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DANGER UXB
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THE SWANSEA BLITZ
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The very first air raid on Swansea, was on 27 June 1940 at 3.30am. The air raid sirens sounded at 7.50 pm in the evening announcing the start of the raid that lasted for five hours.
This was just the start of the bombings that would eventually decimate Swansea. The first aircraft heard was the Luftwaffe bomber that had marked the east of the city with flares near the Danygraig, ready for the main bomber force to accurately drop their explosives causing maximum damage and deaths. To the German Luftwaffe, Swansea was a just another legitimate target, due to its importance as a port and docks and the nearby oil refinery. Its total destruction was key to the Nazi German war efforts as part of their extensive bombing campaign aimed at crippling exports and demoralising civilians. |
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The most fatal period of the Swansea Blitz, was from February 19th – 21st in 1941, when approximately 1,273 bombs and 56,000 incendiary bombs were dropped. In all, there were nearly 90 tonnes of explosives dropped on the city, with explosions and fires that could be seen from as far away as Devon and Pembrokeshire.
This onslaught left 230 dead and 397 injured, over 850 buildings were destroyed, with at least 11,000 properties damaged. The scale of the destruction was almost unimaginable, but it would be another two years before the final bombings would take place on February 16th, 1943. |
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Marian Jones, who was just six at the time of the bombings, described the experience as “the horror of the bombing” Every night she and her family would take cover in an air raid shelter in Morriston as the areas around her home were destroyed and people her family knew were killed. Mrs Jones said: “It wasn’t pleasant, and I can remember my grandmother would not come into the shelter and my father was getting upset, and the only way she came in is because I called her and I pleaded with her to come in. “I can remember the horror of the bombing and seeing the flames when people went up to the hill in Morriston where it overlooked Swansea, and I don’t think they will ever forget the scene that they saw.” |
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“Adolf Hitler issued a directive in September 1939, which included Swansea in the top 10 most important ports in the United Kingdom, and makes it very clear that they’d need to be attacked, particularly in order to knock the port out.
“An ARP [Air Raid Precautions] report written in March 1941 more or less says that if there had been a fourth night of bombing, that would have been the coup de grace and the authorities would not have been able to cope with it.” Mayhill Road was completely destroyed on the first night of the bomb. As houses were obliterated, Daniel O’Shea, who was fourteen at the time, was hiding in the family’s bomb shelter in the garden, which probably saved their lives. |
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He described the night: “We heard a couple of bombs go off elsewhere, and then this whine coming down and then a big bang outside. When we came out then, we saw that that bomb had hit the side of the house.
“It was a shock. I remember my sister came out – she was three years younger than I was – she was crying and my mother was upset.“It was very upsetting and worrying you know, every time you heard the sirens go in the night it was very worrying whether bombs were coming down. My mother and sister were very upset, I don’t think I ever went back to the house to see it even.” When all was said and done, the total amount of destruction remains astounding. |
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41 acres of the city centre was completely destroyed, with the majority of the water, gas and electricity infrastructure damaged or completely destroyed.
7000 people were made homeless, and workhouse infirmaries had to be set up to treat the injured after Swansea General Hospital was bombed in a raid. Many areas around the city still have marks left by the raids, including Orchard Street Police Station, St Mary’s Church, Mumbles Hill’s anti-aircraft gun emplacements, buildings on Castle Street, Teilo Crescent, Blackpill Pill Box, Metropole Hotel, The Wesleyan Chapel, and many more. The rebuilding of the city was not quick or easy. |
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Dr Dinah Evans from Bangor University said: “In the commercial centres of Wind Street, Castle Street and High Street the pavements were wide and the shops fronting onto them stylish, selling merchandise of all kinds.
“The department stores were imposing and had the calibre of stores usually found in London. “Although the town’s Guildhall, art gallery and library were still standing when the bombing stopped, its social and entertainment heart had all but disappeared. |
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The town centre was destroyed, and Swansea people had to contend with a bleak landscape, where once prosperous shops and stores had stood. The war effort had all but bankrupted Britain and the financial stringencies of post-war Britain would conflict with the visions of many local authorities for the reconstruction process. “Swansea was no exception; the plans of its town council for a new shopping and commercial centre were subject to endless delays, shortages and restrictions but like Phoenix it grew from the ashes. |
On the 21st February 1941, 103 section 8 Bomb Disposal Company, were working on a bomb in Castle Street, Swansea. When partially uncovered it was found to be fitted with a Type 50, anti-disturbance fuse.
