大象传媒

On the Sunday night before xmas 1940 the air raid sirens around 6.30pm gave the warning that an air raid was imminent. From memory the attack went on for about 10 - 11 hours.

Towards midnight the sky was lit up with flares; in the peach colour from the flares, the formations of German bombers could be seen flying over the area.

The attacking aircraft had no effective resistances from either night fighters or anti-aircraft guns.

We heard later that the Manchester city centre and the industrial area of Trafford Park had been badly damaged. If my memory serves me right the Shell oil storage tanks had been hit and lit up the night sky for miles around.

Every year we always went ot the annual pantomime at the Palace Theatre in Oxford Street, Manchester. In January 1941, we went as usual and was surprised to see numerous steam fairground and traction engines in the street pulling down the facades of bombed out buildings in the centre. I.E. Portland Street, Mosley Street, etc.

The devastation had to be seen to be believed.

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