The night that changed our city forever

YESTERDAY marked the 79th anniversary of the Coventry Blitz.

More than 500 German bombers took part in an overnight raid in a bid to destroy the city factories that were churning out the machines of war. The landscape and spirit of the city’s resolve was tested for all its worth, with severe food shortages, loss of life, and rampant destruction causing prolonged suffering.

The ruined medieval cathedral is probably the only tangible reminder of what happened in November 1940 and again in April 1941.

We reflect today on the significance on the Coventry Blitz, through the stories from those that were there.

We spoke to Coventry residents who were there at the time, and also spoke of their Blitz experiences.

Arthur, who worked at the Standard Motor company at the time said: “If you came into work on the morning, and someone didn’t turn up you knew what would have happened.

“After the Blitz .... it was horrible after the Blitz, so many people went missing.”

Ronald, 84, told us how at aged five, the arrival of the Blitz in November 1940 meant that his school suffered bomb damage, and because of children being evacuated to the countryside this left only 78 on the register.

“My hopes of attending Earlsdon Junior School were well and truly shattered by the actions of Mr Adolf Hitler. The school was not allowed to be open until the air raid precautions were in place.”

Margaret’s life was changed forever on the night of the Blitz.

She was only two years old when war was announced, but the course of her life was changed irreversibly as a result.

“On the night of the Blitz,the bombing was so bad, my ear drums burst. I got seven injuries on my two ear drums and I was practically deaf for the next four years.

“When my hearing started to come back, it came with a noise in my head, called tinnitus, which I have had ever since.”

John Sargeant was a volunteer driver for St John’s ambulance throughout World War II.

His actions on the night of the Blitz were integral to the rescue efforts that took place, and helped save the lives of patients who were stuck in Coventry Hospital.

“I was driving all night and I never got a scratch,” he said.

“We had to start evacuating the hospital, the heating had gone off and the surgeon asked us to evacuate.

“There were 500 patients from Coventry Hospital and 250 from the outpatient unit. We were working all day to get them evacuated.”

We were lucky enough to meet John at his 100th birthday party, and in the same month met fellow centenarian Rose Ball who also recalled her experiences of the Blitz. She said: “I’ll never forget the night of the Blitz,I’ve never seen a moon like it.”

The days following the bombing required a significant clean up effort.

It was announced last month that Volgograd, formerly Stalingrad, will receive the Coventry Award of Merit.

During 1942, women from Coventry sent messages of hope to the women of Stalingrad having experienced the Coventry Blitz just a few years earlier.

Deputy leader of Coventry City Council Cllr Abdul Khan added: “Whilst a city has never been granted the award before, the long historic and significant relationship between the two cities totally captures the spirit of the award.

“This relationship enhances Coventry’s renowned reputation as a city of peace and reconciliation.”

Hidden in the depths of an iconic city landmark, the Coventry Blitz museum is a treasure trove of history that brings the 1940s in Coventry to life.

You can immerse yourself in the reconstructed 1940s school room, kitchen and bomb shelters that have all been positioned in such a way as to allow visitors to get interactive and educated.

The museum was opened in 2002 and is filled with real life artefacts that Coventry resi

dents have donated from their lives during the war.

The Blitz is remembered every year, taught in classrooms and on school trips, but over the next few days, the story of the Blitz in Coventry will be shown in a very different - but beautiful way.

Where Light Falls is part of the city’s annual Peace Festival, and is presented by Historic England.

The event is taking place until Saturday November 16, and will feature five sites within the new and old Cathedrals and surrounding Bayley Lane.

Even once war was over, Coventry knew the damage that had been caused would be longlasting, the destroyed Cathedral quarter is testament to that.