Raids Collection

Wellington Bombers
8th February 1940: A flight of Vickers Wellington long range bombers, used by the Royal Air Force to undertake raids into Germany and elsewhere. (Photo by Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)

King George VI and Winston Churchill, 1940
Wartime British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill photographed with King George VI and Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace in September 1940 after the Palace had been damaged by German bombs during

Ordnance Survey map of north Sheffield copied by the Germans, and marked with bombing targets
Original at Sheffield Local Studiess 26 M/4

Little Turtle / Miami
Chief of the Miami tribe who led a number of raids on settlers in the Northwest Territory. He was forced to sign the Treaty of Greenville in 1795

Damage to Canterbury Cathedral Library, WW2 - Baedeker Blitz
" Canterbury under fire" - Damage sustained to the Cathedal LIbrary examined by Dr. Hewlett Johnson, Dean of Canterbury, by bombing on the city by German planes of the luftwaffe during WW2

Blitz in London -- Balham High Road, WW2
Blitz in London -- a bus in a bomb crater over an underground station in Balham High Road, SW London, 14 October 1940

King and Queen inspecting bomb damage at Buckingham Palace
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth pictured among the rubble at Buckingham Palace following German air raids during the Blitz, September 1940

Blitz in London -- warehouses, Surrey Docks, WW2
Warehouses ablaze following heavy bombing raids on the Surrey Commercial Docks in Rotherhithe, SE London. This raid took place on 7 September 1940

Careless Talk Costs Lives - WWII poster
Poster warning of the dangers of gossiping and inadvertently giving away national secrets to the enemy during World War Two

Gotha Bomber
The German Gotha bomber : there were several variants of this plane, but this is probably the earliest, the G1. Later models carried out air raids on England

HENRY MORGAN 1635-1688
Sir Henry Morgan, a Welsh buccaneer in the English service, carrying out many raids on the Spanish, favoured by Charles II and appointed Governor of Jamaica

Back Them Up - World War Two poster
World War Two poster depicting British bombers (they look like the Bristol Beaufort) carrying out a daytime bombing raid on the city of Berlin

Card commemorating Zeebrugge and Ostend raid, WW1
Card commemorating British raids on German shipping at Zeebrugge and Ostend, 23 April 1918. Date: 1918

Blitz in London -- Winkleys Wharf, Millwall, WW2
Blitz in London -- Winkleys Wharf, Millwall, 22 March 1944. Showing firefighters in action on barrels of paraffin wax. Date: 1944

Blitz in London -- warehouses, Surrey Docks, WW2
Warehouses in a smoky atmosphere following heavy bombing raids on the Surrey Commercial Docks in Rotherhithe, SE London. This raid took place on 7 September 1940

Ramsgate tunnels as air raid shelters, WWII
At a depth of 90 feet below the surface an entrance in Ramsgate leads to long tunnels and chambers carved out of the chalk cliffs

Blitz in London -- damaged fire vehicle, WW2
Blitz in London -- a firefighting vehicle damaged by falling debris in Alderney Street, Victoria SW1

Air Raid Shelter Poster
Metropolitan Police poster with information on air raid shelters in Brentford, London, during World War I

Blitz in London -- Glengall Road, Peckham, WW2
Blitz in London -- Glengall Road, Peckham, SE London, 12 September 1940. Date: 1940

Blitz in London -- Saffron Hill, WW2
Blitz in London -- men at work in Saffron Hill, City of London, 26 October 1940. Date: 1940

Threat of Zeppelin gas-bag or terror - which? 1915
Cartoon showing Kaisers head on the front of a Zeppelin airship, during World War One. German Zeppelins first successful raid was on the night of 1920 January 1915, in which two Zeppelins

Blitz in London, ship at Surrey Commercial Docks, WW2
A badly damaged cargo ship at the Surrey Commercial Docks complex after being engulfed by the fires caused by heavy bombing raids during the Second World War

Air Raid Precautions (ARP) poster : Sheffield needs your help
Original at Local Studies MP 1726 L

World War II
Fine Art Storehouse Vintage Photo Art: War: World War II

King and Queen tour West London raid damage
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth talking to Mrs Eals who was saved by taking cover in an Anderson shelter when her house was bombed during an air raid in September 1940

First Zeppelin air raid on London, 1915
First Zeppelin air raid on London, during World War I 1915

Blitz in London -- warehouses, Surrey Docks, WW2
Warehouses in a smoky atmosphere following heavy bombing raids on the Surrey Commercial Docks in Rotherhithe, SE London. This raid took place on 7 September 1940

Haig Inspects Sailors
Field Marshall Sir Douglas Haig inspecting sailors who took part in the raids on Ostend and Zeebrugge

Bomb crater in Warsaw street, September 1939
Large bomb crater in a Warsaw street next to a house that appears structurally intact, despite losing its windows in the blast which came as a result of German siege

