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Anniversary images bring the Blitz up to date

by Daily Telegraph UK

An amazing new set of pictures has brought the horror of the Blitz right up to date on its 70th anniversary.


The Bank of England in London:




Buckingham Palace in London:




Newton Street in Birmingham:




Park Street in Bristol:




St George's St in Birmingham:




Harley Street in London:




Bruton Street in London:



In a merging of old and new imagery wartime destruction across Britain is shown in the exact spots as they exist today.

One picture shows a huge crater next to the Bank of England headquarters in London - perfectly blended with the background of the same location in 2010.

Well-dressed businessmen from seven decades ago are seen discussing the damage in the foreground, while modern city-goers dwell behind them in colour.

Another striking fused photograph shows in black and white how workers repaired a huge hole in the pavement just yards from Buckingham Palace. Meanwhile the outer edges of the picture show tourists in colour visiting the world landmark more recently.

Elsewhere in Britain, a black and white shot of Birmingham's Newton Street near to the city's Children's Hospital crumbles after being hit by the Luftwaffe, while a more peaceful colour photo shows how it looks now.

In Bristol, firemen in 1942 try to pull a car that has slipped into a crevice in the centre of city road Park Street, casting a ghostly image as they are surrounded by current day shoppers going about their business, unaware of the devastation that once brought Britain's cities almost to their knees.

The Blitz began on September 7, 1940 and lasted until May 10, 1941 and saw Britain sustain prolonged periods of heavy bombing by the Nazi Germany air forces in several phases of intensity.

Hitler intended to demoralise the country before launching an invasion using his naval and ground forces.

In addition to London's streets, several other UK cities - targeted as hubs of the island's industrial and military capabilities - were battered by Luftwaffe bombs including Glasgow, Liverpool, Exeter, Cardiff, Belfast and Southampton and many others.

ORIGINAL: USS America

Well, the Bavarian Beer Monster's visit to NC was a smashing success.  We had a great time meeting and getting to know Torsten and also Bruce during the visit.  We've fattened Torsten up and sent him on his way to the beaches of SC and Fla.  [:)]

BTW, I accounted for all my cats this morning, so the rumor that he eats cats is unfounded.  [:D]