10 facts about the belfast blitz 10 facts about the belfast blitz

In many cases the daily life of the city was able to resume with delays of only hours. 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. [citation needed] However on 20 October 1941 the Garda Sochna captured a comprehensive IRA report on captured member Helena Kelly giving a detailed analysis of damage inflicted on Belfast and highlighting prime targets such as Shortt and Harland aircraft factory and RAF Sydenham, describing them as 'the remaining and most outstanding objects of military significance, as yet unblitzed' and suggesting they should be 'bombed by the Luftwaffe as thoroughly as other areas in recent raids'[28][29], After three days, sometime after 6pm, the fire crews from south of the border began taking up their hoses and ladders to head for home. When war broke out in 1939 the city did not expect to be attacked by German bombers: it was geographically remote and deemed a relatively . 3. After the war, when the first girl from the home got married Billy gave her away, having lost his only daughter. Eduard Hempel, the German Minister to Ireland, visited the Irish Ministry for External Affairs to offer sympathy and attempt an explanation. Very early in the German bombing campaign, it became clear that the preparationshowever extensive they seemed to have beenwere inadequate. About 1,000 people were killed and bombs hit half of the houses in the city, leaving 100,000 people homeless. 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. Children and World War Two - History Learning Site Video, 00:01:37, Thanks, but no big speech, in Ken Bruce's sign off, Tear gas fired at Greece train crash protesters. The A.R.P. One of every six Londoners was made homeless at some point during the Blitz, and at least 1.1 million houses and flats were damaged or destroyed. Several theatres and many cinemas were open, and there were even a few sporting events. Belfast was not properly prepared for the attacks, with too few shelters and not enough anti-aircraft guns. 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Video, 00:01:23, Watch: Matt Hancock message row in 83 seconds, Isabel Oakeshott: Why I leaked Hancock's messages. Belfast's Albert Clock tower is sinking - it leans by four feet. The House of Commons, Westminster Abbey, and the British Museum were severely damaged, and The Temple was almost completely destroyed. Although it arrested German spies that its police and military intelligence services caught, the state never broke off diplomatic relations with Axis nations: the German Legation in Dublin remained open throughout the war. Belfast is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland. Six Heinkel He 111 bombers, from Kampfgruppe 26, flying at 7,000 feet (2,100m), dropped incendiaries, high explosive and parachute-mines. "Through cross-referencing a number of different sources I have been able to get the most accurate number of people who died in the Blitz," he says. The bombs caused death and destruction across the city, affecting those of all religions and political backgrounds. Moya Woodside[23] noted in her diary: "Evacuation is taking on panic proportions. Some had received food, others were famished. "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.". There [is] ground for thinking that the enemy could not easily reach Belfast in force except during a period of moonlight. Accounts differ as to when flares were dropped to light up the city. Video, 00:00:26, Living through the London Blitz. Tragically 35 were crushed to death when the mill wall collapsed. [21] Mass graves for the unclaimed bodies were dug in the Milltown and Belfast City Cemeteries. The raids hurt Britains war production, but they also killed many civilians and left many others homeless. 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. The attacks were authorized by Germany's chancellor, Adolf Hitler, after the British carried out a nighttime air raid on Berlin. It was not the first time the alarm had sounded to signify the presence of Luftwaffe bombers over the city. The attacks by both V1's and V2's only ended as the Allies advanced up through Western Europe . John Wood Dunlop invented the pneumatic tyre in Belfast in 1887. As more and more people began sleeping on the platforms, however, the government relented and provided bunk beds and bathrooms for the underground communities. By then most of the major fires were under control and the firemen from Clydeside and other British cities were arriving. Many in Northern Ireland thought that Belfast was outside the range of the Luftwaffe. The Germans expanded the Blitz to other cities in November 1940. Up Next. Belfast confetti," said one archive news report. 