Discover untold WWII stories
To mark the 80th anniversary of the Blitz, we’ve commissioned 80 pieces of art, each inspired by historical records from WWII. Explore the gallery to see stories of everyday people from around the UK brought to life.
In collaboration with
Manchester
Prison rescue
Alex Francis
Constance Binks, worked in a womens prison and found an incendiary bomb near the hospital yard, 1940
Alex Francis
Manchester
London
Sweet Shop Gazing
Anna Marrow
Young children who have been evacuated from London to Berkshire found gazing at sweets and toys in shop
Anna Marrow
London
Portsmouth
Bathing on the Front Line
Laura Crouch
Residents of the South Coast bathe on the front line, July 1941
Laura Crouch
Portsmouth
London
Blitz Wedding
Megan Menzies
P. Kingsley-Thomas of the Merchant Navy was married during leave to Miss Gwyneth Evans in the ruins of the New Jewin Welsh Chapel, Aldersgate, 1944
Megan Menzies
London
Coventry
Messenger
Michael Snodgrass
Messenger, Glyndwr Williams exhibited the greatest courage during the air raids in Coventry journeying by cycle followed by foot to report on the casualities, 1941
Michael Snodgrass
Coventry
Glasgow
Saviour of the Night
Katie Smith
Sergeant John Macleon rescued five children from houses destroyed by bombs, 1941
Kate Smith
Glasgow
Cardiff
Upholding
Amy Kate Wolfe
Instead of a Valentine Ball, Cardiff Royal Infirmary organised a Leap Year Ball, where a nurse collects boxes to be used to help the hospital fund, 1940
Amy Kate Wolfe
Cardiff
Southampton
A Shelter from Harm
Alex Francis
Despite her home being bombed, Eva Turner, sheltered a younger woman during an air raid using a mattress, July 1941
Alex Francis
Southampton
Manchester
Tug of war
Alex Francis
Regular and auxiliary nurses of the Booth Hall Hospital found that tug of war helped them to keep fit, Manchester, 1940
Alex Francis
Manchester
Liverpool
Leo Broadbridge
Sophie Green
Leo Broadbridge, a 17 year old messenger, displayed magnificent courage making several journeys through fire and bombs in May, 1941
Sophie Green
Liverpool
London
Flag Factory Girls
Krystal Wong
Factory girls making union jack flags ahead of the VE day celebrations, 1946
Krystal Wong
London
Plymouth
Courage
Charlotte Leadley
Mabel Sheard, pulled two people from a crushed building amidst large fires in Plymouth, 1941
Charlotte Leadley
Plymouth
Bristol
Extinguishing fires
Anna Marrow
James Shum subdued a fire on the roof of the University of Bristol's library on 2nd December, 1940
Anna Marrow
Bristol
London
A moment to breathe
Shana Lohrey
After hours of fire fighting, firemen stopped for a cigaretter and light refreshment, 1940
Shana Lohrey
London
Portsmouth
British Power Boat
Laura Crouch
Female trainees at the British Power Boat of Hythe, Hampshire receive coaching in sheet metal work, joinery, electrical wiring, May 1940
Laura Crouch
Portsmouth
Plymouth
Saving the Day
Scott Wilson
Janet Evans was reported as being a marvellous woman not just for her bravery, but also for her sense of humour, 1941
Scott Wilson
Plymouth
Cumbria
Keep Calm and Carry On
Katie Smith
Widow and school caretaker Mary Stewart prepared food for workmen by firelight after a bomb raid, 1941
Katie Smith
Cumbria
Manchester
Gas Mask Waitress
Alex Francis
A waitress wears her gas mask as she serves in a cafe, Manchester, 1939
Alex Francis
Manchester
London
Lady Works Machine
Adébayo Bolaji
Miss Spize Hooker, once a singer and cabaret dancer, is now an employee at a Ministry of Supply munition factory, 1941
Adébayo Bolaji
London
Sheffield
The Volunteer
Harri Davidson
Messenger Raymond Jubb, 16, volunteered to cycle to Divisional H.Q alone, despite fires across the city, 1940
Harri Davidson
Sheffield
Belfast
Messenger On a Bike
Danielle Simpson
During an enemy air attack, man on his motorcycle carried operational messages whilst bombs were falling around him, 1941
Danielle Simpson
Belfast
Cardiff
Post Office Hero
Gareth Brown
