On the 60th anniversary of the Belfast Blitz, Luftwaffe Pilot Gerhardt Becker spoke to BBC Northern Ireland about his mission over Belfast in 1941. 255 corpses were laid out in St George's Market. Many in Northern Ireland thought that Belfast was outside the range of the Luftwaffe. Eduard Hempel, the German Minister to Ireland, visited the Irish Ministry for External Affairs to offer sympathy and attempt an explanation. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). More than 1,000 people were killed, and the damage was more widespread than on any previous occasion.
The Blitz: When Was It, Why Did It Begin And How Did It End [6] It was MacDermott who sent a telegram to de Valera seeking assistance. THE BELFAST BLITZ was a series of four air raids over Northern Ireland during the spring of 1941. During what was known as the "Belfast Blitz," 1,000 people were killed by bombs dropped by the Nazis in 1941 during the Second World War. The Air Raid Precautions (A.R.P.) Just eight days earlier, eight planes destroyed the aircraft fuselage factory and damaged the docks, with 15 people ultimately killed as a result of that raid. Contributions poured in from every part of the world in such profusion that on October 28 its scope was extended to cover the whole of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. There wasn't enough room for Anna or Billy, so they sheltered elsewhere, a twist of fate that would save their lives. Some are a total loss; others are already under repair with little outward sign of the damage sustained: Besides Buckingham palace, the chapel of which was wrecked, and Guildhall (the six-centuries old centre of London civic ceremonies and of great architectural beauty), which was destroyed by fire, Kensington palace (the London home of the earl of Athlone, governor general of Canada, and the birthplace of Queen Mary and Queen Victoria), the banqueting hall of Eltham palace (dating from King Johns time and long a royal residence), Lambeth palace (the archbishop of Canterbury), and Holland house (famous for its 17th century domestic architecture, its political associations, and its art treasures), suffered, the latter severely. Over 100 German planes made contact with barrage balloon cables during the Blitz, and two-thirds of them crashed or made forced landings on British soil. The Belfast blitz devastated a city that up until 1941 had remained unscathed during World War Two. Under the leadership of amon de Valera it had declared its neutrality during the Second World War. Given Belfast's geographic position, it was considered to be at the fringe of the operational range of German bombers and hence there was no provision for night-fighter aerial cover.
29 interesting facts about Belfast you never knew - BeeLoved City The government announced that 77 people had died, but for years local residents insisted the toll was much higher. . Belfast Blitz: Facts In total there were four attacks on the County Antrim city. In another building, the York Street Mill, one of its massive sidewalls collapsed on to Sussex and Vere Streets, killing all those who remained in their homes. The fourth and final Belfast raid took place on the following night, 56 May. The Belfast Blitz consisted of four German air raids on strategic targets in the city of Belfast in Northern Ireland, in April and May 1941 during World War II, causing high casualties. The government was blamed by some for inadequate precautions. Humanity knows no borders, no politics, no differences of religious belief. In the eight months of attacks, some 43,000 civilians were killed. No attendant nurse had soothed the last moments of these victims; no gentle reverent hand had closed their eyes or crossed their hands. By Jonathan Bardon. The fall of France in June, 1940, enabled the Luftwaffe to establish airfields across the north of the country, leaving Ulster within reach of bombers. The youngest victim was just six-weeks-old. Some had received food, others were famished. The city has been a leader in women's rights. Maps and documents uncovered at Gatow Airfield near Berlin in 1945 showed the level of detail involved. [citation needed]. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Nevertheless, through sheer weight of numbers, the Germans were on the brink of victory in late August 1940. On the 17th I heard that hundreds who either could not get away or could not leave for other reasons simply went out into the fields and remained in the open all night with whatever they could take in the way of covering. They are sleeping in the same sheugh (ditch), below the same tree or in the same barn. Belfast is as worthy a target as Coventry, Birmingham, Bristol or Glasgow.. There was no opposition.
Harland and Wolff: The troubled history of Belfast's shipyard One, Tom Coleman, attended to receive recognition for his colleagues' solidarity at such a critical time. By 1940, Short and Harland could shelter its entire workforce and Harland and Wolff had provision to shelter 16,000 workers. Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, Historical Topics Series 2, The Belfast Blitz, 2007, This page was last edited on 31 January 2023, at 20:18. Incendiary bombs predominated in this raid. Beginning in September 1940, the Blitz was an aerial bombing campaign conducted by the Luftwaffe against British cities.
