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World War 2 - Audio Clips Library
10. London burning around St Paul's
St Paul's Cathedral during the Blitz
St Paul's Cathedral in the Blitz
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Context:
The concerted bombardment of London began on 7 September 1940 and continued through to May 1941 when the frequency of raids began to diminish (although they continued throughout the war). In September 1940 the German Air force dropped 5,300 tones of high explosives on London in just 24 nights.

One of the worst affected areas was the City of London. The streets to the north, south and east of St Paul's were entirely destroyed - but almost miraculously the Cathedral escaped serious damage.

Transcript:
I can see practically the whole of London spread round me...the whole of the skyline to the south lit up with a ruddy glow...the flames are leaping up in the air now...the dome of St Paul's cathedral is silhouetted blackly against it...it's almost like the Day of Judgement.


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