It was MacDermott who sent a telegram to de Valera seeking assistance. John Clarke MacDermott, the Minister of Public Security, after the first bombing, initiated the "Hiram Plan" to evacuate the city and to return Belfast to 'normality' as quickly as possible. He successfully busied himself with the task of making Northern Ireland a major supplier of food to Britain in her time of need. Sir Basil Brooke, the Minister of Agriculture, was the only active minister. Richard Dawson Bates was the Home Affairs Minister. His death (along with preceding ill-health) came at a bad time and arguably inadvertently caused a leadership vacuum. James Craig, Lord Craigavon, had been Prime Minister of Northern Ireland since its inception in 1921 up until his death in 1940. The Government of Northern Ireland lacked the will, energy and capacity to cope with a major crisis when it came. Although it arrested German spies that its police and military intelligence services caught, the state never broke off diplomatic relations with Axis nations: the German Legation in Dublin remained open throughout the war. Under the leadership of Éamon de Valera it had declared its neutrality during the Second World War. Unlike Northern Ireland, the Irish Free State was no longer part of the UK. Belfast made a considerable contribution towards the Allied war effort, producing many naval ships, aircraft and munitions therefore, the city was deemed a suitable bombing target by the Luftwaffe. Īs the UK was preparing for the conflict, the factories and shipyards of Belfast were gearing up. In total over 1,300 houses were demolished, some 5,000 badly damaged, nearly 30,000 slightly damaged while 20,000 required "first aid repairs". The fourth and final Belfast raid took place on the following night, 5–6 May. Incendiary bombs predominated in this raid. The third raid on Belfast took place over the evening and morning of 4– 150 were killed. Apart from those on London, this was the greatest loss of life in any night raid during the Blitz. High explosive bombs predominated in this raid. ![]() Some 900 people died as a result of the bombing and 1,500 were injured. The next took place on Easter Tuesday, 15 April 1941, when 200 Luftwaffe bombers attacked military and manufacturing targets in the city of Belfast. The first was on the night of 7–8 April 1941, a small attack which probably took place only to test Belfast's defences. “Make no doubt about it, they had planned that the whole of Britain would be working for the good of Germany.The Belfast Blitz consisted of four German air raids on strategic targets in the city of Belfast in Northern Ireland, in April and May 1941 during World War II, causing high casualties. “Just ask yourself where you would be today without Bomber Command? At best you would be cleaning some German’s boots. ![]() “Why shouldn’t it be bombed? What did they expect? That it was going to be protected all the way through the war? “Why shouldn’t Dresden be bombed? They bombed our cities and it just wasn’t wanton bombing – Dresden was a great railway centre, it was a great military centre, a manufacturing area. ![]() “I don’t know where it came from but they were treated almost like criminals after Dresden, which was ridiculous. “ I think Bomber Command has been harshly criticised – very much so. After telling his story on BBC1’s The One Show, he went on to write a book called A Raid Over Berlin. John, now 96, from Tanygroes, Ceredigion, was interrogated by the SS as a spy and sent to three prisoner of war camps. He was thrown clear as the plane disintegrated, killing four of his crew mates. SERGEANT John Martin was a 21-year-old radio operator in a Lancaster bomber when he was shot down in a raid over Berlin on January 30, 1944.
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