Very early in the German bombing campaign, it became clear that the preparationshowever extensive they seemed to have beenwere inadequate. The Blitz of Belfast 1941 - History Learning Site Similar initiatives bearing the same name were ordered in the past decade by former mayors Libby . The period of the next moon from say the 7th to the 16th of April may well bring our turn.. When Germany bombed Belfast as part of the Blitz during World War Two, the massive air raids left more than a thousand people dead. These shelters, made of corrugated steel, were designed to be dug into a garden and then covered with dirt. The raids hurt Britains war production, but they also killed many civilians and left many others homeless. The British, on the other hand, were supremely well prepared for the kind of battle in which they now found themselves. Gring had insisted that such an attack was an impossibility, because of the citys formidable air defense network. Belfast, Irish Bal Feirste, city, district, and capital of Northern Ireland, on the River Lagan, at its entrance to Belfast Lough (inlet of the sea). 19.99. Richard Dawson Bates was the Home Affairs Minister. By mid-September 1940 the RAF had won the Battle of Britain, and the invasion was postponed indefinitely. 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. Belfast's Albert Clock tower is sinking - it leans by four feet. 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. [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. His death (along with preceding ill-health) came at a bad time and arguably inadvertently caused a leadership vacuum. On August 25 the British retaliated by launching a bombing raid on Berlin. Authorities quickly implemented plans to protect Londoners from bombs and to house those left homeless by the attacks. Video, 00:01:23Watch: Matt Hancock message row in 83 seconds, One-minute World News. Indeed, on the night of the first raid, no Royal Air Force (RAF) aircraft took to the air to intercept German planes. Added to this was the repair and refitting of 22,000 more vessels. Heinkel He 111 and Dornier Do 17 planes fitted with Zeiss cameras captured high-quality aerial imagery. 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. 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.". 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. And even then, Westminster stated it was not ample provision; Stormont still worried about the costs to industry. Video, 00:01:41, The German bombing of Coventry. 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. [6] It was MacDermott who sent a telegram to de Valera seeking assistance. Reviewed by: Geoffrey Roberts. 1. Blitz Fibre UK Blitz Fibre UK Published Mar 1, 2023 + Follow Fact 1- Small but Mighty . Anna and Billy returned to England and continued running the children's home. 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. The most heavily bombed cities outside London were Liverpool and Birmingham. Taoiseach amon de Valera formally protested to Berlin. [citation needed]. For more than six months, German planes had flown reconnaissance flights over Belfast. Apart from those on London, this was the greatest loss of life in any night raid during the Blitz. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. The bombing of British cities - Swansea, Belfast, Glasgow Because basements, a logical destination in the event of an air raid, were a relative rarity in Britain, the A.R.P. There [is] ground for thinking that the enemy could not easily reach Belfast in force except during a period of moonlight. 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. 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. Video, 00:02:12, Isabel Oakeshott: Why I leaked Hancock's messages, Tears of relief after man found in Amazon jungle. The Blitz | Facts, History, Damage, & Casualties | Britannica As many as 5,000 people had packed into this network of underground tunnels, which was dangerously overcrowded, dirty, and dark. When incendiaries were dropped, the city burned as water pressure was too low for effective firefighting. Authorities had noted Queens Island in the cityas a vulnerable point as early as 1929. As more and more people began sleeping on the platforms, however, the government relented and provided bunk beds and bathrooms for the underground communities. 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. Prayers were said and hymns sung by the mainly Protestant women and children during the bombing. William Joyce (known as "Lord Haw-Haw") announced in radio broadcasts from Hamburg that there will be "Easter eggs for Belfast". He was replaced by 54-year-old Sir Basil Brooke on 1 May. The Battle of Britain Video, 00:01:03One-minute World News, Isabel Oakeshott: Why I leaked Hancock's messages. wardens, and members of the Home Guard drilling in the parks, life went on much as usual. [citation needed], There was a second massive air raid on Belfast on Sunday 45 May 1941, three weeks after that of Easter Tuesday. 9. It is situated at on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. 10 Facts about Belfast City | Fun Facts About Belfast | Europa Hotel 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. Government apathy, a lack of leadership and a belief the Luftwaffe could not reach Belfast lead to the city lagging behind in terms of basic defences. Over 500 received care from the Irish Red Cross in Dublin. Hitlers intention had been to break the morale of the British people so they would pressure their government to surrender. Despite the military and industrial importance of the city, the Luftwaffe described the defences asweak, scanty, insufficient. Nearby were the citys main power station, gasworks, telephone house and the Sirocco Engineering works. The Royal Air Force announced that Squadron Leader J.W.C. But the Luftwaffe was ready. Belfast Blitz: Remembering the ordinary people who lost their lives The Belfast blitz devastated a city that up until 1941 had remained unscathed during World War Two. There were still 80,000 more in Belfast. In clear weather, targets were easily identifiable. The Blitz was devastating for the people of London and other cities. 2. 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. 