Swansea's 'Three Day Blitz'
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The Blitz of Britain
During the Second World War the towns and cities of Britain experienced a sustained and relentless bombardment by Nazi Germany. London and the south of England was the main target and the devastation caused in that area was enormous, driving Britain to the brink of collapse and surrender. The bombing was not confined to the south-east however and in Wales, it was Swansea that was worst hit.
Swansea as a target
Swansea’s importance as an industrial centre and major port made it an obvious target for the Luftwaffe. The first raid hit Swansea on 27 June 1940. Between 1940 and 1943 there were 44 raids on the town, killing a total of 340 people.
The most sustained and devastating attack came in 1941 during a three-night blitz of 19, 20 and 21 February. 230 people lost their lives during those three nights and much of Swansea was ruined. The entire town centre was destroyed and areas such as Brynhyfryd, Townhill and Manselton suffered extensive damage.
Three days of bombing
The attack began just after 7.30pm on 19 February and was not to finish until the sounding of the ‘all-clear’ three days later. Hundreds of people lost their homes during the raid and a number of important buildings in the town were destroyed, including a number of schools. The extent of the damage was such that, following the raid, Swansea was declared an evacuation area and the children of the town were evacuated to the countryside for their safety.
The devastation of the town brought a number of important visitors to Swansea. Shortly after the blitz the King and Queen visited the damaged areas, as did the Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
Re-building Swansea
After the war, Swansea town centre was rebuilt. This proved controversial as many criticised the architecture. Today, some of the pre-war architecture is still visible in the town but the centre consists primarily of post-war buildings. Kingsley Amis, a resident of Swansea during the 1950s, claiming that ‘[a] bunch of architects/ Named this the worst town centre they could find’.