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. "They have never been published before, never seen the light of day.". A Raid From Above As the UK was preparing for the conflict, the factories and shipyards of Belfast were gearing up. Subs offer. Belfast's Albert Clock tower is sinking - it leans by four feet. For two hours on the first day, 348 German bombers and 617 fighters blasted London. Humanity knows no borders, no politics, no differences of religious belief. continuous trek to railway stations. Under the leadership of amon de Valera it had declared its neutrality during the Second World War. VideoRussian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims, The children left behind in Cuba's mass exodus, Xi Jinping's power grab - and why it matters, Snow, Fire and Lights: Photos of the Week. It has been reported that on Easter Tuesday, Belfast suffered the highest loss of life of any city in the UK in a single raid. He described some distressing consequences, such as how "in one case the leg and arm of a child had to be amputated before it could be extricated. In the eight months of attacks, some 43,000 civilians were killed. ISBN 9781909556324. Still, many in Northern Ireland believed no Luftwaffe attack would come. Barton wrote: "the Catholic population was much more strongly opposed to conscription, was inclined to sympathise with Germany", "there were suspicions that the Germans were assisted in identifying targets, held by the Unionist population." There are other diarists and narratives. J.P. Walshe, assistant secretary, recorded that Hempel was "clearly distressed by the news of the severe raid on Belfast and especially of the number of civilian casualties." Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? parliament: "if the government realized 'that these fast bombers can come to Northern Ireland in two and three quarter hours'". 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. But the authorities were afraid that bombs might not be the. 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. The first attack was against the city's waterworks, which had been attacked in the previous raid. Belfast is located on the island of Ireland. "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. He stated that "he would once more tell his government how he felt about the matter and he would ask them to confine the operations to military objectives as far as it was humanly possible. There was unease with the complacent attitude of the government, which led to resignations: Craigavon died on 24 November 1940. As of October 2020, the population of Belfast is about 350,000 people. These figures are based on newspaper reports of the time, personal recollections and other primary sources, such as:- The first was on the night of 78 April 1941, a small attack which probably took place only to test Belfast's defences. Video, 00:01:09The Spitfire turns 80, The German bombing of Coventry. The ill-fated ship was built in the city in 1912, and to this day, there is a museum dedicated to its building and the lives of all of those on board. Over 500 received care from the Irish Red Cross in Dublin. 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. The bombs continued to fall until 5am. Richard Dawson Bates was the Home Affairs Minister. Three nights later (April 1920) London was again subjected to a seven-hour raid, and the loss of life was considerable, especially among firefighters and the A.R.P. The danger faced in London was greatly increased when the V2 attacks started and the casualty figures mirrored those of the Blitz.. Interesting facts about Belfast | Just Fun Facts In the New Lodge area people had taken refuge in a mill. Mr Freeburn set out to find out more about those who died, their personal stories and the tales of those left behind. Authorities had noted Queens Island in the cityas a vulnerable point as early as 1929. Churches destroyed or wrecked included Macrory Memorial Presbyterian in Duncairn Gardens; Duncairn Methodist, Castleton Presbyterian on York Road; St Silas's on the Oldpark Road; St James's on the Antrim Road; Newington Presbyterian on Limestone Road; Crumlin Road Presbyterian; Holy Trinity on Clifton Street and Clifton Street Presbyterian; York Street Presbyterian and York Street Non-Subscribing Presbyterian; Newtownards Road Methodist and Rosemary Street Presbyterian (the last of which was not rebuilt). Read about our approach to external linking. Later, guided by the raging fires caused by the first attack, a second group of planes began another assault that lasted until 4:30 the following morning. Davies also set up medical stations and persuaded off-duty medical personnel to treat the sick and wounded. Many of the surface shelters built by local authorities were flimsy and provided little protection from bombs, falling debris, and fire. [27] One widespread criticism was that the Germans located Belfast by heading for Dublin and following the railway lines north. And then naturally as I was over the target, I did pick up flak but I have no sense of exactly how weak or how strong it was, because every bit of flak you get is dangerous.. WW2: How did an elephant beat the Belfast Blitz? - BBC Teach With tangled hair, staring eyes, clutching hands, contorted limbs, their grey-green faces covered with dust, they lay, bundled into the coffins, half-shrouded in rugs or blankets, or an occasional sheet, still wearing their dirty, torn twisted garments. Wherever Churchill is hiding his war material we will go Belfast is as worthy a target as Coventry, Birmingham, Bristol or Glasgow." After a brief lull, the Luftwaffe returned in force on February 17. Belfast made a considerable contribution towards the Allied war effort, producing many naval ships, aircraft and munitions; therefore, the city was deemed a suitable bombing target by the Luftwaffe. 