As more and more people began sleeping on the platforms, however, the government relented and provided bunk beds and bathrooms for the underground communities. Fortunately, the railway telegraphy link between Belfast and Dublin was still operational. This part of Belfast was the only one required to provide air raid shelters for workers. In Newtownards, Bangor, Larne, Carrickfergus, Lisburn and Antrim many thousands of Belfast citizens took refuge either with friends or strangers. So had Clydeside until recently. 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}. On Nov. 30, 1940, a lone Luftwaffe plane flew across the Ards Peninsula unobserved and reported back to Berlin. When the war began, Belfast, like many other cities, adopted the wartime practices of rationing and blackouts. [12], There was little preparation for the conflict with Germany. Brooke noted in his diary "I gave him authority as it is obviously a question of expediency". "A lot of the people I spoke to were relatives who ended up donating images and handwritten letters from before and after the Blitz. Outside of London, with some 900 dead, this was the greatest loss of life in a night raid during the Blitz. Victory for the Royal Air Forces (RAFs) Fighter Command blocked this possibility and, in fact, created the conditions for Britains survival and the eventual destruction of the Third Reich. The database Mr Freeburn has compiled is, he believes, the most accurate list of those killed and includes 222 children aged 16 or under. 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. The most heavily bombed cities outside London were Liverpool and Birmingham. More than 500 German planes dropped more than 700 tons of bombs across the city, killing nearly 1,500 people and destroying 11,000 homes. 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. We were in exceptional good humour knowing that we were going for a new target, one of Englands last hiding places, said one pilot of the raid. Many in Northern Ireland thought that Belfast was outside the range of the Luftwaffe. Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom . The Belfast Blitz - Inside the Deadly 1941 Luftwaffe Raids on Northern The creeping TikTok bans. The Germans established that Belfast was defended by only seven anti-aircraft batteries, which made it the most poorly defended city in the United Kingdom. After his optician business was destroyed by a bomb, Mickey Davies led an effort to organize the Spitalfield Shelter. [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. Published: September 7, 2020 at 12:00 pm. The period of the next moon from say the 7th to the 16th of April may well bring our turn." 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." wardens, and members of the Home Guard drilling in the parks, life went on much as usual. 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). High explosives were dropped. 2. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Two of the crews received refreshments in Banbridge; others were entertained in the Ancient Order of Hibernians hall in Newry. The government was blamed by some for inadequate precautions. 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. [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. [25] He followed up with his "they are our people" speech, made in Castlebar, County Mayo, on Sunday 20 April 1941 (Quoted in the Dundalk Democrat dated Saturday 26 April 1941): In the past, and probably in the present, too, a number of them did not see eye to eye with us politically, but they are our people we are one and the same people and their sorrows in the present instance are also our sorrows; and I want to say to them that any help we can give to them in the present time we will give to them whole-heartedly, believing that were the circumstances reversed they would also give us their help whole-heartedly Frank Aiken, the Irish Minister for the Co-ordination of Defensive Measures was in Boston, Massachusetts at the time. 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. and Major Sen O'Sullivan, who produced a detailed report for the Dublin government. By the. 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. About 1,000 people were killed and bombs hit half of the houses in the city, leaving 100,000. The next took. 1. 15 Powerful Photos Of The WW2 Blitz | Imperial War Museums 2023 BBC. In the mistaken belief that they might damage RAF fighters, the anti-aircraft batteries ceased firing. Many of those who died as a result of enemy action lived in tightly packed, poorly constructed, terraced housing. After the passing of the Government of Ireland Act, 1920, it became the seat of the government of Northern Ireland. Around 20,000 people were employed on the site with 35,000 further along in the shipyard. 