Air Raid Collection

A woman enjoys a cup of tea in the midst of the bomb damage at New Cross after air raids on London in World War Two June 1944

The London Blitz An ARP warden rescues a young girl from the wreckage of a building bombed by Germany. V1 attack Buckingham Gate, Victoria

Bombed St Thomas Hospital
The site of an air raid, which severely damaged St Thomas Hospital, London, May 1941. The Palace of Westminster and Big Ben can be seen across the Thames

Bomb damage to the centre of Berlin. March 1944

A Heinkel 111 bomber aircraft of the German Luftwaffe flies over Tower Bridge on the River Thames in London during the Battle of Britain in World War Two. 7th September 1940

An Anderson air raid shelter in the back garden of a Bristol home during the Second World War, with sandbags for extra protection against the falling bombs. Circa October 1939

Bomb damage to locomotives at Newton Abbot Station, 1940
On 20th August 1940 Newton Abbot Station was attacked by three German planes. This image shows the devastation that was caused by both bomb damage and extensive machine gun fire

Bomb damage to Keyes Garden on the Matthew Bank Estate, Jesmond, Newcastle. 29th December 1941

Mogul locomotive No. 8314 with bomb damage in 1941
A 4300 Mogul locomotive, No. 8314, lies amongst the debris following an air raid in Weymouth on 17th January 1941. Star Class locomotive, Princess Charlotte

Londoners sheltering from a German air raid on a platform in Piccadilly Underground Station during the Blitz
6015286 Londoners sheltering from a German air raid on a platform in Piccadilly Underground Station during the Blitz, World War II, September 1940 (b/w photo) by English Photographer

Scene showing a destroyed residential street in the city of Plymouth following an air raid by the German Luftwaffe during the Second World War. 13th August 1943

Hull, Yorkshire, World War Two. A bomb disposal unit pictured with an unexploded bomb that has been found in Craven Street, Hull

Scene of destruction in Caroline Street, Kingston Upon Hull after an air raid on the city on the night of 24th June 1943

Air Raid damage to Paddington Station, 1941
A view of Paddington Station following the explosion of the parachute mine on the 17th April 1941. Showing the internal damage to the station, particularly to Platform 1

Air Raid Ruined Buildings
12th May 1941: Buildings devastated during air raids near the dome of St Pauls Cathedral in the City. (Photo by Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)

Bomb damage. The scene in a street in East Ham, East London, typical of so many after an air raid

An air raid warden setting a blackout time clock indicator at an Air Raid Precautions post on the outskirts of London
WORLD WAR II: AIR RAIDS. An air raid warden setting a blackout time clock indicator at an Air Raid Precautions post on the outskirts of London, England, following the outbreak of World War II, 1939

(1874-1965). Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill. English statesman and writer
WINSTON CHURCHILL (1874-1965). Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill. English statesman and writer. Prime Minister Churchill inspecting bomb damage in the Battersea area of London, England

WORLD WAR II: BOMB SHELTER. A woman kneeling beside a girl in a bunk bed in a bomb shelter located in a subway tunnel beneath London, England, 1940-45, during World War II

Bombers of the German Luftwaffe in flight over London during the Battle of Britain. Picture shows: Two Dornier 217s flying above fires started by bombs in the neighbourhood of Beckton gas works in

Lambeth and Kennington area of London - April 1941. Picture shows The Old Tennants Hostel on the left. Possibly Newburn Street but this is not confirmed

Second World War, Canterbury Cathedral damaged during the raid. June 1942

Successful removal of an unexploded bomb in Hull, North England after the Second World War. Royal Engineers Bomb Disposal pose with the weapon. Circa 1941

Discovery of an unexploded parachute mine in Hull after the Second World War. Navy and Army bomb disposal squads moving the parachute mine from the dredger to a waiting truck. May 1949

Swindon Works employees manouvering a wheel set by crane, c. 1940
In this photograph a female crane operator is working alongside two male colleagues, manoeuvring a locomotive wheel set into place

Building the outer foundations for an air raid shelter in a garden in Hextable. 1938

British Vickers Wellington bombers setting off on a daylight bombing raid on Germany, World War II (photo)
6015167 British Vickers Wellington bombers setting off on a daylight bombing raid on Germany, World War II (photo) by English Photographer

Reconnaissance photograph taken after he RAFs heavy attacks on Cologne on 28 / 29th
Reconnaissance photograph taken after he RAFs heavy attacks on Cologne on 28/29th June and 3/4th July 1943. Pictured, in this area of heavy industrial damage

Reconnaissance photograph taken after the RAFs heavy attacks on Cologne on 28 / 29th
Reconnaissance photograph taken after the RAFs heavy attacks on Cologne on 28/29th June and 3/4 July 1943. Pictured, the extensive and heavily damaged area at Kalk, on the east bank of the Rhine

Daylight attack on the power station at Pont A Vendin and the factories at La Basse in enemy occupied Northern France during the Second World War

World War Two - Second World War - The ruins after a German air raid on a North East of England town. Pictured is the bomb damaged Keyes Gardens on the Matthew Bank Estate, Jesmond, Newcastle

F4U Corsair aircraft and Japanese Nakajima fighter planes in aerial combat
American Vought F4U Corsair aircraft and Japanese Nakajima fighter planes engaged in aerial combat over the Pacific during World War II

