The Story of the Southampton Blitz

Over the nights of 23rd and 30th November and 1st December 1940, Southampton was bombed relentlessly by Nazi Germany's airforce. This period was part of the Southampton Blitz, one of the most defining and terrifying moments of the city's history. This film briefly explores the story of the Southampton Blitz and explains why the town was so significant in the war effort, both before and after the bombs fell.

[@jwmarshallsay]

I am an expert on the Blitz of Portsmouth. I knew Southampton was badly hit, and this documentary really shows how severe it really was. My sincere sympathy to the families who suffered. God bless them all.

[@RICHARDHAYSOM-us5tu]

Thanks for good short film. Helped explain how things were in Southampton -
This in The era of my grandchildren’s Great Grandparents’ life on the home front in wartime Soton

[@rollogillespie9169]

My Mother was born 1915 and from Shirley. She was cycling home during a raid and said "I should not have been outside but gone to a shelter." A bomb exploded across the road, and she had a fractured femur and huge scarring from the shrapnel.

[@hazharibo7439]

I'm from near Coventry. We got flattened too

[@rivco5008]

My mom was 13 in 1940, living in a part of Southampton called Bitterne. The house she was born in is still there, I found it on Google Earth.
On many levels she never got over what she went through in the fall and winter of 1940.
She met my dad, a US Navy sailor from Los Angeles in 1944 when she was in the WAAF, and came to America in 1950. Landed in New York City, then the train all the way to California where she lived for the next 52 years.
She died on 6 October 2002 & we all still miss her.

[@marvinc9994]

"Bitterne"
Where I was born! Mum told me about the various raids on that part of Southampton, and how she had to WALK every day into the town Centre - to Plummers, opposite Watts Park, where she worked as a hairdresser and beautician.She was eventually bombed out from there, and had to move north for work. One thing she remarked on was how BEAUTIFUL the High Street looked in those days (with trams going under the Bargate) - until it was virtually wiped out by the Luftwaffe. SO much was destroyed in that horrid war - all thanks to the evil ambitions of one man. I have HUGE respect for that generation - and feel sometimes that they were in many respects betrayed, somehow.

[@therespectedlex9794]

I didn't know the civic centre was bombed.

[@lawrieflowers8314]

Unfortunately, as in other towns and cities, Architects & Town Planners (who were supposed to be on our side) contributed greatly to the destruction and vandalism originally caused by the Luftwaffe, with results visible to this day…

[@michaelfoy]

Agreed....I come from Portsmouth and grew up playing on bombsites in the late 50's....Now live in Exeter, which Hitler had bombed just to destroy what had been a Beautiful medieval city....The Re-builds unfortunately happened in grey concrete-time, ugly and out-of-place buildings.... after just a few years.....Southampton still had overgrown bombsites around the docks area in the 80's......

[@angieell2632]

I live in Southampton, grew up in Eastleigh. An old lady I worked with as a teenager, who worked at pirellis during the war, told me that they had to dig a mass grave under The Common Park cos they didn't have time to dig separate ones. I dont know if they moved them all after the war ended or if its still there??

[@shaneanderson7438]

Well i know in the grave yard in the common there are 100s of grave stones dating back 1912, then there's 100s in one section of army men from 1940

[@ashleymoye6829]

Do you have locations for some of these images? Can only figure out the High Street ones

[@peterw4338]

Strange as Rotterdam was bombed even more yet is the most successful port in Europe.

[@davidfarmer2049]

Why cant we just listen to the account with out silly violins in back ground.

[@nirvairsingh1678]

Imy wish to see Southampton I am from panjab can you give me sponser

[@cumception6999]

Don’t know why you would want to see it. Not much here to see but if that’s what you want then go for it

[@AlfField1]

Southampton IS a great city. Since the war the city has been developed in-line with changing modern needs. Many of us think that process has somewhat reduced the aesthetic appeal of Southampton. But, it remains a unique and fascinating city with lots of things for visitors to see and do.

[@therespectedlex9794]

Get your cousin to give you the money. Or sponsor your family to go back to India.