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. Up Next. The Belfast Blitz: April-May 1941 - History Ireland The attack on Coventry was particularly destructive. Around 20,000 people were employed on the site with 35,000 further along in the shipyard. Brides, Fleet St.; St. Lawrence Jewry; St. Magnus the Martyr; St. Mary-at-hill; St. Dunstan in the East; St. Clement [Eastcheap] and St. Jamess, Piccadilly). St George's Church in High Street was damaged by fire. There are other diarists and narratives. Belfast, the city with the highest population density in the UK at the time, also had the lowest proportion of public air-raid shelters. Guided by Davies, the people of the shelter created an ad hoc government and established a set of rules. devised the Morrison shelter (named for Home Secretary Herbert Stanley Morrison) as an alternative to the Anderson shelter. The first was on the night of 78 April 1941, a small attack which probably took place only to test Belfast's defences. KS3 History (Environment and society) The Belfast Blitz learning resources for adults, children, parents and teachers. Another large-scale attack followed on March 19, when hundreds of houses and shops, many churches, six hospitals, and other public buildings were destroyed or seriously damaged. Incendiary bombs predominated in this raid. The period of the next moon from say the 7th to the 16th of April may well bring our turn." The shipyard was among the largest in the world, producing merchant vessels and military shipping. About 1,000 people were killed and bombs hit half of the houses in the city, leaving 100,000. He spoke with Professor Flynn, (Theodore Thomson Flynn, an Australian based at the Mater Hospital and father of actor Errol Flynn), head of the casualty service for the city, who told him of "casualties due to shock, blast and secondary missiles, such as glass, stones, pieces of piping, etc." 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. When a bombing raid was imminent, air-raid sirens were set off to sound a warning. In Bristol, the bombed-out ruins of St Peter's Church were left standing with added memorial plaques to the civilians who were killed. 10 Facts About the Blitz and the Bombing of Germany Accounts differ as to when flares were dropped to light up the city. Belfast Blitz: Facts In total there were four attacks on the County Antrim city. 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. 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 . [26], Initial German radio broadcasts celebrated the raid. Islington parish church, the rebuilt Our Lady of Victories (Kensington), the French church by Leicester square, St. Annes, Soho (famous for its music), All Souls, Langham place, and Christ Church in Westminster Bridge road (whose towerfortunately savedcommemorates President Lincolns abolition of slavery), were among a large number of others. Updates? The Blitz began at around 4 pm on September 7, 1940, when German bomber planes first appeared over London. About 1,000 people were killed during the Belfast Blitz of 1941, with Harland and Wolff among the buildings that were hit by the Luftwaffe. The creeping TikTok bans. "It says a lot about how these people are forgotten that there is no Blitz memorial in Belfast," Mr Freeburn says. Corrections? Unlike N Ireland, the Irish Free State was no longer part of the UK. Belfast was bombed by the Nazis in World War II. parliament: "if the government realized 'that these fast bombers can come to Northern Ireland in two and three quarter hours'". A Raid From Above Wherever Churchill is hiding his war material we will go. 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. Singer-songwriter Van Morrison was born here. [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. Other targets included Sheffield, Manchester, Coventry, and Southampton. 2. The World's Most-Famous Ship, The Titanic, was constructed here. Over 150 people died in what became known as the 'Fire Blitz'. 55,000 British civilian casualties were sustained through German bombing before the end of 1940 This included 23,000 deaths. 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. By the. 13 Facts You Didn't Know About Belfast There was no opposition. When the house was hit William, Harriette, Dorothy, 36-year-old Dot and 41-year-old Isa were all killed. 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. Video, 00:02:54Living through the London Blitz, At least 17 dead in Jakarta fuel storage depot fire. Even the children of soldiers had not been evacuated, with calamitous results when the married quarters of Victoria Barracks received a direct hit. [21] Mass graves for the unclaimed bodies were dug in the Milltown and Belfast City Cemeteries. Blitz, The - Kids | Britannica Kids | Homework Help Simpson shot down one of the Heinkels over Downpatrick. But these people all had families and friends and they had to deal with their loss for the rest of their lives.". 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. 14 Breathtaking Facts about Belfast - Fact City 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 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. NI WW2 veterans honoured by France. You can see the difference in those letters - post-Blitz is very much a grieving tone. ", Mapping the lives lost in the Belfast Blitz. Six Heinkel He 111 bombers, from Kampfgruppe 26, flying at 7,000 feet (2,100m), dropped incendiaries, high explosive and parachute-mines. 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. [17] A stray bomber attacked Derry, killing 15. At the core of this book is a compelling account of the Luftwaffe's blitz on Belfast in April-May 1941. So had Clydeside until recently. 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. By then most of the major fires were under control and the firemen from Clydeside and other British cities were arriving. Death should be dignified, peaceful; Hitler had made even death grotesque. Some 900 people died as a result of the bombing and 1,500 were injured. Protection of the city fell to seven anti-aircraft batteries of 16 heavy guns and six light guns. Compared to other cities, Belfast was virtually undefended. 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. Van Morrison is from the east part of the city. "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. Video, 00:01:09The Spitfire turns 80, The German bombing of Coventry.