Britain Under Fire
Peter Stocker, 'Wartime Memories of a Coventry Kid'The bombing went on all night and nobody in the shelter got any sleep. I just hung onto Teddy and hoped for the best.
From London and Coventry to Liverpool and Birmingham, bombing raids feature prominently in our archive.
Explore our collection to discover how these attacks impacted cities and towns across the UK, and what artefacts those affected saved and passed on to their loved ones.
Browse the collection for records relating to bombing raids, bombs, air raids, blackouts, and the Blitz.
“The ceremonial helmet was in the home, but the war was never spoken about. Going back brought it back - he seemed upset. People either talked about it or not.”
Shared by Mrs Patricia Townsend at Thornton College, Buckinghamshire on 16 September 2023.
“Brought in part of a land mine from Montague Street, Barrow. Bombed in May 1941. He remembers his parents swapping tobacco coupons for sweets.”
Shared by Gordon Hall at Barrow-in-Furness Library, Cumbria on 7 November 2023.
“He heard the terrifying scream of a bomb and was knocked flat. He got up and ran towards Teilo but there was no sign of the firefighters, just a bomb crater and cries for help. He ran to where he knew the house owned a phone and called for help. By 4.30am the following morning 25 people had died, all of them friends, including Charlie. The bomb squad had laid out bodies on the pavement but Charlie was nowhere to be found, in fact he never was.”
Shared by Louise Davies online via the Their Finest Hour project website.
“Patrick Kingston was born in 1937. His earliest memories are of the Blitz. A cousin came to stay with them to escape the bombing. He was fearful of the bombs and knew what they could do. When they heard bombs being dropped they had to hide in the house. However, he was very young and the blackout and the bombs were a bit of an adventure to him. People could be prosecuted for showing any light from their windows.”
Shared by Patrick Kingston at Ahmadiyyah Mosque Hall, Warwickshire on 7 October 2023. The event was organised by Leamington History Group.