Londoners enjoyed three weeks of uneasy peace until May 1011, the night of a full moon, when the Luftwaffe launched the most intense raid of the Blitz. BBC News | NORTHERN IRELAND | The Belfast blitz is remembered On November 14, 1940, a German force of more than 500 bombers destroyed much of the old city centre and killed more than 550 people. "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. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The raid so infuriated Hitler that he ordered the Luftwaffe to shift its attacks from RAF sites to London and other cities. 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. Belfast, the city with the highest population density in the UK at the time, also had the lowest proportion of public air-raid shelters. In just these few hours, 430 people were killed and 1,600 were badly injured. "They have never been published before, never seen the light of day.". It is perhaps true that many saved their lives running but I am afraid a much greater number lost them or became casualties."[20]. Most of the objectives laid out by the reconnaissance crews were of either military or industrial importance. The devastation was so great that the Germans coined a new verb, to coventrate, to describe it. Few children had been successfully evacuated. There are other diarists and narratives. Beginning in September 1940, the Blitz was an aerial bombing campaign conducted by the Luftwaffe against British cities. Once more, London was targeted and children were victims. Video, Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims, US-made cheese can be called 'gruyere' - court, AOC under investigation for Met Gala dress, Saving Private Ryan actor Tom Sizemore dies at 61, The children left behind in Cuba's exodus, Walkie Talkie architect Rafael Violy dies aged 78, Alex Murdaugh's legal troubles are far from over, Mother who killed her five children euthanised. "[22], In his opinion, the greatest want was the lack of hospital facilities. 29 interesting facts about Belfast you never knew - BeeLoved City These private air-raid shelters were Anderson shelters, constructed of sheets of corrugated galvanised iron covered in earth. 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. Belfast was Ireland's industrial home, famous for tobacco, rope-making, linen, and ship-building, which made it the powerhouse it was. Some 900 people died as a result of the bombing and 1,500 were injured. The database Mr Freeburn has compiled is, he believes, the most accurate list of those killed and includes 222 children aged 16 or under. After a brief lull, the Luftwaffe returned in force on February 17. 19.99. Belfast is as worthy a target as Coventry, Birmingham, Bristol or Glasgow.. The A.R.P. There were few bomb shelters. 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. As many as 5,000 people had packed into this network of underground tunnels, which was dangerously overcrowded, dirty, and dark. The RAFs Spitfire was a superlative fighter, and it was not always easy for the Germans to distinguish it from the slightly less maneuverable but much more numerous Hurricanes. [26], Initial German radio broadcasts celebrated the raid. Horrendous Belfast losses during World War Two bombing blitz The Belfast blitz. Children and World War Two - History Learning Site "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. It targeted the docks. 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. Neighbouring residential areas were also hit. Mr Freeburn set out to find out more about those who died, their personal stories and the tales of those left behind. Hundreds of incendiary and many high-explosive bombs were dropped, doing little material damage but causing many casualties. They remained for three days, until they were sent back by the Northern Ireland government. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. The next took place on Easter Tuesday, 15 April 1941, when 200 Luftwaffe bombers attacked military and manufacturing targets in the city of Belfast. 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. Why Alex Murdaugh was spared the death penalty, Why Trudeau is facing calls for a public inquiry, The shocking legacy of the Dutch 'Hunger Winter'. THE BELFAST BLITZ was a series of four air raids over Northern Ireland during the spring of 1941. The initial human cost of the Blitz was lower than the government had expected, but the level of destruction exceeded the governments dire predictions. 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. That evening over 150 bombers left their bases in northern France and the Netherlands and headed for Belfast. And even then, Westminster stated it was not ample provision; Stormont still worried about the costs to industry. Major O'Sullivan reported that "In the heavily 'blitzed' areas people ran panic-stricken into the streets and made for the open country. While Anderson shelters offered good protection from bomb fragments and debris, they were cold and damp and generally ill-suited for prolonged occupancy. Anna and Billy returned to England and continued running the children's home. The 2017 film Zoo depicts an air raid during the Belfast Blitz. [citation needed]. ", Dawson Bates informed the Cabinet of rack-renting of barns, and over thirty people per house in some areas.[24]. 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. Outside of London, with some 900 dead, this was the greatest loss of life in a night raid during the Blitz. Video, 00:00:46Hong Kong skyscraper fire seen on city's skyline, Watch: Matt Hancock message row in 83 seconds. When the war began, Belfast, like many other cities, adopted the wartime practices of rationing and blackouts. That contrasts with the figure that is often given of more than 900 killed on Easter Tuesday alone. 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? Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. By 4 am the entire city seemed to be in flames. Weighing 46,328 tonnes, Titanic was to be the largest manmade moveable object the world had ever seen. 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. Because basements, a logical destination in the event of an air raid, were a relative rarity in Britain, the A.R.P. 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. Up Next. The raids hurt Britains war production, but they also killed many civilians and left many others homeless. and Major Sen O'Sullivan, who produced a detailed report for the Dublin government. 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. 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 M.V. Blitz, The - Kids | Britannica Kids | Homework Help He believed that key targets identified across the city were hit. It was not the last time Belfast would suffer. 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. Protection of the city fell to seven anti-aircraft batteries of 16 heavy guns and six light guns. 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. Brian Barton of Queen's University, Belfast, has written most on this topic.