How many bombs were dropped on Bournemouth?

More than 2,200 bombs fell on Bournemouth during World War II, killing up to 350 civilians and servicemen.

Was Dorset bombed in ww2?

The Dorset Blitz From May 1940 onwards, when targets around Bournemouth were bombed, air raids were mounted on a number of key targets in Dorset, chief of which were the ports of Weymouth and Portland, along with the Whieways RN Torpedo Works.

What was the most bombed English city in ww2?

While London was bombed more heavily and more often than anywhere else in Britain, the Blitz was an attack on the whole country. Very few areas were left untouched by air raids. In relatively small compact cities, the impact of a severe air raid could be devastating.

How many bombs were dropped on Southampton in ww2?

2,300 bombs
Over 2,300 bombs were dropped, with more than 470 tonnes of high explosives pounding the city. And over 30,000 incendiary devices were also deployed, with more than 45,000 buildings damaged or destroyed. During the conflict, 57 attacks were made on Southampton, but over 1,500 air raid warnings were issued.

Was Bournemouth bombed during the war?

A memorial to victims of a World War II bombing raid on Bournemouth 70 years ago has been unveiled. Nearly 200 people, mostly Allied airmen staying at the Metropole Hotel, died in the Luftwaffe raid on 23 May 1943.

Did Bournemouth get bombed in ww2?

Who bombed Poole Harbour?

Poole’s worst air raid of World War 2 occurred on 27 March 1941. It is believed that a lone German bomber was targeting the railway viaducts that cross the Bourne Valley in Branksome, but instead scored a direct hit on the adjacent staff canteen at the Bourne Valley Gas Works, killing 33 gas workers.

What was the worst night of the Blitz?

10/11 May 1941
The most devastating raid on London took place on the night of 10/11 May 1941. The moon was full and the Thames had a very low ebb tide. These two combined with a maximum effort by the Germans, before the moved east to attack the Soviet Union, to produce one of the most devastating raids on the capital.

Why was Southampton a target in ww2?

Southampton was a strategic bombing target for the Luftwaffe as it contained both busy docks with associated business premises and factories and the Supermarine factory building Spitfires in Woolston. Being a large port city on the south coast it was within easy reach of German airfields in France.

How old is Poole?

The area around modern Poole has been inhabited for the past 2,500 years. During the 3rd century BC, Celts known as the Durotriges moved from hilltop settlements at Maiden Castle and Badbury Rings to heathland around the River Frome and Poole Harbour.

How many times had Bournemouth been bombed in WW2?

There had been incidents before, 47 of them. Bombs had been dropped, civilians killed, homes and businesses destroyed and damaged. The town’s air raid sirens had sounded 847 times since the outbreak of war, but nothing could have prepared Bournemouth for the abject horror of 23 May 1943.

Did they drop bombs on Dorset in World War 2?

Even today we are discovering remnants of War and our ‘Mystery Object’ this week maps not only the bombs dropped on Dorset during World War 2 but casualty numbers and other fascinating details. German aircraft brought down in the sea and confirmed.

What was Bournemouth’s bloodiest raid?

The town’s air raid sirens had sounded 847 times since the outbreak of war, but nothing could have prepared Bournemouth for the abject horror of 23 May 1943. In little more than a minute, roughly the time it takes to read these opening paragraphs, Bournemouth fell victim to its bloodiest raid of World War 2.

What time did the World War II sirens go off in Bournemouth?

The authorities typically expected to give Bournemouth a full 22 minutes’ warning of approaching enemy aircraft, but on 23 May 1943 the sirens sounded at 12.54pm and the first bomb was dropped as the clocks prepared to strike one.