Dan Snow's History Hit16 Nov 2023

The Belfast Blitz

It wasn't just London that was devastated by German bombing raids in WWII, but Belfast in Northern Ireland too. The most intense bombing took place over four consecutive nights, from April 7 to April 10, 1941, as the Luftwaffe targeted strategic locations, industrial sites, and residential areas in Belfast. Over 1000 residents in the city and surrounding counties were killed in the raids. Hundreds more were wounded and many deceased were left unidentified after the rubble was cleared.

The Belfast Blitz was part of the wider strategic bombing campaign by the Germans, aiming to weaken the resolve of the British population and disrupt industrial production. Dr Jim O'Neill joins Dan to tell the city's story of war, of how people, including his own family experienced the raids, learning to survive in a state of constant fear and danger and the heroic bravery that emerged. He also tells Dan about his own work to ensure those who were killed are properly memorialised.

Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Ella Blaxill.

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