Death had to a certain extent been made decent. Another claim was that the Catholic population in general and the IRA in particular guided the bombers. The Belfast Blitzconsisted of four German air raids on strategic targets in the city of Belfastin Northern Ireland, in April and May 1941 during World War II, causing high casualties. It was not the last time Belfast would suffer. In late August the Germans dropped some bombs, apparently by accident, on civilian areas in London. Major Sen O'Sullivan reported on the intensity of the bombing in some areas, such as the Antrim Road, where bombs "fell within fifteen to twenty yards of one another." Video, 00:00:51, Australia's 'biggest drug bust' nets $700m of cocaine, Thanks, but no big speech, in Ken Bruce's sign off. 8. "But there is no such equivalent in Belfast.
Oakland plans to unleash 'pothole blitz' to fix notorious street damage Horrendous Belfast losses during World War Two bombing blitz The first deliberate raid took place on the night of 7 April. It was solemn, tragic, dignified, but here it was grotesque, repulsive, horrible. In the east of the city, Westbourne and Newcastle Streets on the Newtownards Road, Thorndyke Street off the Albertbridge Road and Ravenscroft Avenue were destroyed or damaged. Belfast Blitz: Marking the lost lives 80 years on A force of 180 bombers dropped 750 bombs - including 203 tonnes of high explosives - and 29,000 incendiaries over a five-hour period. 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"A lot of the people I spoke to were relatives who ended up donating images and handwritten letters from before and after the Blitz. IWM C 5424 1. "There will always be people who will slip through the net but I am able to say at least 987 were killed across all raids.". The Blitz began at around 4 pm on September 7, 1940, when German bomber planes first appeared over London. This type of shelteressentially a low steel cage large enough to contain two adults and two small childrenwas designed to be set up indoors and could serve as a refuge if the building began to collapse. Ulster Historical Foundation. Wherever Churchill is hiding his war material we will go Belfast is as worthy a target as Coventry, Birmingham, Bristol or Glasgow." [citation needed], Other writers, such as Tony Gray in The Lost Years state that the Germans did follow their radio guidance beams. 55,000 British civilian casualties were sustained through German bombing before the end of 1940 This included 23,000 deaths. Wherever Churchill is hiding his war material we will go. In every instance, all stepped forward. In clear weather, targets were easily identifiable. The first was on the night of 78 April 1941, a small attack which probably took place only to test Belfast's defences. The first (April 7 -8), a small attack, was most likely carried out to test the city's defenses. Video, 00:01:03One-minute World News, Isabel Oakeshott: Why I leaked Hancock's messages. The British thus fought with the advantage of superior equipment and undivided aim against an enemy with inconsistent objectives. Many bodies and body parts could not be identified. Government ministers in Northern Ireland began to realise the Luftwaffe may launch an attack, but it was too little, too late. The town of Dromara saw its population increase from 500 to 2,500. [citation needed], Casualties were lower than at Easter, partly because the sirens had sounded at 11.45pm while the Luftwaffe attacked more cautiously from a greater height. Nevertheless, for all the hardship it caused, the campaign proved to be a strategic mistake by the Germans. On occasion, forces consisting of as many as 300 to 400 aircraft would cross the coast by day and split into small groups, and a few planes would succeed in penetrating Londons outer defenses. Up Next. By the end of the attacks, between 900 and 1,000 people were dead and thousands more were injured, homeless and displaced. Find out how it began, what the Germans hoped to achieve and how it severe it was, plus we visit nine places affected by the attacks. The World's Most-Famous Ship, The Titanic, was constructed here. Tommy Henderson, an Independent Unionist MP in the House of Commons of Northern Ireland, summed up the feeling when he invited the Minister of Home Affairs to Hannahstown and the Falls Road, saying "The Catholics and the Protestants are going up there mixed and they are talking to one another. These shelters were vital as these factories had many employees working late at night and early in the morning when Luftwaffe attacks were likely. Between April 7 and May 6 of that year, Luftwaffe bombers unleashed death and destruction on the cities of Belfast, Bangor, Derry/Londonderry and Newtownards. In 