A bomb could be made safe by either dealing with the fuse or removing the explosive filling. This was done by steam sterilisation. A hole was cut into the side, then a jet of steam was inserted, this would melt the cast explosive inside. Here
A bomb could be made safe by either dealing with the fuse or removing the explosive filling. This was done by steam sterilisation. A hole was cut into the side, then a jet of steam was inserted, this would melt the cast explosive inside. Here
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THIS PLAQUE IS DONATED BY/ THE BOMB DISPOSAL BRANCH OF THE ROYAL ENGINEERS' ASSOCIATION/ TO COMMEMORATE THE MEN OF 103 SECTION NO 8 BOMB DISPOSAL COY R. E./ WHO WERE KILLED WHILST ENDEAVOURING TO RENDER SAFE AND UNEXPLODED BOMB/ IN CASTLE STREET, SWANSEA ON FEBRUARY 20/21ST 1941./ (Names)THIS PLAQUE IS DONATED BY/ THE BOMB DISPOSAL BRANCH OF THE ROYAL ENGINEERS' ASSOCIATION/ TO COMMEMORATE THE MEN OF 103 SECTION NO 8 BOMB DISPOSAL COY R. E./ WHO WERE KILLED WHILST ENDEAVOURING TO RENDER SAFE AND UNEXPLODED BOMB/ IN CASTLE STREET, SWANSEA ON FEBRUARY 20/21ST 1941./ (Names)THIS PLAQUE IS DONATED BY/ THE BOMB DISPOSAL BRANCH OF THE ROYAL ENGINEERS' ASSOCIATION/ TO COMMEMORATE THE MEN OF 103 SECTION NO 8 BOMB DISPOSAL COY R. E./ WHO WERE KILLED WHILST ENDEAVOURING TO RENDER SAFE AND UNEXPLODED BOMB/ IN CASTLE STREET, SWANSEA ON FEBRUARY 20/21ST 1941.
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Here follows the report from Major J.B. James who was Officer in Charge of 8 Bomb Disposal Company of this incident.
Sterilisation commenced at 13.30 hours, by Headquarters sterilization staff, Staff Sergeant Munford in charge, at 16.25 the steam was turned off, S/Sgt Munford informed Lieutenant W.D. Rees O.C 103 Bomb Disposal Section that the explosive filling had been steamed out to below fuze chambers level. He recommended bring the bomb out of the hole and finishing the steaming in the back street. Lt Rees realized a second or lower fuze had still to be exposed. Which could be a No 17 Clockwork delay fuze? He was informed by S/Sgt Munford that they had checked using a stethoscope and there was no sound of ticking. Therefore, it was decided to lift the bomb clear of the hole. A clamp was attached to the filling end of the bomb, and a rope attached between it and a lorry. Instructions were given for everybody to take cover. When this was done the order to pull was given. Sergeant Finney countered this order as he saw that the rope was slipping, he secured the rope on the lorry. Major James once again gave the order to commence pulling. He was watching the bomb when it exploded. He felt the blast and got under the lorry as debris was falling. When he came out from under the lorry, he saw a body on the ground on the far side of the lorry, when he looked around, he found five others. He believes they came out of cover when the rope slipped and due to where he was standing he did not see them.
Staff Sergeant T. Munford,
Lance Sergeant T. Henderson,
Corporal J. Holder,
Corporal J. Salisbury,
Lance Corporal J. Johnstone,
Sapper W. Craig
Driver R. Simpson
were all killed in the blast.
S/Sgt Munford was due to go to London to receive his commission, he was only on site as he had relieved a comrade. Sapper Harry Vallance recalls, that his section was meant to be on this task, however as they had been bust the other section volunteered. Sapper Vallance and section were working on another bomb at the prison, when the other one exploded; they rushed to the scene but could do nothing, except identify their comrades.
Lt Rees and Sgt Finney both suffered shock and punctured ear drums and were hospitalised for a considerable period
Staff Sergeant T. Munford,
Lance Sergeant T. Henderson,
Corporal J. Holder,
Corporal J. Salisbury,
Lance Corporal J. Johnstone,
Sapper W. Craig
Driver R. Simpson
were all killed in the blast.
S/Sgt Munford was due to go to London to receive his commission, he was only on site as he had relieved a comrade. Sapper Harry Vallance recalls, that his section was meant to be on this task, however as they had been bust the other section volunteered. Sapper Vallance and section were working on another bomb at the prison, when the other one exploded; they rushed to the scene but could do nothing, except identify their comrades.
Lt Rees and Sgt Finney both suffered shock and punctured ear drums and were hospitalised for a considerable period
