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Blackpool at war

Blackpool at War

The Blackpool Gazette has reported and recorded life and events in Blackpool for well over 100 years. Heritage Blackpool works closely with the Gazette to archive the news they produce for future generations including microfilming newspapers. This collection of images of Blackpool during World War Two has been digitised from the Blackpool Gazette archive and reproduced here for your enjoyment.


The Gazette regularly produce stories on Blackpool's past - visit their retro section to read more.

Preparing for War

Field with large air raid shelters constructed on it, with houses and the Central Drive Garage behind the field.
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Air Raid Shelters on Central Drive
Workers digging a large hole in preparation for an air raid shelter.
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Air Raid Shelter Construction at Raikes Hill
Sandbagged entrance to an air raid shelter, with a man up a ladder using a hammer to fix something above the doorway.
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Air Raid Shelter on Charnley Road
Workers constructing an air raid shelter, just behind the sea wall. Central Pier and Blackpool Tower are in the background.
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Air Raid Shelter Construction on the Promenade
Construction site of an air raid shelter.
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Air Raid Shelter Construction on the Promenade
Man sat at a table in a stall with a large sign above it saying Blackpool A.R.P Association. To the right is an entrance to an air raid shelter with sandbags in front.
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Blackpool A.R.P. Association and Shelter at the Winter Gardens
Group of children inside an air raid shelter.
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Air Raid Shelter at Waterloo School
Two ladies sat opposite each other on benches in an air raid shelter. The lady on the left hand bench is reading a magazine, whilst the lady on the right hand bench is knitting.
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Air Raid Shelter
Sandbag walls surrounding the building.
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Sandbags at South King Street Police Station
Sandbag walls in front of the Police Station.
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Sandbags at Lytham Police Station
Workers building sandbag walls in front of the entrance to Victoria Hospital.
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Sandbags at Victoria Hospital
Group of wardens wearing gas masks and other protective clothing, stood in front of a sandbag wall.
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Sandbags at Bispham Library
People walking around a large tank of water, which is on the right hand side of the North Pier entrance.
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Emergency Water Supply Tank at North Pier
Large open tank of water to the side of the road.
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Emergency Water Supply Tank at the Grammar School
Fire engine getting water from a tank, whilst a group of firemen use the hoses.
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Auxiliary Fire Service on Charnley Road
Trees that run alongside the road are painted with black and white stripes.
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Blackout Markings on Harrowside
Group of three people inspecting a metal stake which is sticking up on the beach.
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Stakes on the beach by North Pier
Large concrete blocks on the Promenade.
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Concrete Blocks on the Promenade
Large concrete blocks in a line on the Promenade, with Blackpool Tower in the background.
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Concrete Blocks on Promenade
Man sat on a small tractor which is pulling a plough across a field. Another man is walking beside the tractor.
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Ploughing at Highfield Road
Man walking behind a horse plough, ploughing a field.
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Horse Plough at Highfield Road
Group of schoolboys digging up vegetables and two filled wheelbarrows.
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Claremont Schoolboys Digging
Group of schoolchildren and a teacher walking across a field. The children are carrying tools for digging.
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Little Marton Schoolchildren Digging
Room filled with rows of tables and workers with stacks of paper in front of them.
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Preparing Ration Books at the Library
Rationing of Food Counter with a queue of people.
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Rationing of Food
Two girls adding to a pile of mostly metal household items.
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Lynton Avenue, Salvage Collection
Man adding to a pile of household metal items such as pans and kettles.
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Metal Salvage at Woodstock Gardens
Two workers taking sacks of paper into a van. On the side of the van, a sign reads This Week and Every Week Salvage is Essential.
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Paper Salvage
Group of ten schoolgirls walking in a line, each carrying their gas mask box.
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Girls Arriving at Thames Road School with Gas Masks
Large group of people, the majority of which are sat down, practicing putting on their gas masks.
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Bispham Co-op Laundry
Two women on bicycles stopped on the Promenade and carrying a gasmask box over their shoulder.
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Cyclists with Gasmasks

Evacuees and Refugees

Mayoress greeting a group of children next to the train.
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Mayoress with Evacuees
Group of women and children in the corner of a room.
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Evacuees at Blackpool Reception Centre
Three young children sleeping next to each other.
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Evacuees Sleeping
Group of women and children.
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Belgian Refugees
Children being examined by nurses.
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Children to go Overseas