255 corpses were laid out in St George's Market. Nearby were the citys main power station, gasworks, telephone house and the Sirocco Engineering works. Belfast, the city with the highest population density in the UK at the time, also had the lowest proportion of public air-raid shelters. 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. Video, 00:01:37, Thanks, but no big speech, in Ken Bruce's sign off, Tear gas fired at Greece train crash protesters. Six Heinkel He 111 bombers, from Kampfgruppe 26, flying at 7,000 feet (2,100m), dropped incendiaries, high explosive and parachute-mines. During the first year of the war, behind-the-lines conditions prevailed in London. Clydeside got its blitz during the period of the last moon. Another claim was that the Catholic population in general and the IRA in particular guided the bombers. Please select which sections you would like to print: Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. The initial human cost of the Blitz was lower than the government had expected, but the level of destruction exceeded the governments dire predictions. Corrections? Video, 00:01:15The Belfast blitz, Up Next. Learn how your comment data is processed. Similar initiatives bearing the same name were ordered in the past decade by former mayors Libby . Updates? James Craig, Lord Craigavon, had been Prime Minister of Northern Ireland since its inception in 1921 up until his death in 1940. 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. NI WW2 veterans honoured by France. TOP 10: Facts About Belfast You Didn't Know - Ireland Before You Die In total over 1,300 houses were demolished, some 5,000 badly damaged, nearly 30,000 slightly damaged while 20,000 required "first aid repairs".[3]. The raids hurt Britains war production, but they also killed many civilians and left many others homeless. As many as 5,000 people had packed into this network of underground tunnels, which was dangerously overcrowded, dirty, and dark. The most heavily bombed area was that which lay between York Street and the Antrim Road, north of the city centre. [1][2], The third raid on Belfast took place over the evening and morning of 45 May 1941; 150 were killed. After the bombing began on September 7, local authorities urged displaced people to take shelter at South Hallsville School. Despite the attacks, Belfast continued to contribute to the war effort, and within less than a year the city witnessed the arrival of thousands of American troops. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. [citation needed]. MacDermott would be proved right. At nightfall the Northern Counties Station was packed from platform gates to entrance gates and still refugees were coming along in a steady stream from the surrounding streets Open military lorries were finally put into service and even expectant mothers and mothers with young children were put into these in the rather heavy drizzle that lasted throughout the evening. There was no opposition. By 4 am the entire city seemed to be in flames. At 10:40pm the air raid sirens sounded. Taoiseach amon de Valera formally protested to Berlin. O'Sullivan reported: "There were many terrible mutilations among both living and dead heads crushed, ghastly abdominal and face wounds, penetration by beams, mangled and crushed limbs etc.". The famous places damaged include the palace of Westminster and Westminster hall, the County hall, the Public Record office, the Law Courts, the Temple and the Inner Temple library; Somerset house, Burlington house, the tower of London, Greenwich observatory, Hogarths house; the Carlton, Reform, American, Savage, Arts and Orleans clubs; the Royal College of Surgeons, University college and its library, Stationers hall, the Y.M.C.A. Unlike N Ireland, the Irish Free State was no longer part of the UK. Air power alone had failed to knock the United Kingdom out of the war. Belfast is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland. devised the Morrison shelter (named for Home Secretary Herbert Stanley Morrison) as an alternative to the Anderson shelter. On September 1, 1939, the day World War II began with Germanys invasion of Poland, the British government implemented a massive evacuation plan. Although there were some comparatively slight raids later in 1941, the most notable one on July 27, the May 1011 attack marked the conclusion of the Blitz. In each station volunteers were asked for, as it was beyond their normal duties. For eight months the Luftwaffe dropped bombs on London and other strategic cities across Britain. On August 25 the British retaliated by launching a bombing 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. The Luftwaffe crews returned to their base in Northern France and reported that Belfast's defences were, "inferior in quality, scanty and insufficient". So had Clydeside until recently. 