Miss Celia Jenkins rescued a woman and man from the burning Blackweir Post Office, Cardiff during the early morning of 18th May, 1943
Gareth Brown
Cardiff
London
Tilbury Shelter
Krystal Wong
Children who spend their nights in the Tilbury Shelter, amuse themselves by drawing on the wall, 1941
Krystal Wong
London
Liverpool
Egg Collection
Sam Dawson
The annual egg collection as shown at Liverpool Maternity Hospital, 1940
Sam Dawson
Liverpool
Southampton
Loading the Aircraft
Joey Yu
Girl workers stacking smoke flonts for aircraft ready despatch, October 1941
Joey Yu
Southampton
Glasgow
The Boy Messenger
Greg McIndoe
Neil Leitch, a 15-year-old messenger-boy from Glasgow, was blown off his bike by a bomb but nonetheless continued, 1941
Greg McIndoe
Glasgow
London
East to West
Shana Lohrey
Homeless people from the East End to-day moved into a block of luxury flats in the West End, 1940
Shana Lohrey
London
Liverpool
Lifeboat
Sophie Green
89 year old Mary Robinson, widow of a sea captain, sacrificed her life savings to buy a lifeboat for the New Brighton Lifeboat Station, 1939
Sophie Green
Liverpool
Liverpool
Rescue Work
Katie Pinch
Wardens Herkenwrath and Flaherty went from incident to incident rescuing trapped persons during a heavy air raid in May, 1941
Katie Pinch
Liverpool
London
The Accident
Nathan Bowen
Patients laid on the pavement on stretchers whilst waiting to be transported to Green Line coach ambulances, 1939
Nathan Bowen
London
Glasgow
Travelling Canteen
Jennifer Shufflebotham
People collecting food and drink from a travelling canteen with the surrounding town destroyed and in ruin
Jennifer Shufflebotham
Glasgow
Liverpool
War Work
Sophie Green
Girls employed in an electrical works wear fibre helmets to work on their benches beside the brick and concrete internal shelters, 1940
Sophie Green
Liverpool
Coventry
Operator
Michael Snodgrass
Telephonist, Miss Hands remained at the telephone during the Coventry air raids and also catered for crews returning from fires, 1941
Michael Snodgrass
Coventry
Lake District
A Fresh Start
Katie Smith
Three children evacuated from South Shields view the yachts in Bowness Bay, Windermere, 1940
Katie Smith
Lake District
Southampton
Y.M.C.A
Nay Groves
Following the Southampton air raids, soldiers receive refreshments at the Y.M.C.A canteen
Nay Groves
Southampton
Sheffield
A knit‑in
Anna Marrow
Knitting for the troops was a regular evening activity when homework was finished at this boys prep school in Yorkshire, 1940
Anna Marrow
Sheffield
Southampton
Saving The Polygon
Matt Joyce
John Crosthwaite White looked after The Polygon Hotel when 30 bombs fell on it in one night, Southampton, 1940
Matt Joyce
Southampton
Bristol
The Blitz Spirit
Chloe Hall
Harvest Festival Thanksgiving Service at St James Parish Church, Bristol
Chloe Hall
Bristol
Belfast
Recruit's New Shoes
Danielle Simpson
A new recruit is fitted for shoes at the Reception and Training Centre of the A.T.S. in Northern Ireland, 1943
Danielle Simpson
Belfast
Portsmouth
Portsmouth Nurse
Elliot Byrne
Nurse, Frances Brassfield, travelled through heavy gunfire to reach a patient in Portsea, Portsmouth who was injured in a bomb blast and had a baby straight afterwards, 1940
Elliot Byrne
Portsmouth
Birmingham
Blood & the black
Liu Mengxia
Several people helped rescue a man trapped underneath a piano after Blitz bombing, 1941
Liu Mengxia
Birmingham
Southampton
St Boniface Hall
Joey Yu
Mrs Ireen Cole continued to serve meals in St Boniface Hall throughout an entire air raid, December 1940
Joey Yu
Southampton
London
The gallant civilian
Shana Lohrey
Lillian Halle, 95, from Kensington, put out a fire from an incendiary bomb in her house by herself, 1941
Shana Lohrey
London
Manchester
Someone Who Needs It
Luke Brookes
Gerald Grinton's, 16, leg was broken, yet refused a blanket saying there were others who need it more than I do, 1940
Luke Brookes
Manchester
Kent
Christmas Crackers
Jack Holland
Mrs Callender is seen pulling crackers some of the evacuee children at Bidbourough Court, Kent, 1939