Civil Defence and Home Guard

People surrounding an anti-aircraft gun which is pointing towards the sky.
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Anti-Aircraft Gun on the Promenade
Anti-aircraft gun pointing towards the sky, with a number of soldiers surrounding the base of it.
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Anti-Aircraft Gun
Group of men in suits, marching in formation on a field with a windmill in the background.
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Thornton Local Defence Volunteers
Eight people, wearing gas masks and protective clothing.
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Anti-Gas Squad on Adelaide Street
Six vehicles lined up with their drivers stood next to them outside the Burlingham garage.
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Canteen Vehicles by Burlingham
Group of eight women in uniform stood in front of three mobile canteen vehicles.
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Civil Defence Mobile Canteen Vehicles
Parade of vehicles, including a fire engine, driving down the Promenade.
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Civil Defence Pageant
Parade of Civil Defence vehicles driving down the Promenade, with onlookers lining the pavements either side.
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Civil Defence Pageant
Line of open top vehicles driving down the Promenade, carrying Civil Defence members.
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Civil Defence Pageant
Civil Defence vehicles including fire engines parading on the Promenade.
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Civil Defence Pageant
Two men inspecting a group of Civil Defence Messengers, who are stood in line wearing their uniforms.
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Inspection of Civil Defence Messengers
Groups of Home Guard on the beach doing rifle practice.
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Home Guard Display on the Beach
Two members of the Home Guard talking to each other.
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Home Guard, JH Leigh and CJ Walters
Group of Home Guard in their uniforms stood on a cliff side.
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Home Guard Manoeuvres
Home Guard questioning a man and taking notes.
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Home Guard Questions Potential Spy
Three female workers moving large sacks of goods.
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Railway Amazons
Group of six men doing a fire drill.
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RHO Hills ARP
Groups of people using fire hoses on a building.
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Auxiliary Fire Service Exercise
Group of seven cadets stood next to each other, in various uniforms.
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Cadets
Group of women marching in formation past the Town Hall. The group is split into two, with the front group wearing a different uniform to the ones behind them.
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Land Army at Talbot Square
Group of seven women practicing fire drills. One woman who is wearing a Wardens helmet is guiding the group, whilst three of the women are pumping water and the other three are pointing the hoses with one of them stood and the other two laying on the floor.
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Stirrup pumps on Pharos Street, Fleetwood
Group boarding an open top Rescue vehicle.
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Rescue Squad Vehicle
Group of girls in uniform, marching past onlookers.
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Blackpool Girls Anchor League
Group of Sea Cadets sat down looking towards a Priest and an altar.
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Sea Cadets at Stanley Park
Group of five women sorting through items on a table.
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Thornton-Cleveleys Women's Voluntary Services, Gifts for Ilford

Military

Group photograph of soldiers.
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The Blackpool Regiment
Group of soldiers around a piano, with one playing it.
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The Blackpool Regiment
Two soldiers walking up the street wearing uniform and each carrying a gas mask box over their shoulder.
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Army Recruits on Victoria Street
Three Bren Gun Carriers on parade, driving down the Promenade watched by spectators.
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Bren Gun Carriers on the Promenade
Group of dignitaries and the Mayor stood on the Town Hall steps saluting.
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United Nations Parade
Soldiers marching in formation past the Town Hall.
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US Troops on Parade at Town Hall
Soldiers marching in front of Yates's Wine Lodge.
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US Troops in Talbot Square
Military parade on an airfield.
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US take control of Warton Airfield
Polish Air Force marching in formation on the Promenade.
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Polish Air Force on the Promenade
RAF training on the beach in a circle.
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RAF Training on the Beach
Large number of RAF marching on the Promenade. On either side of the march are spectators.
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RAF Parade on the Promenade
Spectators lining the Promenade on either side of a parade of marching RAF and band.
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RAF Parade on the Promenade
Man in suit with a walking stick inspecting a group of men in uniform with rifles on their shoulders.
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Lord Derby Inspecting RAF
Group of six people, with the Mayor shaking the hand of one of the airmen.
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Free French Air Force at the Town Hall
Swimming pool with spectators sat in the stands watching a group of four men who are in an inflatable boat in the swimming pool.
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RAF Air Sea Rescue Training at Derby Baths
Group of sailors on parade outside the Town Hall which has a banner saying Welcome HMS Penelope. A large crowd of onlookers surround the sailors.
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Welcome to HMS Penelope
Group of men walking up a hill carrying bags on their backs. The man at the front of the group is carrying a rifle. A train can be seen in the background.
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German Prisoners of War in Transit at Fleetwood
Two men working, whilst a soldier watches over them with a rifle on his shoulder.
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Italian Prisoners of War Near Blackpool
Man wearing a prisoner of war uniform with Renoldi written on it. He is stood with a group of three young girls.
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Joe Renoldi with Pupils of Freckleton School
Group of soldiers, two are in wheelchairs.
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Wounded at Victoria Hospital

Events of the War

Newspaper seller with an Evening Gazette bag over his shoulder and a sign saying Germans Invade Poland.
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Evening Gazette Newspaper Seller
Two people looking at debris on the floor from the hole in the roof above.
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Inspecting Bomb Damage
Row of houses, with the end house severely damaged and rubble on the ground.
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Lindale Gardens Bombing
Debris and household items out on the street.
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Seed Street Bombing
Child stood in a crater caused by bomb damage, other children stood watching. Behind them is a wall and a house which has almost been completely destroyed.
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Crater at St Annes
Damaged aeroplane on the street, next to shops surrounded by a crowd of onlookers.
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ME109 Crash on Church Street
Group of people stood looking at the wreckage of a plane.
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Wreckage of a Blackburn Botha after Central Station Crash
Group stood surrounding their luggage which is on a trolley being pulled by a railway worker.
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Civil Servants Arriving at Blackpool North Station
Group of ten women stood in a line outside of the building.
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Civil Servants at Norbreck Hydro
Group of people stood together behind the counter.
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YMCA Canteen at Hippodrome
Group of three Sisters in a room with a group of small children who are eating.
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Methodist Church Schoolrooms
Group of eight women in various uniforms, stood in a line.
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Women's War Work Week
Two rows of people in uniform, one row sat and one row stood with the Mayor and Mayoress in the centre.
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Women's War Work Week
Two boys holding pieces of shrapnel from a mine.
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Shrapnel from Mine
Man sweeping up glass on the pavement outside of a shop.
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Shop Windows Broken By Mine
Sea mine on the beach.
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Sea Mine at Fleetwood
Group of dignitaries including the Mayor in front of RAF posters and signs. Fly with the RAF Men Under 33 Can Volunteer. Never Was So Much Owed By So Many To So Few.
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RAF Exhibition at the Library
Large crowd, military band and dignitaries stood outside the Town Hall entrance. The entrance has been covered with boards that have been painted with the words Wings for Victory.
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Wings for Victory
Entrance to the Town Hall which has been covered in painted boards which read Salute The Soldier With Your Savings. Spectators are watching a march past and a military band playing instruments.
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Salute the Soldier with your Savings
Solider sat talking to a lady in a swimsuit on the edge of a swimming pool, with children playing in the water behind them.
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Open Air Baths

End of the War

Group of people having a street party.
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VE Day Street Party
Large crowd watching a band play.
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VE Day Crowd and US Band in Talbot Square
Large crowd filling the square.
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VE Day Crowd in Talbot Square
Union Jack flag bunting stretched across the street with people below it.
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VE Day Bunting on Vance Road
Group of people having a street party.
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Street Party
People gathered around a bonfire.
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VE Day Bonfire on Penrose Avenue
Large crowd stood outside the Town Hall.
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VE Day Crowd in Talbot Square
Tailor with a tape measure around his neck, putting a suit jacket on to a man who is looking into a mirror. Above the mirror reads, Remember in future you may have to use coupons choose wisely please don't hurry in your choice.
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RAF Dispersal Centre
Three men exiting a door, carrying a sack each. Next to the door is a sign which reads Civilian Clothing Centre Entrance.
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Demobilisation at RAF Kirkham
Group of people having a street party in the middle of the road.
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VJ Day Party on Larbreck Avenue
Flags flying and the Blackpool Tower in the background.
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VJ Day Flags on the Promenade
Large crowd gathered together.
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VJ Day Crowd at Talbot Square
Street decorated with flags and people stood in the street celebrating.
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VJ Day Celebrations on Dale Street
Soldier hugging a lady.
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Returning Soldier in Talbot Square
Lady serving refreshments to a group of soldiers.
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Former Blackpool POWs at Transit Camp
Entrance to the Town Hall, which has been covered by painted boards. Around the doorway is the Blackpool coat of arms and the words Thanksgiving and Peace.
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Thanksgiving Week
Observation post destruction, with debris and smoke from the explosion.
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Fairhaven Lake Gun Battery Observation Post
Flags flying on the Promenade and Blackpool Tower.
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Blackpool Tower