Barton insisted that Belfast was "too far north" to use radio guidance. Video, 00:00:46Hong Kong skyscraper fire seen on city's skyline, Watch: Matt Hancock message row in 83 seconds. The raids hurt Britains war production, but they also killed many civilians and left many others homeless. In the New Lodge area people had taken refuge in a mill. The British government had anticipated air attacks on its population centres, and it had predicted catastrophic casualties. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. "Through resources such as the Public Records Office and ancestry and genealogy websites I managed to get about 100 photos - which is about one tenth of the victims," he says. [18], Over 900 people died, 1,500 people were injured, 400 of them seriously. 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. ", Dawson Bates informed the Cabinet of rack-renting of barns, and over thirty people per house in some areas.[24]. Anna and Billy returned to England and continued running the children's home. 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. Instead of pressing his advantage, however, Hitler abruptly changed his strategy. Many bodies and body parts could not be identified. The shipyard was among the largest in the world, producing merchant vessels and military shipping. The Blitz began at around 4 pm on September 7, 1940, when German bomber planes first appeared over London. The creeping TikTok bans, Hong Kong skyscraper fire seen on city's skyline. The bombs caused death and destruction across the city, affecting those of all religions and political backgrounds. The period of the next moon from say the 7th to the 16th of April may well bring our turn.. These balloons, the largest of which were some 60 feet (18 metres) long, were essentially an airspace denial tool. Belfast was not properly prepared for the attacks, with too few shelters and not enough anti-aircraft guns. [citation needed]. Belfast is as worthy a target as Coventry, Birmingham, Bristol or Glasgow.. By the end of the attacks, between 900 and 1,000 people were dead and thousands more were injured, homeless and displaced. At the start of World War Two, Belfast had considered itself safe from an aerial attack, as the city's leaders believed that Belfast was simply too far away for Luftwaffe bombers to reach - assuming that they would have to fly from Nazi Germany. For eight months the Luftwaffe dropped bombs on London and other strategic cities across Britain. After his optician business was destroyed by a bomb, Mickey Davies led an effort to organize the Spitalfield Shelter. The attacks were authorized by Germany's chancellor, Adolf Hitler, after the British carried out a nighttime air raid on Berlin. Video, 00:00:51, Australia's 'biggest drug bust' nets $700m of cocaine, Thanks, but no big speech, in Ken Bruce's sign off. 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. It was not the last time Belfast would suffer. 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. Over 500 received care from the Irish Red Cross in Dublin. The winter of 193940 was severe, but the summer was pleasant, and in their leisure hours Londoners thronged the parks or worked in their gardens. Several accounts point out that Belfast, standing at the end of the long inlet of Belfast Lough, would be easily located. Under the leadership of amon de Valera it had declared its neutrality during the Second World War. He went to the Mater Hospital at 2pm, nine hours after the raid ended, to find the street with a traffic jam of ambulances waiting to admit their casualties. On September 1, 1939, the day World War II began with Germanys invasion of Poland, the British government implemented a massive evacuation plan. 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.. The raid so infuriated Hitler that he ordered the Luftwaffe to shift its attacks from RAF sites to London and other cities. At the time of the first attack in April 1941, there were no operational searchlights, too few anti-aircraft batteries and scarcely enough public air raid shelters for a quarter of the population. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Brian Barton of Queen's University, Belfast, has written most on this topic.[19]. [citation needed], Other writers, such as Tony Gray in The Lost Years state that the Germans did follow their radio guidance beams. It was the worst wartime raid outside of London in the UK. On Nov. 30, 1940, a lone Luftwaffe plane flew across the Ards Peninsula unobserved and reported back to Berlin. Brooke noted in his diary "I gave him authority as it is obviously a question of expediency". The Belfast blitz devastated a city that up until 1941 had remained unscathed during World War Two. When a bombing raid was imminent, air-raid sirens were set off to sound a warning. [21] Mass graves for the unclaimed bodies were dug in the Milltown and Belfast City Cemeteries. By the. "They have never been published before, never seen the light of day.". From a purely military perspective, the Blitz was entirely counterproductive to the main purpose of Germanys air offensiveto dominate the skies in advance of an invasion of England. [19], 220,000 people fled from the city. Learn how your comment data is processed. Liverpool, for example, protected by 100 guns. His death (along with preceding ill-health) came at a bad time and arguably inadvertently caused a leadership vacuum. [citation needed], There was a second massive air raid on Belfast on Sunday 45 May 1941, three weeks after that of Easter Tuesday. 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. 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. The youngest victim was just six-weeks-old. Some had received food, others were famished. Three vessels nearing completion at Harland and Wolff's were hit as was its power station. An earlier flight on Oct. 18 allowed the crew to plot several targets in the city. Both planes quickly proved their mettle against German bombers, and Germanys best fighter, the Bf 109, was of limited use as an escort due to its relatively short operating range. High explosive bombs predominated in this raid. 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. Belfast is located on the island of Ireland. The famous Harland and Wolff cranes are called Samson and Goliath. The sense of relative calm was abruptly shattered in the first week of September 1940, when the war came to London in earnest. Nearby were the citys main power station, gasworks, telephone house and the Sirocco Engineering works. 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. Over 150 people died in what became known as the 'Fire Blitz'. When the war began, Belfast, like many other cities, adopted the wartime practices of rationing and blackouts. As more and more people began sleeping on the platforms, however, the government relented and provided bunk beds and bathrooms for the underground communities. The 2017 film Zoo depicts an air raid during the Belfast Blitz. This view was probably influenced by the decision of the IRA Army Council to support Germany. His report concluded with: "a second Belfast would be too horrible to contemplate". This raid overall caused relatively little damage, but a lot was revealed about Belfast's inadequate defences. Few children had been successfully evacuated. sprang into action, and Londoners, while maintaining the work, business, and efficiency of their city, displayed remarkable fortitude. A victory for the Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain would indeed have exposed Great Britain to invasion and occupation. The South Hallsville School disaster prompted Londoners, especially residents of the East End, to find safer shelters, on their own if necessary. High explosives were dropped. Video, 00:01:41NI WW2 veterans honoured by France, The Spitfire turns 80. The offensive came to be called the Blitz after the German word blitzkrieg (lightning war). Here are 10 facts about both the German Blitzkrieg and the Allied bombing of Germany. 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 district of Belfast has an area of 44 square miles (115 square km). 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. Video, 00:01:38, At least 17 dead in Jakarta fuel storage depot fire, Australia's 'biggest drug bust' nets $700m of cocaine. In late August the Germans dropped some bombs, apparently by accident, on civilian areas in London. Belfast is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland . The refugees looked dazed and horror stricken and many had neglected to bring more than a few belongings Any and every means of exit from the city was availed of and the final destination appeared to be a matter of indifference. 7. Another attacked Bangor, killing five. It was not the first time the alarm had sounded to signify the presence of Luftwaffe bombers over the city. In just these few hours, 430 people were killed and 1,600 were badly injured. Fighter Commands efforts were greatly aided by the lack of any consistent plan of action on the part of the Germans. [4], The Government of Northern Ireland lacked the will, energy and capacity to cope with a major crisis when it came. The fourth and final Belfast raid took place on the following night, 56 May. In the eight months of attacks, some 43,000 civilians were killed. Belfast confetti," said one archive news report. Your donations help keep MHN afloat. Video, 00:01:38At least 17 dead in Jakarta fuel storage depot fire, Australia's 'biggest drug bust' nets $700m of cocaine. [13] However at the time Lord Craigavon, Prime Minister of Northern Ireland since its inception in 1921, said: "Ulster is ready when we get the word and always will be." 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. This hub of industry and trade represented a legitimate military target for the Germans, and some 25,000 bombs were dropped on the Port of London alone. After the first week of September, although night bombing on a large scale continued, the large mass attacks by day, which had proved so costly to the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain, were replaced by smaller parties coming over in successive waves. For two hours on the first day, 348 German bombers and 617 fighters blasted London. "It says a lot about how these people are forgotten that there is no Blitz memorial in Belfast," Mr Freeburn says. What happened in 1941 changed the city forever. Belfast's Albert Clock tower is sinking - it leans by four feet. 6. Another claim was that the Catholic population in general and the IRA in particular guided the bombers. 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. It lies where the Lagan River flows into a part of the Irish Sea. As the UK was preparing for the conflict, the factories and shipyards of Belfast were gearing up. No significant cut was made in necessary social services, and public and private premises, except when irreparably damaged, were repaired as speedily as possible. After the war, when the first girl from the home got married Billy gave her away, having lost his only daughter. continuous trek to railway stations. Despite the military and industrial importance of the city, the Luftwaffe described the defences asweak, scanty, insufficient. Apart from those on London, this was the greatest loss of life in any night raid during the Blitz. 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. With Britains powerful Royal Navy controlling the surface approaches in the Channel and the North Sea, it fell to the Luftwaffe to establish dominance of the skies above the battle zone. 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. The Air Raid Precautions (A.R.P.) Their Chain Home early warning radar, the most advanced system in the world, gave Fighter Command adequate notice of where and when to direct their forces, and the Luftwaffe never made a concerted effort to neutralize it. After the bombing began on September 7, local authorities urged displaced people to take shelter at South Hallsville School. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. "A lot of the people I spoke to were relatives who ended up donating images and handwritten letters from before and after the Blitz. As many as 5,000 people had packed into this network of underground tunnels, which was dangerously overcrowded, dirty, and dark. A Luftwaffe pilot gave this description "We were in exceptional good humour knowing that we were going for a new target, one of England's last hiding places. Sir Basil Brooke, the Minister of Agriculture, was the only active minister. From papers recovered after the war, we know of a Luftwaffe reconnaissance flight over Belfast on 30 November 1940. 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. 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. The bombs continued to fall until 5am. In early 1941 the Germans launched another wave of attacks, this time focusing on ports. Between Black Saturday and December 2, there was no 24-hour period without at least one alertas the alarms came to be calledand generally far more. Added to this was the repair and refitting of 22,000 more vessels. When the bombing began, 76-year-old William and 72-year-old Harriette took refuge under the stairs along with Dorothy, Dot and Isa. In addition, there simply was not enough space for everyone who needed shelter in one of the largest and most densely populated cities in the world. This part of Belfast was the only one required to provide air raid shelters for workers. After the passing of the Government of Ireland Act, 1920, it became the seat of the government of Northern Ireland. Belfast was the birthplace of the RMS Titanic, the world' most famous ship which, when it was constructed in the early 1900s, was longer than the height of the world's tallest building at 882 feet and six inches in length. Prior to the "Belfast Blitz" there were only 200 public shelters in the city, although around 4,000 households had built their own private shelters. The most significant loss was a 4.5-acre (1.8ha) factory floor for manufacturing the fuselages of Short Stirling bombers. The Luftwaffe had lost more than 600 aircraft, and, although the RAF had lost fewer than half that many, the battle was claiming British fighters and experienced pilots at too great a rate. Davies also set up medical stations and persuaded off-duty medical personnel to treat the sick and wounded. Moya Woodside[23] noted in her diary: "Evacuation is taking on panic proportions. John Clarke MacDermott, the Minister of Public Security, after the first bombing, initiated the "Hiram Plan" to evacuate the city and to return Belfast to 'normality' as quickly as possible. Video, 00:01:41, The German bombing of Coventry. But these people all had families and friends and they had to deal with their loss for the rest of their lives.". London was bombed for 57 consecutive nights from 7 September 1940 While the balloons themselves were an obvious deterrent, they were anchored to the ground by steel tethers that were strong enough to damage or destroy any aircraft that flew into them. 10 Facts about Belfast City. Blitz Fibre UK Blitz Fibre UK Published Mar 1, 2023 + Follow Fact 1- Small but Mighty . In Bristol, the bombed-out ruins of St Peter's Church were left standing with added memorial plaques to the civilians who were killed. One, Tom Coleman, attended to receive recognition for his colleagues' solidarity at such a critical time. The Titanic was built in Belfast. The British, on the other hand, were supremely well prepared for the kind of battle in which they now found themselves. London seemed ablaze from the docks to Westminster, much damage was done, and casualties were high. 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}. 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. 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. "There are plans for one but there isn't one yet. An air raid shelter on Hallidays Road received a direct hit, killing all those in it. The government announced that 77 people had died, but for years local residents insisted the toll was much higher. 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. 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. 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. 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. By mid-September 1940 the RAF had won the Battle of Britain, and the invasion was postponed indefinitely. 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. From September 1940 until May 1941, Britain was subjected to sustained enemy bombing campaign, now known as the Blitz. That evening over 150 bombers left their bases in northern France and the Netherlands and headed for Belfast. 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. As many were caught in the open by blast and secondary missiles, the enormous number of casualties can be readily accounted for. There was unease with the complacent attitude of the government, which led to resignations: Craigavon died on 24 November 1940. 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. 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. Clydeside got its blitz during the period of the last moon. The Belfast blitz. By 6am, within two hours of the request for assistance, 71 firemen with 13 fire tenders from Dundalk, Drogheda, Dublin, and Dn Laoghaire were on their way to cross the Irish border to assist their Belfast colleagues. Death had to a certain extent been made decent. Two of the crews received refreshments in Banbridge; others were entertained in the Ancient Order of Hibernians hall in Newry. German bombing of London during the Blitz, Discover how the Third Reich attacked Great Britain during World War II's Battle of Britain, atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Watch President Roosevelt outline his Four Freedoms and learn how Britain defeated Germany's Luftwaffe. Belfast Blitz: Facts In total there were four attacks on the County Antrim city. 55,000 houses were damaged leaving 100,000 temporarily homeless. Similar initiatives bearing the same name were ordered in the past decade by former mayors Libby . He was asked, in the N.I. Video, 00:02:54Living through the London Blitz, At least 17 dead in Jakarta fuel storage depot fire. 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." In the first days of the Blitz, a tragic incident in the East End stoked public anger over the governments shelter policy. Hitlers intention had been to break the morale of the British people so they would pressure their government to surrender. 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.