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. These shelters were vital as these factories had many employees working late at night and early in the morning when Luftwaffe attacks were likely. His reply was: "We here today are in a state of war and we are prepared with the rest of the United Kingdom and Empire to face all the responsibilities that imposes on the Ulster people. Over 150 people died in what became known as the 'Fire Blitz'. Simpson shot down one of the Heinkels over Downpatrick. Major O'Sullivan reported that "In the heavily 'blitzed' areas people ran panic-stricken into the streets and made for the open country. Video, 00:00:46, Hong Kong skyscraper fire seen on city's skyline, Watch: Matt Hancock message row in 83 seconds. So had Clydeside until recently. Heavy jacks were unavailable. The M.V. From their photographs, they identified suitable targets: There had been a number of small bombings, probably by planes that missed their targets over the River Clyde in Glasgow or the cities of the northwest of England. Hundreds of incendiary and many high-explosive bombs were dropped, doing little material damage but causing many casualties. "But there is no such equivalent in Belfast. THE BELFAST BLITZ was a series of four air raids over Northern Ireland during the spring of 1941. Nearby were the citys main power station, gasworks, telephone house and the Sirocco Engineering works. On September 10, 1940, the school was flattened by a German bomb, and people huddled in the basement were killed or trapped in the rubble. department distributed more than two million Anderson shelters (named after Sir John Anderson, head of the A.R.P.) The use of the Tube system as a shelter saved thousands of lives, and images of Londoners huddled in Underground stations would become an indelible image of British life during World War II. He was replaced by 54-year-old Sir Basil Brooke on 1 May. wardens, and members of the Home Guard drilling in the parks, life went on much as usual. An earlier flight on Oct. 18 allowed the crew to plot several targets in the city. The Belfast Blitz - KS3 History (Environment and society) - BBC The couple, who ran a children's home, stayed with Anna's parents, William and Harriette Denby, and her sisters, Dot and Isa, at Evelyn Gardens, off the Cavehill Road, in the north of the city. . Guided by Davies, the people of the shelter created an ad hoc government and established a set of rules. Gring had insisted that such an attack was an impossibility, because of the citys formidable air defense network. Belfast was Ireland's industrial home, famous for tobacco, rope-making, linen, and ship-building, which made it the powerhouse it was. The city has been a leader in women's rights. ", Dawson Bates, the Home Affairs Minister, apparently refused to reply to army correspondence and when the Ministry of Home Affairs was informed by imperial defence experts in 1939 that Belfast was regarded as "a very definite German objective", little was done outside providing shelters in the Harbour area.[14]. But Mr Freeburn's research casts doubt on this. Since most casualties were caused by falling masonry rather than by blast, they provided effective shelter for those who had them. On May 11, 1941, Hitler called off the Blitz as he shifted his forces eastward against the Soviet Union. 29 interesting facts about Belfast you never knew - BeeLoved City Nevertheless, through sheer weight of numbers, the Germans were on the brink of victory in late August 1940. Read about our approach to external linking. In late August the Germans dropped some bombs, apparently by accident, on civilian areas in London. 