• Air raid warden's steel helmet
    Second World War

    8 Objects Used By Air Raid Wardens During The Blitz

    Discover eight objects that an air raid warden might have needed during the Blitz.

  • a composite image of a woman's face, seen in profile, and a woman's foot, both partly hidden in dark shadows. They are connected by a meandering broken red line. text: g.r. morris Wait! Count 15 slowly before moving in the Blackout Issued by THE NATIONAL 'SAFETY FIRST' ASSOCIATION (Inc.), Terminal House, 52, Grosvenor Gardens, London, S.W.1 BLC/9. PRINTED BY LOXLEY BROTHERS, LTD.
    © IWM (Art.IWM PST 0096)
    The Blitz

    What To Do During An Air Raid

    The National Health Service was introduced in 1948, giving free healthcare to all. The Family Allowance was established and secondary schools were available for all children over 11. However, there was still great austerity. 

  • Photograph of Frank Hurd in uniform.
    The Blitz

    Fireman Frank Hurd's Account Of The London Blitz

    Frank Hurd was a 24-year-old Londoner from Islington. On 7 September 1940, the first night of the Blitz, Hurd was stationed at Euston Road fire station. Read about his account ''Blitz' over London - An impression of the first large scale night raid on the capital, 7/9/1940', told in his own words.

  • Air raid damage: Liverpool.
    The Blitz

    The Liverpool Blitz

    Liverpool experienced its first air raid in August 1940 and was targeted regularly through the autumn of 1940 with 15 raids in September and nine in October. The first major raid came on 28 November when it was hit by 350 tons of high explosive bombs, 30 land mines and 3,000 incendiaries. 

  • ‘Shelter Drawing’ by Henry Moore. One reclining figure with a baby, a blanket draped over the legs. Another seated couple huddled together under a blanket.
    © Art.IWM ART 17977
    The Blitz

    Art and Photography in the Blitz

    The Blitz is one of the most dramatic chapters in Britain's wartime history. The sights and scenes that played out in the sky and on the ground during the Blitz were witnessed not only by civilians and servicemen, but also by artists and photographers.

  • a depiction of a cat's head, partly in shadow, looking directly at the viewer. In the background is the night sky. text: I've got 9 lives YOU haven't LOOK OUT IN THE BLACKOUT There's danger on the roads Issued by the Ministry of War Transport in conjunction with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, Terminal House, 52, Grosvenor Gardens, London, S.W.1. RS/MOI/51-2231.
    The Blitz

    These Posters Helped Britain Prepare For Air Raids In The Second World War

    Bombing raids took a deadly toll on civilian populations during the Second World War. Yet the bombs were not the only hazard during a raid. The British government released a range of informative posters to educate people on how to stay safe. 

  • Elephant and Castle London Underground Station Shelter: People sleeping on the crowded platform of Elephant and Castle tube station while taking shelter from German air raids during the London Blitz.
    The Blitz

    London In The Second World War

    The Blitz on London from September 1940 to May 1941 and the V1 flying bomb and V2 rocket attacks in 1944 caused a massive amount of damage. It is estimated that more than 12,000 metric tons of bombs were dropped on London and nearly 30,000 civilians were killed by enemy action.

  • Nightly blackouts at Piccadilly Circus in 1940 during the Blitz.
    © IWM D (000712)
    The Blitz

    The Blitz in photographs

    The Blitz and its vivid collection of photographs is the sixth title in the new series showcasing the best of IWM’s photography collection and is available to buy from the IWM Shop. 

    These striking photographs tell the stories of those who experienced the Blitz and highlight the bravery and determination of civilians in wartime Britain.

  • Winston Churchill visiting the ruins of Coventry Cathedral
    Second World War

    Could the Blitz have made Britain surrender?

    London, Coventry, Manchester and many more were bombed. But could the Blitz have worked?

    In this episode of IWM Stories, Senior Curator Ian Kikuchi answers that very question by looking at one the deadliest nights of the Blitz, the bombing of Coventry.

  • Remains of the 600-year-old St Michael's Cathedral two days after the devastating air raid on Coventry on 14-15 November 1940
    © IWM (H 5603)
    Second World War

    The Blitz Around Britain

    The 'Blitz' – from the German term Blitzkrieg ('lightning war') – was the sustained campaign of aerial bombing attacks on British towns and cities carried out by the Luftwaffe (German Air Force) from September 1940 until May 1941.

  • St Paul's Cathedral seen through smoke caused by a bombing raid on London in December 1940.
    © IWM (HU 36220)
    The Blitz

    15 Powerful Photos Of The Blitz

    Beginning in September 1940, the Blitz was an aerial bombing campaign conducted by the Luftwaffe against British cities. Over a period of nine months, over 43,500 civilians were killed in the raids, which focused on major cities and industrial centres. 

    Discover 15 powerful photos of The Blitz.

  • Members of the London Fire Brigade train their hoses on burning buildings in Queen Victoria Street, EC4, after the last and heaviest major raid mounted on the capital during the 'Blitz', 11 May 1941. For six hours on the night of 10-11 May 1941, aircraft of the Luftwaffe dropped over 1,000 tons of bombs on London, claiming 1,486 lives, destroying 11,000 houses and damaging some of the most important historical buildings.
    The Blitz

    This Propaganda Film Shows What It Was Like To Live In London During The Blitz

    Produced by British government agencies in October 1940, London Can Take It was intended for release in the then-netural United States to help drum-up support for Britain in the Second World War. The film profiles a day in the life of Londoners during the Blitz - the regular German bombing raids on British towns and cities which lasted from September 1940 to May 1941.

  • St Paul's Cathedral, rising above the bombed London skyline, is shrouded in smoke during the Blitz. The photograph was taken from the roof of the Daily Mail offices in Fleet Street.
    © IWM (HU 36220A)
    The Blitz

    10 Incredible Stories Of Bravery During The Blitz

    The huge volume of explosives that were dropped by the Luftwaffe (German Air Force) on Britain during the Blitz called for incredible feats of bravery. Targeted aerial attacks on towns and cities began on 7 September 1940 and wrought huge devastation until they temporarily drew to a close in May 1941.

  • Fire fighters tackle fires burning in Manchester during an air raid on 23-24 December.
    © IWM (H 6324)
    Second World War

    The Manchester Blitz

    In late autumn 1940, the Blitz spread beyond London to Britain's other major towns and cities. Many were the locations of major war industries. However, it was often their compact commercial centres and residential areas that were most badly affected by air raids.

  • Women Wanted for Evacuation Service poster
    © IWM (Art.IWM PST 15092)
    Second World War

    The Evacuated Children Of The Second World War

    Evacuation took place in several waves. The first came on 1 September 1939 - the day Germany invaded Poland and two days before the British declaration of war. Over the course of three days 1.5 million evacuees were sent to rural locations considered to be safe.