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. For two hours, 348 German bombers and 617 fighters targeted the city, dropping high-explosive bombs as well as incendiary devices. Belfast | History, Population, Map, Landmarks, & Facts Everything on wheels is being pressed into service. [citation needed]. The raids on London primarily targeted the Docklands area of the East End. These shelters were vital as these factories had many employees working late at night and early in the morning when Luftwaffe attacks were likely. More than 1,000 people were killed, and the damage was more widespread than on any previous occasion. 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 telegram was sent at 4:35am,[citation needed] asking the Irish Taoiseach, amon de Valera for assistance. to households. Video, 00:00:46, Hong Kong skyscraper fire seen on city's skyline, Watch: Matt Hancock message row in 83 seconds. 6. "But there is no such equivalent in Belfast. At conservative gathering, Trump is still the favourite. Those who sought refuge at the school were told that they would quickly be relocated to a safer area, but the evacuation was delayed. Jimmy Doherty, an air raid warden (who later served in London during the V1 and V2 blitz), who wrote a book on the Belfast blitz; 1. Read about our approach to external linking. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Burke Street which ran between Annadale and Dawson streets in the New Lodge area, was completely wiped off the map with all its 20 houses flattened and all of the occupants killed.[16]. When the house was hit William, Harriette, Dorothy, 36-year-old Dot and 41-year-old Isa were all killed. 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. In every instance, all stepped forward. Reviewed by: Geoffrey Roberts. Many bodies and body parts could not be identified. When Germany bombed Belfast as part of the Blitz during World War Two, the massive air raids left more than a thousand people dead. A short respite followed, until a widespread series of night raids on April 7 included some targets in the London area. They all say the same thing, that the government is no good. 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. William Joyce (known as "Lord Haw-Haw") announced in radio broadcasts from Hamburg that there will be "Easter eggs for Belfast". Blitz Fibre UK Blitz Fibre UK Published Mar 1, 2023 + Follow Fact 1- Small but Mighty . Heinkel He 111 and Dornier Do 17 planes fitted with Zeiss cameras captured high-quality aerial imagery. Belfast was Ireland's industrial home, famous for tobacco, rope-making, linen, and ship-building, which made it the powerhouse it was. Indeed, on the night of the first raid, no Royal Air Force (RAF) aircraft took to the air to intercept German planes. By British mainland blitz standards, casualties were light. 55,000 British civilian casualties were sustained through German bombing before the end of 1940 This included 23,000 deaths. Although casualties were heavy, at no time did they approach the estimates that had been made before the war, and only a fraction of the available hospital and ambulance capacity was ever utilized. ", Mapping the lives lost in the Belfast Blitz. Ulster Historical Foundation. At the beginning of the Blitz, British ack ack gunners struggled to inflict meaningful damage on German bombers, but later developments in radar guidance greatly improved the effectiveness of both antiaircraft artillery and searchlights. In early 1941 the Germans launched another wave of attacks, this time focusing on ports. People hung black curtains in their windows so that no lights showed outside their houses. Tragically 35 were crushed to death when the mill wall collapsed. 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. In The Blitz: Belfast in the War Years, Brian Barton wrote: "Government Ministers felt with justification, that the Germans were able to use the unblacked out lights in the south to guide them to their targets in the North." Video, 00:01:03One-minute World News, Isabel Oakeshott: Why I leaked Hancock's messages. The danger faced in London was greatly increased when the V2 attacks started and the casualty figures mirrored those of the Blitz.. That contrasts with the figure that is often given of more than 900 killed on Easter Tuesday alone. Belfast Blitz: Marking the lost lives 80 years on. In the west and north of the city, streets heavily bombed included Percy Street, York Park, York Crescent, Eglinton Street, Carlisle Street, Ballyclare, Ballycastle and Ballynure Streets off the Oldpark Road; Southport Street, Walton Street, Antrim Road, Annadale Street, Cliftonville Road, Hillman Street, Atlantic Avenue, Hallidays Road, Hughenden Avenue, Sunningdale Park, Shandarragh Park, and Whitewell Road. 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.
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