2023 BBC. Video, 00:00:36, Tears of relief after man found in Amazon jungle. Many "arrived in Fermanagh having nothing with them only night shirts". [6] It was MacDermott who sent a telegram to de Valera seeking assistance. In the subsequent years, this lack of preparation has often dominated the discussion about the Belfast Blitz, but a new project led by Alan Freeburn from the Northern Ireland War Memorial aims to shift the focus back to the ordinary men, women and children who lost their lives. The government was blamed by some for inadequate precautions. By 1941, production of the Short Stirling Bomber and the Short Sunderland Flying Boat was underway. On 24 March 1941, John MacDermott, Minister for Security, wrote to Prime Minister John Andrews, expressing his concerns that Belfast was so poorly protected: "Up to now we have escaped attack. Rescue workers search through the rubble of Eglington Street in Belfast, Northern Ireland, after a German Luftwaffe air raid, 7 May 1941, Anna (left) and her husband Billy (back right) survived while Harriette, Dorothy and Billy were killed along with Dot and Isa, Dot and Isa, with Dorothy when she was a toddler, Royal Welch Fusiliers assist in clearing bomb damage in Belfast, Northern Ireland, 7 May 1941, Mapping the lives lost in the Belfast Blitz. The wartime output of the yard included aircraft carriers HMS Formidable and HMS Unicorn, cruisers such as HMS Belfast and more than 130 other vessels used by the Royal Navy. The creeping TikTok bans, Hong Kong skyscraper fire seen on city's skyline. 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 Blitz | Facts, History, Damage, & Casualties | Britannica Nearby residential areas in east Belfast were also hit when "203 metric tonnes of high explosive bombs, 80 land mines attached to parachutes, and 800 firebomb canisters containing 96,000 incendiary bombs"[16] were dropped. Nurse Emma Duffin, who had served in World War I, contrasted death in that conflict with what she saw:.mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}. The Belfast blitz devastated a city that up until 1941 had remained unscathed during World War Two. The attacks were authorized by Germanys chancellor, Adolf Hitler, after the British carried out a nighttime air raid on Berlin. Clydeside got its blitz during the period of the last moon. Everything on wheels is being pressed into service. On April 16 an attack even fiercer and more indiscriminate than those of the previous autumn started at 9:00 pm and continued until 5:00 the following morning; 500 aircraft were believed to have flown over in continuous waves, raining an estimated 450 tons of bombs across the city. It became a city by royal charter in 1888. With the surrender of France in June 1940, Germanys sole remaining enemy lay across the English Channel. Belfast Blitz - Wikipedia However Belfast was not mentioned again by the Nazis. 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. (Great War casualties) had died in hospital beds, their eyes had been reverently closed, their hands crossed to their breasts. By Jonathan Bardon. The bombing of British cities - Swansea, Belfast, Glasgow Revised estimates made decades later indicated that close to 600 men, women, and children had been killed in the bombing. [1][2], The third raid on Belfast took place over the evening and morning of 45 May 1941; 150 were killed. 55,000 houses were damaged leaving 100,000 temporarily homeless. Has it taken bursting bombs to remind the people of this little country that they have common tradition, a common genius and a common home? Belfast has the world's largest dry dock. Blitz Fibre UK Blitz Fibre UK Published Mar 1, 2023 + Follow Fact 1- Small but Mighty . Video, 00:03:09, Mapping the lives lost in the Belfast Blitz, Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims. The first deliberate raid took place on the night of 7 April. On the ground, there were only 22 anti-aircraft guns positioned around the city, six light and 16 heavy, and on the first night only seven of these were manned and operational. 255 corpses were laid out in St George's Market. A modern bomb census has attempted to pinpoint the location of every bomb dropped on London during the Blitz, and the visualization of that data makes clear how thoroughly the Luftwaffe saturated the city. 1. Dissatisfaction with public shelters also led to another notable development in the East EndMickeys Shelter. 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." Harland and Wolff: The troubled history of Belfast's shipyard James Craig, Lord Craigavon, had been Prime Minister of Northern Ireland since its inception in 1921 up until his death in 1940. Clydeside got its blitz during the period of the last moon. But the raid of 15-16 April - the Easter Tuesday Raid - was on another scale. 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. But the Luftwaffe was ready. [12], There was little preparation for the conflict with Germany. The nights of November 3 and 28 were the only occasions during this period in which Londons peace was unbroken by siren or bomb. From September 1940 until May 1941, Britain was subjected to sustained enemy bombing campaign, now known as the Blitz. For eight months the Luftwaffe dropped bombs on London and other strategic cities across Britain. Beginning on Black Saturday, London was attacked on 57 straight nights. Men from the South worked with men from the North in the universal cause of the relief of suffering. Two of the crews received refreshments in Banbridge; others were entertained in the Ancient Order of Hibernians hall in Newry. Sometimes they were trying establish a blockade by destroying shipping and port facilities, sometimes they were directly attacking Fighter Command ground installations, sometimes they were targeting aircraft factories, and sometimes they were attempting to engage Fighter Command in the skies. In every instance, all stepped forward. 