A SERIES of dramatic aerial photographs have been released ahead of Friday’s 80th anniversary of the York Blitz, showing just how much damage was done to York.
The photographs are thought to have been taken by the RAF in the aftermath of the April 29, 1942 raid - often known as the ‘Baedeker Raid’.
They show the devastating damage caused to York Railway Station; destroyed houses in Leeman Road and elsewhere; damaged railway lines; and bomb damage at Clifton airfield.
The Raids Over York project has been researching the history of all 11 wartime air raids on York. The project was contacted about the photographs in 2020 by Wendy Dryland, whose father was a manager at Rowntree’s during the war. Wendy had an appeal for information about the raids in The Press.
Bomb damage to the main railway lines between the Water Lane sewage works and the former sugar beet factory
Wendy has since sadly passed away. But her son, Tim, said that the photos originally came from his aunt, Vera Dryland. He believes Vera worked as a personal assistant, either at York Station or in the old NER building, during the war. She came across the photographs when offices were being cleared out, and kept them to make sure they were safe.
Dr Duncan Marks of York Civic Trust, which is involved in the Raids Over York project, said the aerial photos were part of a series. “They range from 1 and go up to 39 and show the flight path taken by the pilot,” he said. Four photos were also taken on the ground, showing damage to a building - possibly the Officer’s Mess - at RAF Clifton.
Aerial view of bomb damage in the Leeman Road/ Hanover Street area
The originals of the photos are being held at Fairfax House for now. “The intention is they will go to the city archives,” Dr Marks said.
The York Blitz is sometimes described as the worst night in York’s modern history. German bombs began raining down in the early hours. By the time the all-clear sounded, something like 100 men women and children had been killed or badly injured. The raid took a terrible toll on the city’s buildings, too. The Guildhall was hit, as was the railway station, at least two York schools, the Bar Convent and countless homes.
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