Today marks Victory in Europe Day, commonly known as VE Day, and recognises the acceptance by the Allies of Nazi Germany's surrender on 8 May 1945. This year marks 75 years since the celebrations across Europe and the first UK May bank holiday was moved to today to signify the occasion. Street parties were encouraged across the country, a Battle of Britain memorial flight planned over Buckingham Palace and an exhibition was due to be set up in St James's Park. As we are currently going through the most unprecedented times in decades, it is as important now as ever to remember what life was like during a global war.
The London Underground, similar to during this current crisis, played an important role during World War Two. The tube has currently modified which services and stations are open to facilitate social distancing, whilst running services for key workers. During World War Two the Underground was used by many as shelter during the Blitz, munitions factories and was even used by the government to host the war cabinet. A lot of lives were also lost on the London Underground network and when things go back to normal there are many things that you should look out for on your tube journeys to signify the London Underground during World War Two.
Air Raid Shelters
Starting in September, Adolf Hitler and Hermann Goring ordered a new policy, the bombing of the UK's capital, port cities and industrial cities. Many towns and cities suffered during these aerial attacks, but in London over 20,000 people died and over a million houses were destroyed or damaged. From 7 September 1940 the Luftwaffe carried out bombings on 56 of the next 57 days or nights. By October, the Luftwaffe carried out more nighttime raids to avoid RAF attacks, and they became known as the Blitz, German for lightning, by the British press. The Blitz lasted for over 8 months and ended in May 1941. The London Underground provided shelter for 1000s during the aerial attacks.
World War Two was not the first time London used its underground transport network for shelter during aerial attacks. German airships known as Zeppelins carried out over 50 attacks across Britain, but the UK and London were ill prepared for this. According to the Imperial War Museum over 300,000 people unofficially sheltered in the London Underground, which is double the amount of people who needed shelter at the height of the Blitz. Between the wars, the government actively discourage Londoners using the tube for shelter in any future aerial attacks.
Liverpool Street
On the second night of bombings on 8 September 1940 many people living in the East End sought shelter at Liverpool Street. Although illegal, station staff opened the gates to people without tickets, however some reports suggest troops and staff initially turned people away. It is believed that the events at Liverpool Street saw the government make a u-turn about the use of the tube as shelter and the station became a principal shelter during the Blitz.
Aldwych and Holborn
The now closed Aldwych station played an important role in both wars. The station was the only station on a branch from Holborn and was closed to trains from 22 September 1940 to June 1946. Aldwych and Holborn were used as an air raid shelter by Westminster City Council, demonstrating how quickly plans to discourage the network for shelter were scrapped. A section of the tunnel between Aldwych and Holborn was converted during the first World War as a shelter for the war cabinet, and never reopened. During World War Two this section was used to house exhibits from the British Museum.
Balham
On the evening of 14 October 1940 a bomb created a crater in the road above the northern end of the platforms at Balham station. The bomb created a large crater that a bus crashed in and lead to the collapse of the tunnel at the northbound platform and a flood due to burst water mains. Over 60 people died as a result of the bomb and a plaque has been in place at the station since 2000. The plaque that is now at the station is the third as some sources say 66 people lost their lives and some say 68, so the plaque now in place does not state a number.
Sloane Square
Sloane Square station opened in 1868 by the District Railway, however, by the 1930s the station needed upgrading as part of the New Works Scheme. The works were completed in March 1940, including a new station building and the first escalators of their kind at a sub-surface station. On 12 November 1940 a bomb heavily destroyed the station building and killed over 35 people who were mostly travelling on a train that was leaving the station.
Bethnal Green Tube Disaster of 1943
The biggest loss of civilian life in the UK during World War Two did not happen during the Blitz. A heavy RAF raid on Berlin in early March lead to many sheltering in Air Raid Shelters to preempt any retaliation air attacks. On the night of 3 March 1943 air-raid sirens sounded out across East London and many, as they did during the Blitz, headed to the unopened Bethnal Green station. Although eye witnesses say an orderly flow of people entered the station, unfortunately a woman and child fell over on the stairs which caused many others to fall. 173 people lost their lives in this disaster. A memorial plaque has been installed on the south-eastern staircase. In 2017 a more public memorial was installed in Bethnal Green Garden called the Stairway to Heaven.
Central line extension in East London
Before the start of World War Two the Central line ran from Liverpool Street to Ealing Broadway. Prior to the war, the Central line was being extended further in the east of London with substantial tunneling work and fitting out of stations taking place. Works on the extension were holted in June 1940. The unopened tunnels from Leytonstone to Newbury Park were used by the Plessey Company as factory for aircraft components that employed 2,000 people. Out west, the unopened Ruislip depot was converted as a factory making anti-aircraft guns. Both the eastern and western extensions of the Central line were completed by the 1950s.
Making use of a former station - Down Street
Located in Mayfair and opening in 1907, Down Street station is on the now named Piccadilly line and is located between Green Park and Hyde Park Corner. The station was rarely used as it served predominantly residential area and both Green Park (at the time was called Dover Street) and Hyde Park Corner stations are just 500 metres away. Within just two years some trains skipped the station altogether and by 1918 it lost a Sunday service. The station was finally closed in 1932, however, it would reopen in 1939 for a different purpose.
Down Street station was a perfect location for a secret bunker; a closed and forgotten about deep-level station, close to central London and the government and able to house telephone connections. The station was fitted out in 1939 and was mainly used by the Railway Executive Committee throughout the war to oversee the operations and logistics of Britain's railways. It is thought that Winston Churchill used Down Street to house the war cabinet before the Cabinet War Rooms were ready underneath Whitehall, although there is some debate as to whether Churchill ever visited or slept at Down Street.
Many lives were lost on the London Underground network during World War Two. For a more compressive list of these events and analysis of casualty and fatality figures, I highly recommend Nick Cooper's blog. I often conclude my posts with a fun fact or an invitation to my social media pages, however, today I just ask that you pause to reflect upon the lives lost and how life changed during World War Two.
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