manchester

mancunians

expats

Manchester at war

THE country was at the height of war when Christmas approached in 1940.

There were precious few festivity plans, just preparations for bombings, with every city being hit by the Blitz. And Manchester was no different, as it suffered two heavy attacks on December 22-23, with many more smaller assaults taking place over the coming days.

The gardens and bus station at the Portland Street junction with Piccadilly were one of the most seriously hit areas, with numerous strikes leaving warehouses burning through the winter nights.

Deansgate also saw the collapse of the Woolworths store following a bombing spree, and famous buildings such as the Royal Exchange, the Shambles and the Free Trade Hall were left seriously damaged. But the most remarkable memory of the start of the bombings in Manchester was the resilience of the firefighters as they attempted to cope with the raging fires, despite 200 men having already been dispatched for work in Liverpool.

However their sterling work meant that by Christmas Eve the fires were contained, and the fire officers were soon receiving assistance from London fire brigade crews.

The devastation left some 165 warehouses, 150 office blocks, five banks and 200 other business premises either destroyed or seriously damaged.

A further 300 warehouses, 220 offices, 20 banks and 500 other premises were damaged to a lesser degree.

The death toll in Manchester over the two days stood at 376, with many hundreds more injured, while 30,000 homes were damaged by the bombings and more than 5,000 people left homeless.

The resilience of the firefighters was matched by the reaction of the people of Manchester. Their efforts saw 13,000 homes patched up in the following year, and 3,400 people were re-housed permanently by the end of 1941. The Blitz is one section in the new Manchester Evening News book, Manchester At War.

This special hardback publication, priced £14.99, looks at the years between the Hungry Thirties and the end of the Second World War. It includes some amazing photography, with many images never seen before.

The book is the latest in the M.E.N. nostalgia series and will be available via mail order and all good bookshops from November 28. For mail order, please send a cheque or postal order for £14.99 (plus £2.61 UK postage or £6.21 world postage) to: M.E.N. Syndication, Manchester At War book, 164 Deansgate, Manchester M3 3RN. Please allow 14 days for delivery.