060 - On the night of 28th April 1942, 40 aircraft of the German airforce attacked and bombed the city of York. Much damage was done to the railway station, locomotive depot, St Martin le Grand Church, the medieval Guildhall, and numerous houses in the Bootham / Clifton area. Some 90 people were killed, and another 200 injured.
The name 'Baedeker Raid' name came from the Baedeker tourist guide, said to have been used by the Germans to select British cities which were soft targets, following a British attack on the soft target of Lubeck.
To mark the anniversary of the raid, the Air Museum, Elvington, has had this replica Hurricane aircraft on display in St Sampsons Square, along with some other memorabilia of the wartime era.
Amazing and sad to think that the place that I call home was once the scene of such death and destruction.
Love the plane. I can only imagine what is would be like to live in a war zone. My father-in-law has told us stories of what it was like during the war in Amsterdam
It must have been a terrible time - I was telling my mum about this, and she told me some stories of the blitz in South Yorkshire, where there were major steelworks that were attacked several times.
An evocative shot for me because as a child I lived in London throughout the Blitz and Battle of Britain. Pictures like this ensure that those memories live on.
it must have been a frightening time. Since I posted this I've been doing more research about the raid on York, and it's amazing how much damage was done in the one night.
@if1 ... Thank you Ian. It wasn't much fun during those 57 consecutive days or nights either, but it became a 'normal' way of life and seemed a bit eerie when it stopped, but the damage was still there to remind us, until reconstuction got into its stride in the 1950s.
May 31st, 2012
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It's supposed to be there until Sunday 6th May, and then back on display at Elvington
It must have been a terrible time - I was telling my mum about this, and she told me some stories of the blitz in South Yorkshire, where there were major steelworks that were attacked several times.
Thank you Howard. Although the history is interesting, I'm glad I live in nice peaceful now!
Than you Kylie, glad you found it interesting.
it must have been a frightening time. Since I posted this I've been doing more research about the raid on York, and it's amazing how much damage was done in the one night.