Last week I was in London, eversince I was a kid I Always had been interested in WWII. While visiting the London Imperial War Museum I noticed an old man standing silent infront of a bomb used during the Blitz. I gathered all my courage and Asked him if he had lived through the Blitz and he said ‘Yes’. We ended up having a long conversation. This was one of the most special moments of my life and it makes me feel proud to be A History student!

Excellent. I have to say, as a Londoner, that photo of Wren's beautiful St Paul's Cathedral proudly standing amidst the smoke still gives me a direct emotional tug at the heart.

My Grandfather was too old for WW2 so he was a 'Fire Watcher' and a member of the AFS (Auxilary Fire Service.) 7:49 He was right in the MIDDLE of London fighting the firestorms. I have a small photo of him in uniform. He used to tell me that the heat was so fierce they use to hose each other down - to stay alive - and they would be STEAMING as they DRIED in a few minutes - to be wetted down again. He lost many friends when unsupported walls suddenly dropped on them. Young people have forgotten this sadly, but we remember them all. They also served our country. RIP Grandad you were our hero. May all those lost in the Blitz find eternal peace - their names liveth forever more.

My great-grandparents were married at Christ Church Greyfriars in 1834. In 1849-50 they traveled to Brisbane AUS on the ship 'Fortitude'. I was pleased to visit the present garden when holidaying in London in 2015.

My mum grew up in Clerkenwell, quite close to St Pauls, she was evacuated but ended up back home and has told me many stories about air raids. Really fascinating.

My gran sadly had to go through this. She got hit by an American jeep and broke her leg. The American service men bought her a teddy to the hospital for her, love to know what ever happened to that. She lived in London then got moved to Bristol then onto Box. R.I.P granny. Miss you!

Great video. I grew up in East London in the 1980s. There were still a few bombed out houses then and lots of little 'parks' made from actual bombsites which had been grassed over. They have mostly been built on now. There were several around Victoria Park Approach Road area.

Fascinating. I remember going to visit relatives in East London with my parents, during the late 50's and early 60's. There were still quite a few bomb sites even then.

Really enjoying these films. My mum lived in north West London and worked in the East. After travelling to and fro each day she was a fire watcher in the evenings. To the day she died if there was the sound of an air raid siren on the television a shudder ran through her.

The damage outside the Science Museum is significant and the plaque there tells the tale. It has been left, again as both a tribute and learning exercise. It would have been great to show people this, as many go to the Museum, but most miss this information.

My Uncle served in the US Army in an Anti-Aircraft unit based outside of London. His gun shot down the first German Buzz-Bomb ever brought down. He and his crew were interviewed by NBC Radio about it. One of the guys from New Jersey said (in a NJ accent) that "Eh, it was no big deal..I seen mosquitos bigger than that in NJ". My grandparents received the interview on a 78 record, which unfortunately has been lost.

I am a Canadian whos Grandfather Robert Charles Boustead lost his life in 1916 in the war and I just happened onto these You Tub programs about Walking the London Blitz as well as many other videos done during the war years. I cannot put into word what seeing and watching from seat at my computer just how devastating life must have been for so may freedom loving people. My Grandparents came across the Ocean to Canada and when war broke out he returned to fight for Britain as well as for the freedom loving countries . He never returned and she was left with six children and then the depression hit and no one had two pennies to rub together but some how she managed to raise them all. I was born in 1945 and always remember her being part of my growing years . Five years ago I was able to come on a War grave tour for fourteen days which started in Britain and ended in Amsterdam it was such a life altering experience to walk through many of the places he walked . I found his grave in a graveyard called Adanac which is Canada backward I had promised my Mom I would find his grave it it took me the rest of my life and she passed at age 76 and it took me 26 more years to actually find and visit and place some special items from her at the grave stone. I feel that I am blessed to have hooked up with your series at this time in my life. God Bless you all for the work you put into creating and being guides as the series has progressed .Sharon Arbour

What a knowledgeable and fantastic man Steve is. A true gent and Londoner. Great video👍

I've worked in the City of London most of my working life and in fact worked almost next door to some of the places listed here... there are loads of plaques and memorials and remnants from the Blitz that exist and people walk past not knowing half of it. Just behind where they were looking at the ruins of London Wall and the blitz damage, there is actually a plague pit almost outside Lloyds Bank Headquarters from the Black Death. Great tutorial guys.

