By St. Paul's Cathedral
St. Paul's Cathedral
St. Paul's Cathedral during the Blitz (1940-12-31) by Herbert MasonSt. Paul's Cathedral
Herbert Mason, chief photographer at the Daily Mail, was fire-watching on the roof of his office in Fleet Street during the Blitz when he captured this famous image. The extraordinary scene shows the dome and bell towers of St Paul's surrounded by a maelstrom of billowing smoke generated by the burning city.
Published under the headline of ‘War’s Greatest Picture’ on 31 December 1940, it has since become a symbol of hope and survival of the City of London during the Blitz.
The Blitz
The Blitz took place between 7th September 1940 and 21st May 1941. It was a period of sustained bombing of the whole of the United Kingdom.
London Blitz Damage: Rescue From Flats. (1941-04-17) by Hans WildLIFE Photo Collection
The most devastating period for the City of London occurred between the 29th and 30th December 1940.
London Blitz Damage: Rescue From Flats. (1941-04-17) by Hans WildLIFE Photo Collection
City Blitz (St. Bride's) (1941-01) by William VandivertLIFE Photo Collection
For almost twelve hours the German Luftwaffe attacked the City with incendiary bombs and high explosives, causing a fire storm that became known as the ‘Second Great Fire of London’.
Aerial view of London (WWII)St. Paul's Cathedral
St Paul’s was not exempt from the raid and in total twenty-eight incendiary bombs fell on the Cathedral and its precincts. With the iconic building in serious danger of being destroyed, Prime Minister Winston Churchill issued a message stating that “St Paul’s must be saved at all costs”.
Bomb Damage to St. Paul's Cathedral (1939/1945)St. Paul's Cathedral
This image shows the bomb damage to the interior of St Paul's.
St. Paul's Watch
In addition to the work of the firefighters who tackled the fires at street level, the preservation of St Paul's was ensured by a group of Cathedral volunteers known as the St Paul’s Watch.
Gas Masks (1939/1945)St. Paul's Cathedral
The Watch had originally been assembled during the First World War to protect the building from Zeppelin attacks, but were reinstated in 1939 to protect the Cathedral from predicted raids.
Hosepipe Drill at St. Paul's Cathedral (1940) by UnknownSt. Paul's Cathedral
The duties of the Watch were to keep guard over the cathedral and report gunfire, incendiaries or any damage to the building to the London Fire Brigade, and to tackle any blazes that were started by incendiaries.
St Paul's Watch Log BookSt. Paul's Cathedral
The Cathedral Collections department is lucky to retain a number of records and items related to the work of the Watch, including original log books and planning documents, personal papers and correspondence, press photographs, and ephemera such as drawings and Christmas cards.
First-Aiders Practice Assisting a Casualty in the Cathedral Crypt (1939/1945)St. Paul's Cathedral
They were a socially diverse and multinational group noted for their commitment and camaraderie. They took great personal risks to enable services to continue daily during the war and it is thanks to them that the cathedral survived to stand for many years to come.
St Paul's Watch West End (1939/1945)St. Paul's Cathedral
After their last meeting on 8 May 1945 it was suggested that they should reform into a new group to continue their friendship and love of the cathedral, which would eventually form the basis of the Friends of St Paul’s Cathedral.
Without this love and dedication for their Cathedral, it is likely that St Paul’s would not have survived the ‘Second Great Fire of London’.
Bomb Damage to St. Paul's Cathedral (1939/1945)St. Paul's Cathedral
This is the interior then...
Tap to explore
...and this is it now.