1995, on the 50th anniversary of the ending of the Second World War, an invitation was received by the Dublin Fire Brigade for any survivors of that time to attend a function at Hillsborough Castle and meet Prince Charles. Clydeside got its blitz during the period of the last moon. Streets heavily bombed in the city centre included High Street, Ann Street, Callender Street, Chichester Street, Castle Street, Tomb Street, Bridge Street (effectively obliterated), Rosemary Street, Waring Street, North Street, Victoria Street, Donegall Street, York Street, Gloucester Street, and East Bridge Street. By 1941, production of the Short Stirling Bomber and the Short Sunderland Flying Boat was underway. Train after train and bus after bus were filled with those next in line. That night almost 300 people, many from the Protestant Shankill area, took refuge in the Clonard Monastery in the Catholic Falls Road. These shelters, made of corrugated steel, were designed to be dug into a garden and then covered with dirt. Belfast's Albert Clock tower is sinking - it leans by four feet. The A.R.P. Video, 00:01:37Thanks, but no big speech, in Ken Bruce's sign off, Tear gas fired at Greece train crash protesters. "These people are often seen as a statistic but they were human beings, people who lived and grew up in - or moved to - Belfast and died in Belfast," Mr Freeburn, the museum's collections officer, says. The national government also provided funds to local municipalities to construct public air-raid shelters. [27] One widespread criticism was that the Germans located Belfast by heading for Dublin and following the railway lines north. Anna and Billy returned to England and continued running the children's home. Of the churches, besides St. Pauls cathedral, where at one time were five unexploded bombs in the immediate vicinity and the roof of which was pierced by another that exploded and shattered the high altar to fragments, those damaged were Westminster abbey, St. Margarets Westminster, Southwark cathedral; fifteen Wren churches (including St.
Belfast Blitz: Remembering the ordinary people who lost their lives An air raid shelter on Hallidays Road received a direct hit, killing all those in it. These figures are based on newspaper reports of the time, personal recollections and other primary sources, such as:- Looking back on the Belfast Blitz, Oberleutnant Becker signed off with the following words: A war is the worst thing that can happen to Mankind. It would appear that Adolf Hitler, in view of de Valera's negative reaction, was concerned that de Valera and Irish American politicians might encourage the United States to enter the war. The offensive came to be called the Blitz after the German word blitzkrieg ("lightning war"). Under the leadership of Prime Minister John Miller Andrews, Northern Ireland remained unprepared. [citation needed]. Hundreds of incendiary and many high-explosive bombs were dropped, doing little material damage but causing many casualties. C.S Lewis was born in Belfast, and the nearby countryside helped inspire The Chronicles of Narnia. Video, 00:01:38At least 17 dead in Jakarta fuel storage depot fire, Australia's 'biggest drug bust' nets $700m of cocaine. In a survey of shelter use, it was found that, although the public shelters were fully occupied every night, just 9 percent of Londoners made use of them. From September 1940 until May 1941, Britain was subjected to sustained enemy bombing campaign, now known as the Blitz. Targets identified included: the Short and Harland Ltd. Aircraft Factory; the Belfast power station and waterworks; Other maps uncovered following the Second World War also showed the parliament and city hall, Belfast gasworks, a rope factory and the Royal Belfast Academical Institution.
10 Awesome Facts About Fibre - linkedin.com In his interview, Becker stated that only military objectives were aimed for. This view was probably influenced by the decision of the IRA Army Council to support Germany. Protection of the city fell to seven anti-aircraft batteries of 16 heavy guns and six light guns. The phrase Business as usual, written in chalk on boarded-up shop windows, exemplified the British determination to keep calm and carry on as best they could. Belfast, the city with the highest population density in the UK at the time, also had the lowest proportion of public air-raid shelters. Most of the objectives laid out by the reconnaissance crews were of either military or industrial importance. Guided by Davies, the people of the shelter created an ad hoc government and established a set of rules. Video, 00:01:41, The German bombing of Coventry. The period of the next moon from say the 7th to the 16th of April may well bring our turn..
