Bristol Blitz - First Raids

First Raids

In a night raid on 2 November 1940, 5,000 incendiary and 10,000 high explosive bombs were dropped on the old city.

On 24 November, 148 Luftflotte 3 bombers left Germany to bomb Bristol: the attack started at 6.30pm with waves of 2 or 3 bombers passing over Bristol dropping some 12,000 incendiary bombs and 160 tons of high-explosive bombs; within an hour 70 fires had started; Park Street was "smashed"; Bristol Museum hit; 207 people killed and thousands of houses destroyed or damaged. The area that is now Castle Park was extensively damaged. The Jacobean St Peter’s Hospital was destroyed, and the 17th century timber-framed Dutch House was damaged and subsequently demolished. Four of Bristol's ancient churches, St Peter’s, the interior of St Nicholas, St Mary-le-Port and Temple Church were also badly damaged. The St James' Presbyterian Church of England, Bristol was gutted.

The Lord Mayor of Bristol, Alderman Thomas Underwood, described the effect of the raids as “The City of Churches had in one night become the city of ruins.”