Photographs reveal devastation to city from WWII bombs
DECADES on, it’s hard to imagine how devastating it was for the people of Cardiff after bombs strafed the city during World War II.
The first bombs fell in July 1940 and the city was hit several times until the final air raid took place in 1944.
More than 2,100 German bombs were dropped on the Cardiff district in nearly four years, leaving 355 dead.
These images show just some of the damage that was inflicted on Cardiff by Hitler’s Luftwaffe during the Second World War.
One of the most shocking pictures to emerge from the time was an image of Llandaff Cathedral.
Following a raid on January 3, 1941, onlookers were distraught to discover the nave of the cathedral had been completely shattered.
Inside, blasted wood covered the pews. It took years for the cathedral to be renovated.
Elsewhere, during an air raid in 1941, Cardiff Arms Park was also hit.
The stands were left in pieces and the site could be described as nothing other than eerie.
Local businesses were also damaged during the war. Shoemaker AG Meek was one of those hit.
The store, which was founded in 1912 by Albert George Meek, is a family-run business and still operates in Cardiff today.
Still going strong after more than 100 years, the business lies on Albany Road, but the shop now operates at a different building a few doors down.
A Sainsbury’s store now occupies the building that was hit by bombs during the war.
The iconic Howells also suffered damage.
But it was the bombs that fell on people’s homes that left the greatest toll of casualties.
De Burgh Street, Riverside, was one area that was hit badly following an air raid on January 2, 1941. building
Roofs were blown off and some houses were completely destroyed.
The morning after, streets were covered with rubble and many residents were left to dig through the remains to salvage what they could.
Elsewhere, a fireball engulfed the Cold Storage building on Adam Street in January 1941.
Other photographs from the time show scenes of roofs collapsed, bricks scattered through streets and houses blown apart.