The strategic naval port city of Plymouth suffered immense destruction through a series of fifty-nine bombing raids by Nazi Germany's Luftwaffe between 1940 and 1944. Outside of London, Plymouth was one of the most heavily bombed cities in Britain. By the end of the Second World War, approximately 1,172 civilians in Plymouth had been killed, and thousands more were left homeless due to the torrent of high-explosive bombs and incendiary devices that decimated the city and HMNB Devonport.
The attacks reached a climax in 1941 as part of the German attack on port cities. Over the course of seven nights (20 and 21 March and 21, 22, 23, 28, and 29 April), Plymouth’s commercial core, administrative center, and several neighborhoods were obliterated. Just as politicians visit disaster zones today, Prime Minister Winston Churchill arrived in Plymouth on 2 May 1941 to assess the city’s plight in the wake of the devastation.
Will He Come?
Downing Street was particularly cautious about disseminating distressing news about the war on the Home Front. In a desire to maintain morale and prevent panic, the media were directed to downplay the severity of the relentless Luftwaffe raids. Reports were often intentionally vague about the location of attacks, if they were mentioned at all.
While the media and government censored details for the public good, a consequence was that segments of the population felt isolated and ignored—that their experiences were acknowledged neither by those in the halls of power nor by their fellow countrymen.
The absence of national attention about the devastation in Plymouth, compared with more widespread coverage of the impact of the Blitz on London and Coventry, frustrated residents and resulted in friction between the West Country and Westminster.
An opinion piece on 1 May 1941 commended Nancy Astor, MP for Plymouth Sutton, for her efforts to shed light on the plight of Plymouth and her criticism of the scant coverage in the press:
