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

Richard Muzira

Richard Muzira

A grandfather in his 60s, killed at about noon on a Monday, run down by a tipper truck. From the Standard: Richard Muzira was “a writer who endured years of torture as a political prisoner in Zimb...

Person, Cyclist, Tragedy

1 memorial
Eileen Lee
1 memorial
Bethnal Green WW2 disaster

Bethnal Green WW2 disaster

The worst civilian disaster of WW2. 173 men, women and children lost their lives as they went down into Bethnal Green underground air raid shelter in response to a siren. They died not from a bomb ...

Event, Tragedy

2 memorials
Elizabeth Stride

Elizabeth Stride

Elizabeth "Long Liz" Stride is believed to have been the third victim of the unidentified serial killer known as Jack the Ripper. Born Elizabeth Gustafsdotter near Gothenburg in Sweden. She was on...

Person, Tragedy, Sweden

1 memorial
Benedetta Ciaccia

Benedetta Ciaccia

Benedetta Ciattia was born on 15 December 1974 in Italy and came to the UK in 1995. She lived in Norwich, Norfolk and was a business analyst at Pearson Publishing. Her obituary can be found on the ...

Person, Tragedy, Italy

2 memorials

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World War 1

World War 1

We'd always assumed that this war was known as the Great War until WW2 came along at which point it was renamed as World War One or the First World War. But the term was first used in print in 1920...

Event, Armed Forces, Tragedy

403 memorials