I am from Chicago, but heard about the Blitz. Very sad stories.

Guys, your channel is one of my favorite historical channels! This is one of the best historical videos I have ever seen - cool shooting, coot topic, nice charismatic host and guest, especially that guide with a cool British accent! After this video I realized that London is one of my desired destinations after the covid-19 pandemic. My subscription and like are some kind of gratitude for your amazing work!

Where I lived as a child, off Ironmonger Lane, there was a 'bomb site' next to my home, As the owners were never traced it still remains as undeveloped land in use by a local charity. Where the Barbican centre has been built was one of my playgrounds as a child (1951-2).

Round about 15:30 on Noble Street you can see the basement of my great great grandfather's offices. Tubbs Lewis & Co were there from around 1854 to 1940. My grandfather worked there until it was destroyed. He said he could not find his way there the next morning so severe was the destruction in the area.

As a kid in the 50s i remember those bombed out buildings in London, now at 70 i think about my older brother who should be 10 years older than me, he was kiled by the germans during a raid, so many deaths they caused across the world. Thank you for this post

As a boy growing up in 50sn Westminster, London, my memories of "bombdies" or bombsites are still vivid. Amazing places to play on or paddle in sites converted to EWS ( Emergency Water Supply) reservoirs. Most evocative of all...river cruises from Westminster pier to Tower pier. Acres of open ground on riversides allowing clear views of St Paul's, the Tower, The Monument and many more hardly visible today.

Absolutely wonderful video! Thank you.

I hope that years from now the citizens of Ukraine will be walking through their beautiful restored cities like this.

Over 3 million pets were destroyed during the war. There was no rationing of food for them and it was an offence to feed them any food fit for people to eat. Some animals were killed in the attacks, others became homeless and were rounded up as authorities were afraid of wandering packs of dogs possibly becoming aggressive. Others, like my Mum's little dog, Peter, were terrified of the bombing, the anti-aircraft guns firing and he was put to sleep. For much more information, read the book Bonzo's War, Animals Under Fire 1939-1945 by Clare Campbell, published by Constable and Robinson. A little memorial to them was recently put in place in one of the small pet cemeteries in London.

A very interesting video. Its fascinating seeing all those signs of the war. The local 'guide' was very knowledgeable indeed. It must have been horrendous for the local population at the time not knowing from one moment to the next if they were going to survive or not. Thanks!

I share your interest in standing relics from the wartime past, and the emotional attachment that stands with them. Very Moving. Just watched your video about Wipers. Keep up the good work.

Thank you for an enjoyable and very interesting - and moving - vid...I wanted it to continue!

6:04 - 1000kg. bomb hits 10 meters from the cathedral and fails to detonate!! An act of god!! My Mom grew up in London during the blitz.

Hi Mat. Just found your Channel and am subscribing to your podcasts as well. Doing a Western Front tour in two weeks and your podcasts and videos have been fantastic. Great stuff!

Brilliant video thank you. I live in Lewisham south east London, there is still wartime evidence around the area like painted air raid signs on brick walls and bomb damage.

Just discovered your channel! Really amazing content! Thank you so much! Btw: meet your new subscriber :)

Something never mentioned during the blitz is that German fighter planes also strafed civilian targets on the ground . It happened to my Mum when she was dashing across a street to safety .

When I grew up in the 50’s in Windsor not far from London, we had an Anderson Shelter at the Bottom of our Garden which my Dad turned into a garden shed.

Informative Thanks John in Chicago

Such a great channel ... this alone is worth my internet subscription.

Very good Documentary. A different view of London.

very good video love it london lives on

I remember in the 60's only the Guild Church of At Benet stood in acres of flattened London, surrounded by Rose Bay Willow Herb (Fireweed). Now in the grounds of the City of London School.

Today is January 11th 2021 and 80 years ago today was the event that is explained at 21:00 Not me coming back here at 11pm on the 10th Jan 2022

Very interesting. Thank you.

My paternal grandmother survived the blitz.

Excellent video....

What a shame that all the tourists flock to the ´South Bank walk´ and Borough Market and miss this.

Great channel. There are still loads of signs of the blitz in all parts of london and as said on here ‘hidden in plain sight’ ( bomb damage..faded air raid shelter signs and garden areas that are unbuilt on bomb sites). My grandparents lived through it and I have an old biscuit tin full of shrapnel that they collected at the time). There are still a couple of areas in london where old metal stretchers from the war are used as railings! 👍

In the initial shot the narrators miss the opportunity to mention that that cross roads at Bank Station where the pillars of the Royal Exchange and the Bank of England stands opposite to the Royal Exchange, that square received a direct hit upon the Underground Station. As regards St Paul’s Cathedral don’t forget that England’s great hero Lord Nelson is buried there R.I.P.

My great aunt was killed in the Blitz. I used to dream about her.

Very good.

interesting tour of London ww2 history highlighting the horrors of war and attacks on civilians thank you

My grandad was in royal engineers in the war

The blitz pales into insignificance when you compare what the Germans got in return. 41,000 tons dropped on the UK, compared to Great Britain's 1.3 million tons dropped on Germany. The Nazis severely underestimated the British industrial capacity, ingenuity, and determination leading up to WW2, and paid the price.

17:00 you can visit the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury in Fulton, MO as part of America's National Churchill Museum - it's great to see the original site in this video. If anyone is interested in finding out more about how and why the church's ruins were dismantled and rebuilt, you might check out The Churchill Minute Episode 2 kzfaq.info/get/bejne/g6eBoq12qtzHn2Q.html Fyi, while President Harry Truman wasn't from Fulton, he was supportive because it's in his home state of Missouri!

12:28 Alice Ayres the name and source of Natalie Portman's character from Closer.

I had a friend that turned holocaust denier. And she said allies were on the wrong side of the war. A sad example of people that had a hard childhood. But they can stfu.

Filmed pre covid, looks so strange seeing somebody shake hands with another person 😞

Just found this/you. Just checked you out. Just subbed. Just a TYVM.

Bank Station received a direct bomb hit and where the Bank of England walls face - I believe the Royal Exchange - was just a crater. Saint Paul’s received a direct bomb hit but the bomb didn’t explode, thank goodness! Compliments - and heartfelt thanks - to the producers, directors and the two excellent guides for making this excellent documentary available. [ With humility but with pride too, I lived through the Blitz being seven years old at the time but in the outer suburban area and have vivid memories of the constant air raid shelter atmosphere of the time including sleeping night after night in public shelters after being bombed out in later years....dear God but there were some truly beautifully brave and considerate people in those years, God bless em all, each and every one… ]

Amazing,now do Dresden.

16:54 Is that Bee box? Good idea.

Nothing on Marble Arch!! Surprised!

I was born in isleworth just out London in 1946 .we didn’t have any war damaged.my dad made a garage out the shelters .

Surprised you did not show Blackfriars street where first air zeppelin dropped bomb landed in WW1, i know its early but still the first blitz

Cool. I see a man with my last name on the fire fighter memorial

Watching this made me think of the war in Ukraine.

Are you doing the Battle of Britain?

A great video, I hugely enjoyed it. I've always wanted to know what the British did to defend themselves during the Blitz. Did they send up Spitfires to attack the bombers? and did the Germans send fighters over with their bombers to protect them? I know they had barrage balloons up as well as anti-aircraft guns in the streets. Anyway, I will try and copy this walk next time I'm in London.

Walking the blitz, only walks around london🙄🙄🙄🙄 other cities suffered far worse damage than London.

Thanks NEWSGODNEWSBOSS

This is the British flag🇬🇧

No watches was stolen during the making of this series 😂

You have just justified the Dresden bombing. Thanks

With much respect for the policeman, but since that happened during 1917 and the first world war I fail to see the link with the blitz in the second world war.

I told them all night and all they do is hit me and do a likd of stuff to me and none believe me someone open the door already o know it will happen they will kil us to

Not to be nitpicky, but Fulton wasn't Harry Truman's hometown. He was born in Grandview, MO and lived in Independence.

The guide is talking for 40 seconds and says two things that are, let's say "imprecise". The picture of St Paul Cathedral burning is "maybe the most iconic picture of the 2nd world war"? Was Notre Dame, damaged or "destroyed"? Is he the guide you get for a discount

The battle of britain= the most pivotal battle of WW2. .....no, it wasnt Stalingrad.

Had to stop watching this. Because St Paul's was a hug target marker for bombers; they knew if they saw that they were 'over their target' and they were never going to take it out. Worse was the blitz guide who put buildings over people...

looks more like concrete cancer from acid rain

Too much taking, not enough images of the blitz. At one point I said…oh DO shut up, will you!