In our November 2010 issue we remember the 70th anniversary of the Coventry Blitz. On November 14th, 1940, enemy aircraft dropped 500 tons of bombs and 30,000 incendiaries on the city. Here is an extract from the feature:
Young lads of 16 kept communications open despite the tyres on their bicycles being cut to pieces by broken glass. Post Office workers ran the gauntlet in order to man communication posts and Air Raid Wardens dug with their bare hands to rescue trapped people.
At the time of the raid, four year old Reg Kimber was living in Max Road, in Counden. He vividly recalls being forced to take shelter under the stairs with his mother. The following morning, when the all clear sounded, she looked out into the street to hear an ARP warden shouting “What are you doing there missus?” The road had already been evacuated due to a land-mine and they were the only people remaining.
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To learn more about the Coventry Blitz:
- Read the November 2010 issue of Best of British.
- Coventry Cathedral will be holding a special remembrance service of November 14th, with a performance of Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem, composed for the consecration of the new cathedral.
- Coventry Transport Museum is celebrating the spirit of the city with a Blitz family day on November 13th.
- BBC Coventry and Warwickshire have been collecting stories and memories from those who were there.
Picture: The Dean and Chapter of Coventry Cathedral
