Event    From 7/9/1940  To /5/1941

The Blitz

Categories: Tragedy

During WW2 Britain came under heavy bombing from Germany for 8 months, 1940-1941. This was called 'the Blitz' from the German word Blitzkrieg meaning 'lightning war'. London was particularly badly hit, especially at the start, being attacked every day/night of the first 57 days, except one. The objectives were the destruction of industrial targets, and to break the morale of the civilian population. But the Blitz failed, on both fronts, leaving London with extensive physical damage but a new psychological weapon, the Blitz spirit.

This interactive map shows all of the bombs dropped on London during the Blitz.

2019: Spitalfields Life posted a number of central London buildings that bear the scars of war.

The Library Time Machine has a lovely post about the Home front volunteers in Chelsea, 1940s.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
The Blitz

Commemorated ati

Abbey Road Depot - WW2 ARP members lost

Bill Wallis is described on the plaque as 'ARP Stretcher Bearer'. Which we ta...

Read More

Balham Station bombing - 1

In memory of the 64 people killed at this station by a wartime bomb 14th Octo...

Read More

Balham Station bombing - 2

{Beneath the London Transport logo:} In remembrance of the civilians and Lond...

Read More

Balham Station bombing - 3

In remembrance of the civilians and London Transport staff who were killed at...

Read More

Bank Station WW2 bomb

{Above the London Underground roundel:} In remembrance of the fifty six peopl...

Read More

Show all 53

Other Subjects

Colin Ward

Colin Ward

Colin Ward was born on 6 August 1950 the son of David A. Ward and Louisa C. Ward née Hemingway. His birth was registered in the 3rd quarter of 1950 in the Halifax Registration District, Yorkshire W...

Person, Tragedy

1 memorial
Patricia Susan Anthony

Patricia Susan Anthony

Her full name of Patricia Susan Anthony was obtained from The Times website that gives her date of birth as 7 March 1958 and that she lived in South Woodford, London. It also reports that she was a...

Person, Tragedy, Scotland, Southeast Asia

1 memorial
Michael John Maddocks-Watson

Michael John Maddocks-Watson

Michael John Maddocks-Watson was born in August 1942, the son of John A. Maddox-Watson (b.circa 1917) and June Elizabeth Maddocks-Watson née Clarkson-Tinline (1921-1995). His birth was registered i...

Person, Tragedy

1 memorial
Avnish Ramanbhai Patel

Avnish Ramanbhai Patel

United Kingdom citizen who died in the terrorist attacks in America on 11 September 2001. Avnish Ramanbhai Patel was born on 2 May 1973 in Lambeth and lived with his parents in Clapham until he wa...

Person, Tragedy, USA

1 memorial
Akis Kollaros

Akis Kollaros

Akis Kollaros was killed by a tipper truck at about 4pm on a Monday.  From Roadcc: "A 34-year-old originally from Greece, Akis Kollaros was a music producer and sound engineer, and a member of the ...

Person, Cyclist, Tragedy

1 memorial

Previously viewed

Enfield Market

Enfield Market

From Wikipedia: "In 1303, Edward I granted a charter to Humphrey de Bohun, and his wife to hold a weekly market in Enfield each Monday, and James I granted another in 1617, to a charitable trust, f...

Place, Commerce

1 memorial
London Parochial Charities

London Parochial Charities

In 1880 a report by a royal commission led to the City of London Parochial Charities Act. This provided that the five largest parishes of London could continue to administer their own charitable en...

Group, Benefactor

3 memorials
Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

The borough was formed in 1965 by the merging of the separate former boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea. It was originally planned to call it just Kensington, but Chelsea was added after local prot...

Group, Politics & Administration

32 memorials
Spitfire aircraft

Spitfire aircraft

From our Picture source: "Produced in greater numbers than any other British combat aircraft before or since the War, 20,341 Spitfires were built in 22 different variants (excluding the navalised S...

Vehicle, Armed Forces, Aviation, Transport

5 memorials