Deseret News archives: Nazis began bombing England’s capital city, but the Londoners survived

A look back at local, national and world events through Deseret News archives.

On Sept. 7, 1940, Nazi Germany began an intense bombing campaign of Britain during World War II with an air attack on London; known as the Blitz, the eight-month campaign resulted in more than 40,000 civilian deaths.

And it was a difficult time for the stoic British people. The cultural and popular center of Western Europe endured attack after nightly attack from the German air force. Many had to take shelter in Underground stations around the city.

Per historical accounts, notable barrages included a large daylight attack against London on Sept. 15, a large raid on Dec. 29 that caused a devastating fire in London, and a significant attack on May 10-11, 1941.

In reality, other major cities like Liverpool, Birmingham, Manchester and Hull were also targeted, along with U.K. port cities like Bristol, Cardiff, Belfast, Glasgow and Southampton.

But about half of the deaths came in the area around London, where a reported million homes were destroyed on damaged. The attacks went on for 57 days, with one day of reprieve.

Newspapers of the day covered the carnage from a distance and through the use of war correspondents.

And there were many heroes, part of England’s civilian army: nurses, laborers, farmers, etc. One was Thomas Peirson Frank.

According to AP reports , after each day’s attack, Frank led a secret squad of engineers and laborers who worked night after night during World War II to repair flood defenses along the Thames River hit in German air raids.

The men used rubble, sandbags and finally concrete to mend breaches in the Thames wall that threatened the inundation of thousands of businesses and homes.

London burned during the war, but it never flooded, due in large measure to Frank, chief engineer for London County Council, and his crews.

Researchers found files revealing the truth that had been hidden from Londoners during the war and later forgotten — the river wall was hit 121 times between 1940 and 1945, 84 of them during the Blitz of September 1940 to May 1941.

Frank was knighted in 1942 for his work — though details of his job were kept under wraps — and later became president of the Institution of Civil Engineers. He died in 1951.

Here are a selection of stories on the Blitz and how Londoners survived from Deseret News archives:

“ New releases cover London during WWII and essays on nature ”

“ U.K. museum looks at epic, intimate sides of World War I ”

“ Honor for hero who saved London from WWII flooding ”

“ Joyous memories of London and light at the end of WWII ”

“ Long-secret operations room under castle opens to public ”

“‘ British phlegm’ is once again being challenged ”

“ Defusing WWII shells is huge job in Germany ”

“ Suspected WWII bomb found in River Thames in London ”