10 fascinating facts about Belfast that you probably didn't know "There are plans for one but there isn't one yet. It is perhaps true that many saved their lives running but I am afraid a much greater number lost them or became casualties."[20]. Half of the city's housing was damaged over the course of all the raids. 24 - The tyres Dunlop were invented in Belfast in 1887 25 - The two H&W cranes are named Samson and Goliath 26 - The Albert Clock is Ireland's leaning tower 27 - The mobile defibrillator was invented in Belfast 28 - Belfast's ice hockey team, the Giants, is one of the best in Europe. London seemed ablaze from the docks to Westminster, much damage was done, and casualties were high. I was definitely one of the first over the target and as I flew in there was no great defence because there were not a great many aircraft over the target at that point, recalled Becker. So had Clydeside until recently. There was no smokescreen ability, however there were some barrage balloons positioned strategically for protection. Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom . Over a period of nine months, over 43,500 civilians were killed in the raids, which focused on major cities and industrial centres. The Titanic was built in Belfast. The first day of the Blitz is remembered as Black Saturday. Lecturer of History, Queens University, Belfast, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Belfast_Blitz&oldid=1136721396, During the war years, Belfast shipyards built or converted over 3,000 navy vessels, repaired more than 22,000 others and launched over half a million tons of merchant shipping over 140. This raid overall caused relatively little damage, but a lot was revealed about Belfast's inadequate defences. 10,000 "officially" crossed the border. His report concluded with: "a second Belfast would be too horrible to contemplate". That evening over 150 bombers left their bases in northern France and the Netherlands and headed for Belfast. 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. [18], Over 900 people died, 1,500 people were injured, 400 of them seriously. The Blitz Around Britain - World War 2 | Imperial War Museums In his interview, Becker stated that only military objectives were aimed for. At 10:40 on the evening of Easter Tuesday 1941 air raid sirens sounded across Belfast, sending people across the city scrambling for safety - in one of the 200 public shelters in the city or the thousands of shelters or other "safe" spaces in private homes. Belfast - Kids | Britannica Kids | Homework Help The night raids on London continued into 1941, and January 1011 saw exceptionally heavy attacks; the Mansion House (residence of the lord mayor of London) and the Bank of England narrowly avoided destruction when a bomb fell directly between them, creating a gigantic crater. At 4:15am John MacDermott, the Minister of Public Security, managed to contact Basil Brooke (then Agriculture Minister), seeking permission to seek help from the Irish government. Another attacked Bangor, killing five. At the core of this book is a compelling account of the Luftwaffe's blitz on Belfast in April-May 1941. 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. As well as these two major targets, other firms in Belfast produced valuable materials for the war effort including munitions, linen, ropes, food supplies and, of course, cigarettes. "It says a lot about how these people are forgotten that there is no Blitz memorial in Belfast," Mr Freeburn says. 10 Facts About the Blitz and the Bombing of Germany 19.99. 29 - Belfast was once bigger than Dublin It was not the last time Belfast would suffer. There [is] ground for thinking that the enemy could not easily reach Belfast in force except during a period of moonlight. This view was probably influenced by the decision of the IRA Army Council to support Germany. The "pothole blitz" is a common short-term initiative to combat storm weather damage. It is believed that the wartime government covered up the death toll because of concern over the effect it would have had on public morale. Video, 00:01:41NI WW2 veterans honoured by France, The Spitfire turns 80. The mass relocation, called Operation Pied Piper, was the largest internal migration in British history. [citation needed]. Yesterday the hand of good-fellowship was reached across the Border. In just these few hours, 430 people were killed and 1,600 were badly injured. St George's Church in High Street was damaged by fire. Many people who were dug out of the rubble alive had taken shelter underneath their stairs and were fortunate that their homes had not received a direct hit or caught fire.