Thursday, September 07, 2006

The Blitz

In 1940, Nazi Germany launched the London blitz, a bombing that Adolf Hitler believed would soften Britain for invasion.

"London was first bombed on the 7th. of September 1940, experienced continuous night raids until early November, and sporadic bombings until the Blitz finished on the night of the 11th. of May in 1941.

Over that period some 29, 890 Londoners were to die and another 50, 507 were admitted to
hospital as a result of these air raids.

Winston Churchill in his famous "WE will fight on the beaches!" speech said in part:-

"...... even though large parts of Europe

and many old and famous states have fallen

or may fall into the grip of the Gestapo

and all the odious approaches of Nazi rule,

we shall not flag or fail.

We shall go on to the end,

we shall fight in France.

We shall fight on the seas and oceans,

we shall fight with growing confidence

and growing strength in the air,

we shall defend our island,

whatever the cost may be,

we shall fight on the beaches,

we shall fight on the landing grounds,

we shall fight in the fields and in the streets,

we shall fight in the hills, WE SHALL NEVER SURRENDER."


The invasion never materialized.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Winston Churchill...one of the greatest statesmen of the ages! So great a leader the U.S. Navy named a Burke Class DDG after him.
SB

BostonMaggie said...

The highest of compliments.