A War in the Air and on the Coast: Civilian ‘Night Patrols’ and the Defence of Hull during the First World War

Reeve, Michael

Abstract

Opening paragraph:
When we think of wartime bombing raids and attacks on civilians, we often conjure up images of ruined public buildings and homes during the Blitz of the Second World War. After all, this has become ‘one of the country’s most cherished and resilient national narratives’. With public memories of the Blitz blending into broader evocations of national identity, the focus of these narratives has often been situated in the capital and only lightly touched upon the experiences of provincial towns and cities. However, as is well documented, Hull – a port city on the north-east coast of England – suffered more than any location outside of London during the conflict, at the hands of Luftwaffe bombers. Indeed, recent work on the legacies of Second World War bombing in Hull has revealed the continuing relevance of the ‘Hull Blitz’ locally, as a potent public memory and as a metaphor for the effects of London-centricity, be that in wartime or post-war news reporting, or today in the context of economic decline and the ‘levelling up’ agenda.

Citation

Reeve, M. (2022). A War in the Air and on the Coast: Civilian ‘Night Patrols’ and the Defence of Hull during the First World War. [blog post]

• Digital Artefact Type: Website Content
• Online Publication Date: Feb 11, 2022
• Publication Date: 2022
• Deposit Date: Jun 27, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 27, 2024
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4720630
• External URL: https://porttowns.port.ac.uk/a-war-in-the-air-and-on-the-coast-civilian-night-patrols-and-the-defence-of-hull-during-the-first-world-war/