Jack Holland
Kent
Liverpool
Messenger Duty
Chloe Hall
Messenger, James Armstrong showed devotion to duty during heavy raids on Bootle, 1941
Chloe Hall
Liverpool
Birmingham
War Child
Liu Mengxia
Boys from Central Grammar School made bows and arrows in the Black Mountains at Llanvihangel Crucorny, 1940
Liu Mengxia
Birmingham
Birmingham
Industrial Women
Liu Mengxia
Women producing oil stoves in a Birmingham factory
Liu Mengxia
Birmingham
London
Runaway Horse
Elliot Byrne
Auxiliary Fireman, Timothy Vincent O’Flaherty stopped a runaway horse whilst at work at a fire in Golden Lane, E.C. on 16th September 1940
Elliot Byrne
London
London
Tractor Boy
Nathan Bowen
19 year old tows ten tonne lorries to safety from burning sheds with a tractor, 1941
Nathan Bowen
London
London
Rail tickets
Anna Marrow
Girls printing tickets for Southern Railway at a printing works in Surrey, 1942
Anna Marrow
London
Belfast
15 Year Old
Danielle Simpson
15 year old William Ernest Bennett rescued people from a house by holding debris of a tunnel on his back, 1941
Danielle Simpson
Belfast
Bristol
Crash Recovery
Andy Council
Two constables in the Bristol police force managed to recover the bodies of enemy airman from a crashed airplane at Portished Dock, 1941
Andy Council
Bristol
Liverpool
Gertrude Riding
Sophie Green
Gertrude Riding, a matron at Mill Road Infirmary, Liverpool, showed remarkable devotion to duty on 21st December and throughout the war, 1940
Sophie Green
Liverpool
Portsmouth
USA Aid
Michael Snodgrass
The Mayor walking with children within a bombed area, complete with their bundles of clothing, 1940
Michael Snodgrass
Portsmouth
East Suffolk
Window Cleaner
Nay Groves
17 year-old extinguished between 20 - 30 incendiary bombs in Lowestoft, Suffolk, 1941
Nay Groves
East Suffolk
London
Bus Women Exercise
Megan Menzies
Passenger Transport Board conductors from Hammersmith’s and Shepherd’s Bush garages exercise by the Thames, 1941
Megan Menzies
London
Coventry
A ‘Trunk Call’ 1940
Jennifer Shufflebotham
An elephant collecting for the Red Cross and the Y.M.C.A. Towcester in Northants, 1940
Jennifer Shufflebotham
Coventry
London
Safe Children
Nathan Bowen
Toddlers at a nursery enjoying their own tea party as part of VE day celebrations, 1945
Nathan Bowen
London
Coventry
Rescue Party
Michael Snodgrass
Following an enemy attack on Coventry & Warwickshire Hospital, Sidney Cecil Hill rescued patients from the ruined wards, 1941
Michael Snodgrass
Coventry
London
Amputees
Danielle Simpson
Two members of WAAF with their nurse enjoying a stroll on crutches in the hospital grounds, 1941
Danielle Simpson
London
Manchester
Cricket at Old Moat
Danielle Rhoda
Teachers enjoy a game of cricket at the Old Moat School, Withington, 1939
Danielle Rhoda
Manchester
Cardiff
A party of scouts
Sam Dawson
A party of about 300 French boys between the ages of 14 and 17 were guests of the Boy Scouts Association at a camp in Wales, 1940
Sam Dawson
Cardiff
Kent
Hop Pickers
Jack Holland
Hop pickers wearing gas masks working the ‘front line’ on the hop fields of Kent, 1941
Jack Holland
Kent
Bristol
Club Room
Nay Groves
Evaucuated mothers busy in their club-room at Lacock, Wilt, 1939
Nay Groves
Bristol
Bristol
Burning bus depot
Andy Council
Mark Leonard Patterson drove 14 buses away from burning bus depot, with bombs falling around him throughout Bristol, 1941
Andy Council
Bristol
Birmingham
Wish In The Winter
Liu Mengxia
Deputy Head Warden Cyril John Potter saved the lives of twelve children from badly flooded shelters near Elwes Street, Birmingham, 1940
Liu Mengxia
Birmingham
Sheffield
An every day hero
Ryan Mosley
Section officer, Mrs Susan Florence Harris, voluntarily assisted the ambulances and set a great example of courage in December 1940.
Ryan Mosley
Sheffield
Cardiff
Do Not Go Gentle
Amy Kate Wolfe
Two men rescued five horses belonging to South Great Western Railway as there stable had been ignited, 1941
Amy Kate Wolfe
