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All that remains of St Michaels Cathedral following the air raid of the 14th
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All that remains of St Michaels Cathedral following the air raid of the 14th
All that remains of St Michaels Cathedral following the air raid of the 14th November 1940. At approximately 7.40 pm half an hour after the raid began, the first of many incendiary bombs landed on the roof of the cathedral. The Provost Dick Howard led a small team who fought hard to extinguish the many fires around the roof and inside the building. The team of four men spent the evening dashing around the cathedral roofs, attempting to rip open the lead with axes so that water could be poured onto the fires. The construction of the roof hampered the teams efforts, - the inner wooden vaulted ceiling being separated from the wood and lead sheeting outer roof by an eighteen inch gap, inside which many incediaries rested and blazed away, out of reach to the fire watchers
As the raid progressed the number of incendiaries landing on the old roof increased, the fires became harder to tackle by the small team. At the height of the raid the Solihull Fire Brigade made it through to the cathedral. Soon afterwards however water supplies dried up as water mains around the city were fractured. By around 11pm, all the St. Michaels fire watchers and fire fighters could do was to save as many items of value as they could from the blazing building, leaving the uncontrollable flames to consume the building.
15th November 1940
Staff
Birmingham Post and Mail
Mirrorpix
Coventry
England
Media ID 21605075
© Mirrorpix
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EDITORS COMMENTS
All that remains of St Michaels Cathedral following the air raid of the 14th November 1940. This poignant print captures the devastating aftermath of a tragic event in history. As darkness fell on that fateful evening, chaos ensued as incendiary bombs rained down upon the cathedral's ancient roof. Undeterred by danger, Provost Dick Howard and his brave team fought tirelessly to save their beloved cathedral from destruction. Armed with axes, they valiantly attempted to breach the gap between the inner wooden ceiling and outer lead sheeting, desperately trying to douse the relentless fires raging within. As time passed, their efforts were increasingly overwhelmed by an onslaught of incendiaries. The arrival of Solihull Fire Brigade brought a glimmer of hope but was short-lived as fractured water mains left them powerless against nature's fury. By late evening, all that remained for St Michaels' defenders was salvaging what precious artifacts they could before succumbing to uncontrollable flames. It is a testament to their courage and determination that any remnants stand at all. This evocative image serves as a reminder not only of this specific tragedy but also honors those who risked everything in defense of our shared heritage. Let us never forget their sacrifice and strive towards preserving our cultural treasures for future generations.
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