[19]. Belfast Blitz: Facts In total there were four attacks on the County Antrim city. Simpson shot down one of the Heinkels over Downpatrick. Days later a group of East Enders occupied the shelter at the upscale Savoy Hotel, and many others began to take refuge in the citys underground railway, or Tube, stations. 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; Anna and Billy were buried up their necks in sewage but were rescued and survived. Thank you. Accounts differ as to when flares were dropped to light up the city. The Belfast Blitz: April-May 1941 - History Ireland [citation needed], There was a second massive air raid on Belfast on Sunday 45 May 1941, three weeks after that of Easter Tuesday. 150 corpses remained in the Falls Road baths for three days before they were buried in a mass grave, with 123 still unidentified. Unlike N Ireland, the Irish Free State was no longer part of the UK. 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. 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. NI WW2 veterans honoured by France. The World's Most-Famous Ship, The Titanic, was constructed here. 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. Clydeside got its blitz during the period of the last moon. Authorities quickly implemented plans to protect Londoners from bombs and to house those left homeless by the attacks. 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. Read about our approach to external linking. Apart from one or two false alarms in the early days of the war, no sirens wailed in London until June 25. Video, 00:00:51, Australia's 'biggest drug bust' nets $700m of cocaine, Thanks, but no big speech, in Ken Bruce's sign off. There was no smokescreen ability, however there were some barrage balloons positioned strategically for protection. The Battle of Britain The "pothole blitz" is a common short-term initiative to combat storm weather damage. The first was on the night of 78 April 1941, a small attack which probably took place only to test Belfast's defences. In early 1941 the Germans launched another wave of attacks, this time focusing on ports. NI WW2 veterans honoured by France. Interesting facts about Belfast | Just Fun Facts The British thus fought with the advantage of superior equipment and undivided aim against an enemy with inconsistent objectives. 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. [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. 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. Yesterday for once the people of Ireland were united under the shadow of a national blow. For eight months the Luftwaffe dropped bombs on London and other strategic cities across Britain. "We can still see the physical scars of the Blitz in Belfast, that is what is left. Clydeside got its blitz during the period of the last moon. After the passing of the Government of Ireland Act, 1920, it became the seat of the government of Northern Ireland. When Germany bombed Belfast as part of the Blitz during World War Two, the massive air raids left more than a thousand people dead. Updates? Video, 00:01:15The Belfast blitz, Up Next. The House of Commons, Westminster Abbey, and the British Museum were severely damaged, and The Temple was almost completely destroyed. Around 20,000 people were employed on the site with 35,000 further along in the shipyard. The fourth and final Belfast raid took place on the following night, 56 May. Men from the South worked with men from the North in the universal cause of the relief of suffering. However Belfast was not mentioned again by the Nazis. . 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. Sir Basil Brooke, the Minister of Agriculture, was the only active minister. 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. The sense of relative calm was abruptly shattered in the first week of September 1940, when the war came to London in earnest. [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. The first attack was against the city's waterworks, which had been attacked in the previous raid. 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." His death (along with preceding ill-health) came at a bad time and arguably inadvertently caused a leadership vacuum. Interesting facts about Belfast. A Luftwaffe terror bombing attack on the Spanish city of Guernica (April 26, 1937) during the Spanish Civil War had killed hundreds of civilians and destroyed much of the town. He gave an interview saying: "the people of Belfast are Irish people too". Belfast is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland . 10 Facts about Belfast City | Fun Facts About Belfast | Europa Hotel Yesterday the hand of good-fellowship was reached across the Border. Roads out of town are still one stream of cars, with mattresses and bedding tied on top. 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. The period of the next moon from say the 7th to the 16th of April may well bring our turn.. Belfast Blitz: Remembering the ordinary people who lost their lives You can see the difference in those letters - post-Blitz is very much a grieving tone. 6. The British, on the other hand, were supremely well prepared for the kind of battle in which they now found themselves. It lies where the Lagan River flows into a part of the Irish Sea. [citation needed]. Air power alone had failed to knock the United Kingdom out of the war. No significant cut was made in necessary social services, and public and private premises, except when irreparably damaged, were repaired as speedily as possible. These shelters, made of corrugated steel, were designed to be dug into a garden and then covered with dirt. Belfast Blitz: The Luftwaffe attacks Northern Ireland - WartimeNI At conservative gathering, Trump is still the favourite. Many in Northern Ireland thought that Belfast was outside the range of the Luftwaffe. 11 churches, two hospitals and two schools were destroyed. By the. Compared to other cities, Belfast was virtually undefended. 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. 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. 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. On September 1, 1939, the day World War II began with Germanys invasion of Poland, the British government implemented a massive evacuation plan. The district of Belfast has an area of 44 square miles (115 square km). workers. Again the Irish emergency services crossed the border, this time without waiting for an invitation. continuous trek to railway stations. Only four were known still to be alive. Taoiseach amon de Valera formally protested to Berlin. 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. John Wood Dunlop invented the pneumatic tyre in Belfast in 1887. Humanity knows no borders, no politics, no differences of religious belief. On July 16, 1940, Hitler issued a directive ordering the preparation and, if necessary, execution of Operation Sea Lion, the amphibious invasion of Great Britain. In the course of four Luftwaffe attacks on the nights of 7-8 April, 15-16 April, 4-5 May and 5-6 May 1941, lasting ten hours in total, 1,100 people died, over 56,000 houses in the city were damaged (53 per cent of its entire housing stock), roughly 100,000 made temporarily homeless and 20 million damage was caused to property at wartime values.

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