A programme of special events will be taking place this year to mark the 80th anniversary of the Blitz which killed over 1,000 people in Plymouth and changed the city forever.
Plymouth will come together to remember the 1,172 civilians who died during the 1941 Plymouth Blitz in a special series of commemorative events.
The events will include:
- The Box will be sharing pages of the Bomb Book marking every raid on Plymouth during World War Two alongside other exhibits from our city’s wartime past.
- A special remembrance service will be held for the 76 people lost in the bombing of the Portland Square air raid shelter organised by the University of Plymouth.
- The Fire Brigades Union will be unveiling a new memorial to the 41 firefighters who died during the Plymouth Blitz in a special online service.
- CityBus will be publishing photographs of the bomb damage to their Milehouse depot that included buses blown onto the roof of the depot by the force of the blast.
- St Andrew’s Church will be holding a special livestreamed service to mark the 80th anniversary of the bombing of the Minister Church and the placing of the ‘Resurgam’ inscription outside the church the day after.
The Marine Biological Association on Plymouth Hoe that was hit by bombs will also be publishing photos and diary entries from staff at the time recounting the raids. The Lord Mayor will also be leading the city in a moment of remembrance. Babcock, the Royal Navy and the Royal British Legion will all be participating in events. As will those organisations who remember those civilians who fell including Ford Park Cemetery Trust whose chapel is engraved with the names of every victim of the Plymouth Blitz.
Plymouth was targeted by the Luftwaffe as a major naval port, home to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines and as a base to units of the Army and the Royal Air Force. During the 59 bombing attacks, 1,172 civilians were killed and 4,448 injured
Luke Pollard MP, who leads the organisation of the event programme said:
“During this time of national crisis, it is more important than ever to remember the Plymouth Blitz and the spirit that saw our city through that dark time. 80 years on we are faced with an invisible foe in the form of Coronavirus and the same spirit of rising again. Just as Plymouth got through the Blitz and the horrors of war, to rebuild, we will do that with this virus.
“As a proud military city, we remember those in uniform who served and gave their lives for our freedom, and during the 80th anniversary of the Plymouth Blitz I hope the stories of our city’s civilian population can be retold and rediscovered. I invite everyone in Plymouth to remember this anniversary, be proud of our city’s past and hopeful about the future true to the essence familiar to Plymothians eighty years ago embodied in the resurgam spirit.”
Councillor Pete Smith, Deputy Leader of Plymouth City Council said:
“As one of the most heavily bombed British cities during World War Two, this March and April mark 80 years since one of Plymouth’s darkest hours.
“The destruction caused by the Blitz changed the city forever – but so did the way it rose from the ashes and rebuilt itself. This is an opportunity for us to remember everyone who was lost and everyone who survived. As we continue to face the ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic it’s also a really timely reminder of how resilient Plymouth can be in the toughest of times.”
Nicola Moyle, Head of Heritage, Art and Film at The Box said:
“As one of the most heavily bombed British cities during World War Two, this spring marks 80 years since one of Plymouth’s darkest hours. The destruction caused by the Blitz is a subject we return to time and time again – not only to inform people about what took place, but also to remind them of how resilient Plymouth is and how it rose from the ashes.
“At the Box we are privileged to hold a wealth of material in our archives and in our galleries. One particularly iconic document is called The Bomb Book – it literally captures night by night all the bombs that fell across the city during the Blitz.
“We will be sharing highlights from this book as part of the anniversary commemoration.”
The events programme will be published by Plymouth City Council shortly.
Also read: A Plymouth man has just published his first book – at the age of 92! – Plymouth Chronicle
