London attacks
Start of London attacks
● 1st bomb was on 25th August 1940.
● Black Saturday, 7th September 1940 - 400 bombers at 5:00pm, then another 400 at
8:00pm.
● 400 killed, 1600 wounded, fires for 5 days.
Real Blitz
● 7th September 1940 - 10th May 1941.
● 28,000 killed and 25,000 wounded.
Case studies
● South Hallsville School: on 9th September evacuation failed and on 10th September it
was bombed. Recorded 77 were killed but rumoured 400.
● Balham tube disaster, 14th October 1940 - a mine bomb detonated above a tube station
and 68 were killed. Most drowned in sewage.
● Deptford, 25th November 1944 - a V2 rocket killed 160 and injured 200. It hit
Woolworths, the most popular shop.
● Incendiary worst raid, 29th December 1940 - 1500 fires and more than 160 killed.
Why London was targeted
● Capital city, so destruction would affect morale. Biggest city with a population of 8.6
million.
● Believed it would soften up London for a potential invasion.
● Government lived there and therefore could be killed.
● Had important ports.
Leisure in London
● Dancing was very popular and large dance halls stayed open throughout the war.
● Professional football started in late September 1939. Crowds were limited to 8,000 in
London and other main targets and 16,000 elsewhere. Many professionals joined the
army.
● The British Museum stored its precious treasures in an unused Aldwych tunnel. The
National Gallery sent its paintings to a slate quarry in Wales. Stained glass was
removed. St Paul's Watch and water tanks were installed on the roof.
● Cinemas were allowed to open a week after the start of the war. Audiences increased by
over 50% during the war years. Special newsreels had propaganda.
, ● Dig for Victory encouraged people to grow food. Public parks, gardens, and even the
moat of the Tower of London were turned into vegetable patches.
Boroughs
● London City Council and 28 boroughs shared the task of war preparation.
● LCC was responsible for the fire service, ambulance service, and the Heavy Rescue
Service.
● Each borough was responsible for first aid and setting up ARP wardens, 1 for every 500
people.
● January 1939 - the civil defence included ARP wardens, auxiliary services, and WRVS.
Evacuation
● All children over 5 were already evacuated in large groups by the schools, including
teachers.
● Local authorities in rural areas would organise the reception of children.
● National Service Act asked families if they were willing to accept children.
● Paid 52.5p per week for the first child, 42.5p per week for additional children.
● 1st September was the day the evacuation was supposed to begin.
Gas masks
● Londoners expected gas attacks.
● 26th September 1938 - gas masks were given out.
● St Pancras had only assembled 5,000 masks when the order arrived, so 200 men were
called to assemble the remaining masks and 167,000 were available. Fitting stations
were created.
● £5 to replace a lost mask.
● 4th September 1939 - 70%
● 9th November 1939 - 34%
● 31st March 1940 - 1%
Air raid shelters
● Originally the government did not want large shelters.
● Households were offered Anderson shelters if they had a garden. People dug a hole and
used the earth to pile onto the sides and top of the shelter.
● March 1941 - the Morrison Shelter was issued, which was a steel cage intended to
replace a table downstairs.
● In St Pancras, 1945, there were 7,000 Anderson shelters which could house 36,000
people.
● St Pancras had 1,200 Morrison shelters that could house 3,000.
● 1.5 million Anderson shelters were given out.
Mickey's shelter
Start of London attacks
● 1st bomb was on 25th August 1940.
● Black Saturday, 7th September 1940 - 400 bombers at 5:00pm, then another 400 at
8:00pm.
● 400 killed, 1600 wounded, fires for 5 days.
Real Blitz
● 7th September 1940 - 10th May 1941.
● 28,000 killed and 25,000 wounded.
Case studies
● South Hallsville School: on 9th September evacuation failed and on 10th September it
was bombed. Recorded 77 were killed but rumoured 400.
● Balham tube disaster, 14th October 1940 - a mine bomb detonated above a tube station
and 68 were killed. Most drowned in sewage.
● Deptford, 25th November 1944 - a V2 rocket killed 160 and injured 200. It hit
Woolworths, the most popular shop.
● Incendiary worst raid, 29th December 1940 - 1500 fires and more than 160 killed.
Why London was targeted
● Capital city, so destruction would affect morale. Biggest city with a population of 8.6
million.
● Believed it would soften up London for a potential invasion.
● Government lived there and therefore could be killed.
● Had important ports.
Leisure in London
● Dancing was very popular and large dance halls stayed open throughout the war.
● Professional football started in late September 1939. Crowds were limited to 8,000 in
London and other main targets and 16,000 elsewhere. Many professionals joined the
army.
● The British Museum stored its precious treasures in an unused Aldwych tunnel. The
National Gallery sent its paintings to a slate quarry in Wales. Stained glass was
removed. St Paul's Watch and water tanks were installed on the roof.
● Cinemas were allowed to open a week after the start of the war. Audiences increased by
over 50% during the war years. Special newsreels had propaganda.
, ● Dig for Victory encouraged people to grow food. Public parks, gardens, and even the
moat of the Tower of London were turned into vegetable patches.
Boroughs
● London City Council and 28 boroughs shared the task of war preparation.
● LCC was responsible for the fire service, ambulance service, and the Heavy Rescue
Service.
● Each borough was responsible for first aid and setting up ARP wardens, 1 for every 500
people.
● January 1939 - the civil defence included ARP wardens, auxiliary services, and WRVS.
Evacuation
● All children over 5 were already evacuated in large groups by the schools, including
teachers.
● Local authorities in rural areas would organise the reception of children.
● National Service Act asked families if they were willing to accept children.
● Paid 52.5p per week for the first child, 42.5p per week for additional children.
● 1st September was the day the evacuation was supposed to begin.
Gas masks
● Londoners expected gas attacks.
● 26th September 1938 - gas masks were given out.
● St Pancras had only assembled 5,000 masks when the order arrived, so 200 men were
called to assemble the remaining masks and 167,000 were available. Fitting stations
were created.
● £5 to replace a lost mask.
● 4th September 1939 - 70%
● 9th November 1939 - 34%
● 31st March 1940 - 1%
Air raid shelters
● Originally the government did not want large shelters.
● Households were offered Anderson shelters if they had a garden. People dug a hole and
used the earth to pile onto the sides and top of the shelter.
● March 1941 - the Morrison Shelter was issued, which was a steel cage intended to
replace a table downstairs.
● In St Pancras, 1945, there were 7,000 Anderson shelters which could house 36,000
people.
● St Pancras had 1,200 Morrison shelters that could house 3,000.
● 1.5 million Anderson shelters were given out.
Mickey's shelter