The Blitz | Facts, History, Damage, & Casualties | Britannica Wave after wave of bombers dropped their incendiaries, high explosives and land-mines. There are other diarists and narratives. O'Sullivan felt that the whole civil defence sector was utterly overwhelmed. By 4 am the entire city seemed to be in flames. The Titanic was built in Belfast. St. Giles, Cripplegate, and St. Mary Wolnooth, also in the city, were damaged, while the Dutch church in Austin Friars, dating from the 14th century and covering a larger area than any church in the city of London, St. Pauls alone excepted, was totally destroyed.
WW2: How did an elephant beat the Belfast Blitz? - BBC Teach What happened in 1941 changed the city forever. A force of 180 bombers dropped 750 bombs - including 203 tonnes of high explosives - and 29,000 incendiaries over a five-hour period. Liverpool, for example, protected by 100 guns. By mid-September 1940 the RAF had won the Battle of Britain, and the invasion was postponed indefinitely. (Great War casualties) had died in hospital beds, their eyes had been reverently closed, their hands crossed to their breasts. Video, 00:01:37, Thanks, but no big speech, in Ken Bruce's sign off, Tear gas fired at Greece train crash protesters. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Subs offer. The raid so infuriated Hitler that he ordered the Luftwaffe to shift its attacks from RAF sites to London and other cities. Roads out of town are still one stream of cars, with mattresses and bedding tied on top. The attacks were authorized by Germany's chancellor, Adolf Hitler, after the British carried out a nighttime air raid on Berlin. Initially it was thought that the Germans had mistaken this reservoir for the harbour and shipyards, where many ships, including HMS Ark Royal were being repaired. Video, 00:02:12, Isabel Oakeshott: Why I leaked Hancock's messages, Tears of relief after man found in Amazon jungle. Author Lawrence H. Dawson detailed the damage to Londons historic buildings for the 1941 Britannica Book of the Year: The following curtailed list identifies some of the better known places in inner London that have been damaged by enemy action. The Blitz was devastating for the people of London and other cities. 4. They prevented low-flying aircraft from approaching their targets at optimal altitudes and angles of attack. The "Hiram Plan" initiated by Dawson Bates, the Home Affairs Minister, had failed to materialise. When Germany bombed Belfast as part of the Blitz during World War Two, the massive air raids left more than a thousand people dead. headquarters, Toynbee hall and St. Dunstans; the American, Spanish, Japanese and Peruvian embassies and the buildings of the Times newspaper, the Associated Press of America, and the National City bank of New York; the centre court at Wimbledon, Wembley stadium, the Ring (Blackfriars); Drury Lane, the Queens and the Saville theatres; Rotten row, Lambeth walk, the Burlington arcade and Madame Tussauds. Up to now, we have escaped an attack, said John MacDermott, the Minister for Security, Belfast, on March 24, 1941. For more than six months, German planes had flown reconnaissance flights over Belfast. As of October 2020, the population of Belfast is about 350,000 people. The crypt under the sanctuary and the cellar under the working sacristy had been fitted out and opened to the public as an air-raid shelter. Singer-songwriter Van Morrison was born here. Despite the military and industrial importance of the city, the Luftwaffe described the defences asweak, scanty, insufficient. Belfast has the world's largest dry dock. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/event/the-Blitz, National Museums Liverpool - Merseyside Maritime Museum - The Blitz, The History Learning Site - The Blitz and World War Two.
The Belfast blitz during World War Two - BBC News Heinkel He 111 and Dornier Do 17 planes fitted with Zeiss cameras captured high-quality aerial imagery. NI WW2 veterans honoured by France. The Belfast blitz.
BBC News | NORTHERN IRELAND | The Belfast blitz is remembered The British government had anticipated air attacks on its population centres, and it had predicted catastrophic casualties. [18], Over 900 people died, 1,500 people were injured, 400 of them seriously. [citation needed], There was a second massive air raid on Belfast on Sunday 45 May 1941, three weeks after that of Easter Tuesday. The 'Blitz' - from the German term Blitzkrieg ('lightning war') - was the sustained campaign of aerial bombing attacks on British towns and cities carried out by the Luftwaffe (German Air Force) from September 1940 until May 1941. This raid overall caused relatively little damage, but a lot was revealed about Belfast's inadequate defences. The bombing of British cities - Swansea, Belfast, Glasgow Before the war broke out, civilians had been issued with gas masks and Anderson shelters, which people were encouraged to build at the. 55,000 houses were damaged leaving 100,000 temporarily homeless.
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