had to go to other towns for shelter.
What I found most intriguing was that residents of a town were known as a 'native' and out of towners were known as 'immigrants'. If you wasn't a native you would virtually have to beg for blankets or food off the authorities of the neighbouring town you went to, some even saying it was degrading and refused to ask for help.
Was it only in London this happened because I have never heard of this before?
Did it happen here?

The last 2 shows are on Tuesday and Wednesday next week.
Posted By: granny Re: Blitz: The bombs that changed Britain - 30th Sep 2020 7:32pm

Just watched tonights episode. Quite moving when listening to the stories recorded by the children. I had no idea that Hull was bombed so badly, but in truth we've only ever heard about London ,Coventry and Liverpool , unless we made it our business to look for information. It all seemed far removed from when I grew up, as it was like something that happened years and years before and didn't resonate with children of the 50's despite it being only a handful of years before.
Dad never spoke about it. My grandfather never spoke about WWI but when the Liverpool Blitz happened mum said when the raids came he used to curl up in a corner and shake from top to bottom.
Posted By: diggingdeeper Re: Blitz: The bombs that changed Britain - 30th Sep 2020 10:10pm
All the major ports and industrial areas got hammered

The main sustained campaigns were against the following (but there were more).

Belfast
Birmingham
Bristol
Cardiff
Clydebank
Coventry
Hull
Liverpool
London
Manchester
Plymouth
Portsmouth
Sheffield
Southampton
Posted By: casper Re: Blitz: The bombs that changed Britain - 2nd Oct 2020 9:04am
Originally Posted by granny

Just watched tonights episode. Quite moving when listening to the stories recorded by the children. I had no idea that Hull was bombed so badly, but in truth we've only ever heard about London ,Coventry and Liverpool , unless we made it our business to look for information. It all seemed far removed from when I grew up, as it was like something that happened years and years before and didn't resonate with children of the 50's despite it being only a handful of years before.
Dad never spoke about it. My grandfather never spoke about WWI but when the Liverpool Blitz happened mum said when the raids came he used to curl up in a corner and shake from top to bottom.


We had bombed houses all around our school (Church Street), in one area there was a row of 5 houses left standing some of the kids that lived there attended our school, most of the building debris had been removed just leaving the foundations, early 50's.

Its a wonder the generation that fought in the great war had the will to carry on afterwards, constant bombardment, seeing pals killed and crippled both physically and emotionally, squalid rat infested conditions, and then returning to a world where conditions were not much better without any support, we now have students complaining they have been imprisoned, how the world has changed.
Posted By: granny Re: Blitz: The bombs that changed Britain - 3rd Oct 2020 7:48am
There must have been so much hate pouring out of those Nazi machines, from one end of the country to the other
( noting DD's list , thanks)

My dad's house in Penkett Road ,Wallasey , had a bomb land in the garden, and a great aunt had her house crumble but I don't think it was a direct hit. A picture on one wall managed to hang on, unscathed.
Mum said from the bedroom window of her family home in Broadgreen, on one night of the blitz, they could see the whole of the Liverpool skyline along the waterfront , lit up. Another night, as she was working in Warrington, she couldn't get home after work. So managed to stay the night in a B & B in Warrington. She had no means of telling my gran where she was. Needless to say, my gran et al, had thought the worst.
Everyone must have lived on their nerves, and to live through 2 World Wars in half a century, plus the depression and all that surrounds such ,including food rationing for years afterwards, as you say Casper, sadly todays youth have been imprisoned in the most dreadful conditions for no apparent reason ! They can't even go and spend their mum's money in the pub.The babies can''t even tie their shoe laces without complaining of a bad back.

Did you see the video on the May Blitz, Liverpool and Wirral. I'm sure I've posted it before ? Here it is again, Wirral does get a mention.








Posted By: joney Re: Blitz: The bombs that changed Britain - 3rd Oct 2020 10:39am
I remember the skyline being lit up it lasted two days and was mainly due to Bryant & Mays match factory being hit together with the wood yards alongside.It was probably an impossible task for the fire service.
Posted By: granny Re: Blitz: The bombs that changed Britain - 3rd Oct 2020 7:39pm


It gives details of the difficulties for the fire service in the video. Even the equipement was archaic. No health and safety then !
Posted By: mikeeb Re: Blitz: The bombs that changed Britain - 4th Oct 2020 10:03am
Originally Posted by joney
I remember the skyline being lit up it lasted two days and was mainly due to Bryant & Mays match factory being hit together with the wood yards alongside.It was probably an impossible task for the fire service.

That must have been some sight Joney.
Posted By: joney Re: Blitz: The bombs that changed Britain - 4th Oct 2020 10:19am
Our bedrooms were on the third floor in Exmouth street and looked out over the other rooftops towards the river and Liverpool so a very clear view and an awesome sight.
Posted By: mikeeb Re: Blitz: The bombs that changed Britain - 7th Oct 2020 5:35pm
The 4th and final episode is on BBC2 at 7pm tonight.
Tonights episode is based in Bristol.
Last nights episode should be available on iplayer.
© Wirral-Wikiwirral