London during the Blitz While services are being held in London, commemorating the second anniversary of The Battle of Britain

R. A. F. Bomber Command attack on the canal system in Dortmund. November 1944
R.A.F. Bomber Command attack on the canal system in Dortmund. November 1944

Bethnal Green bombing incident. The damaged railway bridge in Grove Road, London. 13th June 1944

The Treasury, Whitehall, after being hit by a bomb. Circa 1940

Removal of of a 250 pound unexploded World War Two bomb at Fenners Works in Marfleet, East Yorkshire by Bomb Disposal experts of the Royal Engineers. Circa 1941

Discovery of a 500 pound unexploded American bomb in King George docks, Hill after the Second World War. Bomb disposal squad clear the danger. April 1948

Bomb damage to Bowden Hall locomotive at Keyham Station, 1941
This image was taken on 30th April 1941, the morning after an air raid at Keyham Station, Plymouth. It shows extensive damage to Hall Class locomotive, Bowden Hall

Mobile first aid post MED01_01_0220
A bus which has been converted into an A.R.P. mobile first aid post. Converted buses were first used in September 1939. Some could still be used as ordinary buses

The German Air Fleet; Command post in a forward platform, during a raid... 1917. Creator: Unknown
The German Air Fleet; Command post in a forward platform, during a raid. The dimensions of the platform were manifestly exaggerated, 1917

The German Air Fleet; On board a zeppelin: in the rear, under attack by Allied planes... 1917. Creator: Unknown
The German Air Fleet; On board a zeppelin: in the rear, under attack by Allied planes, 1917. From "L'Album de la Guerre 1914-1919, Volume 2" [L'Illustration, Paris, 1924]

Premieres visions de Guerre; Un zeppelin est venu bombarder Anvers sans resultats, 1914. Creator: Unknown
'Premieres visions de Guerre; Un zeppelin est venu bombarder Anvers sans resultats appreciables ; les bombes etaient encore peu efficaces, 1914

Le Zeppelin Abattu; Dans la banlieue Nord de Londres; Lieutenant William Leefe Robinson, 1916. Creator: Unknown
Le Zeppelin Abattu; Dans la banlieue Nord de Londres; Le lieutenant-aviateur William Leefe Robinson, 1916. From "Collection de la Guerre IV. L'Illustration Tome CXLVIII

La garde champetre; Derriere le front de la Somme, a Hangest-en-Santerre, 1916. Creator: Unknown
La garde champetre; Derriere le front de la Somme, a Hangest-en-Santerre : lecture d'une proclamation concernant l'alarme a donner en cas d'apparition d'avions allemands, 1916

Les destructions de monuments a Venise; Coupole de l'eglise San-Pietro di Castello, 1916. Creator: Unknown
Les destructions de monuments a Venise et a Reims; Coupole de l'eglise San-Pietro di Castello, qui fut atteinte par une bombe incendiaire et don't la lanterne seule fut detruite par le feu

Les destructions de monuments a Venise; Interieur de l'eglise Santa-Maria Formosa, 1916. Creator: Unknown
Les destructions de monuments a Venise et a Reims; Interieur de l'eglise Santa-Maria Formosa, apres le bombardement de Venise par les avions autrichiens, le 9 aout, 1916

L'Aviation Francaise sur le front Macedonien; un des bombardements de la ville de Petritch, 1916 Creator: Unknown
L'Aviation Francaise sur le front Macedonien; un des bombardements de la ville de Petritch: Pendant la periode de preparation sur le front d'Orient

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In the midst of chaos and destruction, a woman finds solace in a simple cup of tea. As air raids ravage New Cross, she defiantly sits amidst the bomb damage, refusing to let fear consume her spirit. The once bustling St Thomas Hospital stands as a haunting reminder of the devastating power unleashed from above. Meanwhile, in Berlin, March 1944 bears witness to the relentless bombing campaign that leaves the center of this historic city in ruins. A Heinkel 111 bomber aircraft ominously soars over Tower Bridge, symbolizing the constant threat looming overhead. Backyards across Bristol become makeshift sanctuaries as Anderson air raid shelters provide shelter for families during these tumultuous times. Their presence is a testament to resilience and determination against an enemy that strikes indiscriminately. Newton Abbot Station falls victim to bombs raining down from enemy planes in 1940. Locomotives lie damaged and broken, their once powerful engines now silent witnesses to war's destructive force. Reconnaissance photographs taken after heavy RAF attacks on Cologne reveal a city reduced to rubble. Swindon Works employees navigate through debris with unwavering resolve as they maneuver wheel sets by crane amidst the chaos of war. Mogul locomotive No. 8314 bears scars inflicted by bombs in 1941—a poignant reminder that even machines are not spared from destruction's touch. Paddington Station also suffers its share of devastation in 1941—an enduring symbol of London's resilience under fire. Amidst this turmoil emerges stories of heroism and hope: an ARP warden risking his life rescues a young girl trapped beneath wreckage during the London Blitz. These acts exemplify humanity's indomitable spirit when faced with adversity—rising above despair to protect one another. Through it all, we glimpse both tragedy and triumph etched into history's tapestry—the air raid sirens may have sounded terror but failed to extinguish our collective resilience.