Easter Blitz, April 1941

[Blitzkid]

TONIGHT,-- 81 years ago was the most dreaded night of my life, they had returned, the dreaded German bombers, after six months of no raids since the 14-11-1940 we thought they would have gathered more force and annihilate us.

In August 1940 Coventry had a raid, again a fortnight later we had another of similar size, the veterans of the first WW said those first two were to test our defences, count the guns, the searchlights etc. and they were damwell right, we had the great Blitz just two months later.
Now they were back to finish the job, or so we thought, but no, they had flattened the centre, now they hit the south, Christ Church, this was gutted inside the four walls, and like the Old Cathedral the spire stood. Henry V111 school the beautiful Library totally Disappeared, One-off books, papers etc, all gone, never to be replaced (no wonder why archives have little of before this destruction) they also hit Spon-end, I believe the school roof went.
on the 12 of April the came back and hit the North, Coventry hospital, Stoney Stanton area.

[rebbonk]

Thank you Blitzkid

[dutchman]

Workman and rescue workers search through the rubble and shell of the Coventry and Warwickshire Hospital in Stoney Stanton Road, following the air raid of April 1941.

[Blitzkid]

The, Hospital on Stoney Stanton road was hit on the night of the 12th April, there were 2/3 theatre's going on, the big one mostly for taking limbs off, but mostly it started with firemen with burns from incendiaries within minutes there were at least a score of people came to the rescue.

[rebbonk]

We really need to capture these memories Blitzkid, please keep them coming.

[Blitzkid]

After the night of the Blitz, the council Mayor and deputies appealed for patience to the people while things were sorted. On the Monday after- the 18th Nov, the Midland daily newspaper reported the Councils thanks to everyone who had helped-- The Army for setting up 17 locations that fed hot food to anyone, for soldiers to clear the streets of rubble and the Engineers for helping to mend broken pipes electric, gas and water Etc, it was all there in black and white, and I saw it all. Yet today some Historians won't believe it, and think they need a debate about it. The Army walked into Coventry as the bombers left, some of us cheered and clapped.
On the Friday morning as we left the shelter three of my family grabbed bikes and cycled through the rubble to check relatives, on Saturday morning Dad and I walked through the city, so did the King, listened to the Engineers discussing what buildings needed to be made safe, outside the White Lion Hotel, the engineers demanded the Council put railings round the pub as it was the oldest pub in town and the Brewery want to keep parts and rebuild after the war, that alone was a great Morale boost. Rebuild didn't happen.

[Blitzkid]

One must remember Newspapers were censured, They could not say it was against the morale of the people, they said that Coventrys industry was the target, but the facts were Coventry's Industry was up and running to maximum strength within six weeks, one of the most popular street in Coventry was Smithford street, it was never replaced and the City took over twenty years to be replaced. Coventry Fire brigade never got any where near the Cathedral.


P.s (I am open to questions or disagreements should you wish.)

[rebbonk]

Blitzkid, from someone who was there at the time, did the people of Coventry think that Churchill had sacrificed the city, or was that a theory that came later?

[Blitzkid]

This as a good year after the start of the war, No, we all understood we could be hit, the system was no one knew where they would hit, the authorities just had wait to see their destination, Churchill had no idea, but he did know about war and what it meant, What he did know and accepted was the dam Busters, if they succeeded Hundreds of allies Prisoners would die below the dam.

[rebbonk]

Thanks, Blitzkid. Please keep these memories coming, they really are priceless.

From memory, about half of those involved in the Dambusters raids died and about 1500 civilians/pows perished. What was the 'official' line at the time? How did the average man on the street react? Was this detail even known by the wider masses at the time?