WW2, Homes For Evacuated Children
This illustration shows a mother providing meals and a place to live for poor children who have been rendered homeless by WW2 raids. Date: circa 1941

Air raid cartoon
Cartoon depicting Oxford Circus tube station during an air raid. Date: 1940

Britain's three Principal Bombing Aircraft 1940
The Hampden, Wellington and Whitley of the bomber command, R.A.F. which were carrying out nightly raids over German-occupied territory. Date: December 1940

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visiting the East End of London, which suffered fierce bombing. They walked over debris examined the damage

Londoners sleeping in the Underground during the Blitz
German bombing campaign against Britain between September 1940 and May 1941 mainly targeting London and industrial places

How to Make Roof-Spotting a Pleasure
William Heath Robinson invention for keeping watch from attack. A warden perched up high above the streets with an umbrella for protection, tea-cup-holder and an easy chair. Date: 1941

Guernica after bombing, Spanish Civil War, 1937
Photograph showing the Basque town of Guernica after the Nationalist air raids, 1937. Guernica was in Republican territory when Franco's Nationalist airforce combined with the German Condor

Irish Whiteboys (engraving)
3656111 Irish Whiteboys (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Irish Whiteboys. Illustration for The Pictorial History of England (W & R Chambers, 1858)

Brigadier-General Sir O V Tanner, KCB (engraving)
1045709 Brigadier-General Sir O V Tanner, KCB (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Brigadier-General Sir O V Tanner, KCB)

Alfred inciting the Saxons to resist the Danes (colour litho)
978022 Alfred inciting the Saxons to resist the Danes (colour litho) by Watts, George Frederick (1817-1904) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: Alfred inciting the Saxons to resist the Danes)

The fair Italian resistance in the Gondar area (colour litho)
2778577 The fair Italian resistance in the Gondar area (colour litho) by Beltrame, Achille (1871-1945); Private Collection; (add.info.: The proud Italian resistance in the Gondar area)

WW2 era - Comic Postcard - The Home Front
The Caption is The Home Front. WW2 was the first war in which all the people back at home were directly involved. Bombing raids brought death and destruction

Clearing debris during the Blitz
This image was generated using WaterMark, designed and engineered by HighWater Designs Ltd

Famous London Buildings Damaged in Recent Raids
Page from the Illustrated London News reporting on famous buildings damaged by air raids including St. Mary-le-Bow, St. Bride Street, Westminster Abbey and the Great Hall

Life below stairs, 1940
Life below stairs article in Britannia & Eve, November 1940, about living with air raids during World War Two. Date: 1940

ARP Warden in uniform, September 1939
An ARP warden wearing anti-gas clothing, knee-high impermeable boots and a metal helmet. This warden was in charge of the protection of a hotel in London. Date: 1939

The ARP Wardens Suit, September 1939
Female ARP warden modelling " the latest" wartime suit with a helmet. From October 1939, ARP uniforms featuring bluette overalls were issued however until then an ARP warden would wear

Baby lying down with gas mask on, September 1939
Baby lying in their specialised baby gas mask as someone operates the pumping valve in the background. The image was drawn after a special demonstration of the respirator

Sandbags protecting statue of the Black Prince, Sept 1939
As one of the many precautionary measures taken to protect Canterbury Cathedral from bombing, the statue and grave of the Black Prince was surrounded by neatly piled sandbags. Date: 1939

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"Unleashing Destruction: The Horrors in History" Wellington Bombers soaring through the night sky, carrying a deadly payload during World War II raids. A chilling glimpse into enemy strategy as Germans meticulously mark bombing targets on an Ordnance Survey map of north Sheffield. Balham High Road engulfed in flames and chaos during the devastating Blitz in London, a haunting reminder of the horrors faced by civilians. King George VI and Winston Churchill standing united against adversity, offering hope and strength to a nation under siege in 1940. The Canterbury Cathedral Library left scarred by the Baedeker Blitz, emphasizing that no cultural heritage was spared from destruction. Warehouses at Surrey Docks reduced to rubble amidst relentless bombings during World War II's Blitz on London, symbolizing industrial devastation. King and Queen bravely inspecting bomb damage at Buckingham Palace, reflecting their determination to stand with their people even amid danger. "Careless Talk Costs Lives" warns a powerful WWII poster reminding citizens of the dire consequences that loose lips could bring upon themselves and others. "Back Them Up" urges unity and support for troops fighting on the front lines through an evocative World War Two poster designed to boost morale back home. The menacing Gotha Bomber strikes fear into hearts as it wreaks havoc from above during wartime raids across Europe's skies. HENRY MORGAN 1635-1688 - A pirate who ruthlessly raided ships throughout his infamous career leaves behind tales of plundering treasures and daring escapades. A commemorative card serves as a poignant reminder of valiant efforts made during WWI's Zeebrugge and Ostend raid – honoring those who fought courageously against all odds. From air raids decimating cities to naval assaults leaving lasting scars on history, these glimpses into the past remind us of the devastating consequences of war.