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.

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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...

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Balham Station bombing - 1

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

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Balham Station bombing - 2

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

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Balham Station bombing - 3

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

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Bank Station WW2 bomb

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

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Show all 53

Other Subjects

Michael Minh Matsushita

Michael Minh Matsushita

Michael Minh Matsushita was born on 25 May 1968 in Vietnam, the son of a South Vietnamese soldier killed in the conflict when he was just five months old. At the age of three, he and his mother, Mu...

Person, Tragedy, USA, Vietnam

3 memorials
Fred Hampton

Fred Hampton

Fredrick Allen Hampton Sr. was an American activist. He came to prominence in Chicago as chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party (BPP), and deputy chairman of the national BPP. ...

Person, Politics & Administration, Tragedy, USA

1 memorial
George Thompson

George Thompson

Role on the lost expedition: Able seaman on SS Erebus. See John Franklin.

Person, Exploring, Tragedy

1 memorial
Richard Martyn Gray, F.C.A.

Richard Martyn Gray, F.C.A.

Richard Martyn Full was born on 31 May 1964 in Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire, the son of Martyn John Full (1937-2011) and Maureen Full née Abbott. He used the surname of Gray which was the name of hi...

Person, Tragedy

2 memorials
Felix Dearden

Felix Dearden

Felix Sara Felicity Dearden was born on 11 January 1955, a daughter of Norman Peter Dearden (1924-2002) and Joan Kingston Dearden née Richardson (1920-2010). Her birth was registered in the Stockpo...

Person, Tragedy, Germany

1 memorial

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Thomas Haynes Parker

Thomas Haynes Parker

Churchwarden in Clerkenwell in 1845. Insurance papers for 1835 list a Thomas Haynes Parker at 25 Winyatt Street, Goswell Street, "paper stainer". By 1836 he has become "gent" with another property ...

Person, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
W. H. Smiths

W. H. Smiths

Henry Walton Smith and his wife Anna opened a small newsvendors in 1792 in Little Grosvenor Street. HW and then Anna died, and their sons took over, renaming the business after one of them, William...

Group, Commerce

6 memorials
Vernon Hall

Vernon Hall

It occupied the building that once was Bow Public Library. We can find find no further information about its function, nor who Vernon was.

Building, Community / Clubs

2 memorials
Henry Richard Hope Pinker

Henry Richard Hope Pinker

Bob Speel tells us that this sculptor's works are rare, in London at least, but he knows of some in Salisbury and Oxford. The NPG has "Hope-Pinker".

Person, Sculpture

2 memorials
Sir Stewart Duke-Elder

Sir Stewart Duke-Elder

Ophthalmologist. Born in Pitlochry, Scotland. Wrote a classic manual for eye surgeons, entitled "Textbook of Ophthalmology".

Person, Medicine, Scotland

1 memorial