Bristol is a city and county in South West England. The district has the 10th-largest population in England. The city borders North Somerset and South Gloucestershire, with the cities of Bath and Gloucester to the south-east and north-east, respectively.
During World War II, Bristol was heavily damaged by Luftwaffe raids. About 1,300 people living or working in the city were killed and nearly 100,000 buildings were damaged, at least 3,000 beyond repair. The original central market area, near the bridge and castle, is now a park containing two bombed churches and fragments of the castle.
These historic photos that captured street scenes of Bristol during the Second World War.
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| Gas mask drill, 1939 |
Old Historic Photographs of Bristol, England During World War Two
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| Children and sandbags, 1939 |
Old Historic Photographs of Bristol, England During World War Two
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| A double-decker bus was badly damaged during this raid, Whiteladies Road, December 1940 |
Old Historic Photographs of Bristol, England During World War Two
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| A dentist chair is all that is left of No.2 Dolphin Street, Castle Park, December 1940 |
Old Historic Photographs of Bristol, England During World War Two
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| An unknown Bedminster housewife paints her window with a shatter-proof lacquer because of the danger of flying glass during the 'Blitz', 1940 |
Old Historic Photographs of Bristol, England During World War Two
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| Bristol Evening Post, May 1940 |
Old Historic Photographs of Bristol, England During World War Two
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| Child evacuees, 1940 |
Old Historic Photographs of Bristol, England During World War Two
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| King George VI on a visit to Bristol, 1940 |
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| Land Army girls replaced men on the farm during the war, 1940 |
Old Historic Photographs of Bristol, England During World War Two
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| Looking towards Mary Le Port and Bridge Streets from top of Baldwin Street near Bristol Bridge, 1940 |
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| Looking towards the City Centre from College Green before the air raids on Bristol, 1940 |
Old Historic Photographs of Bristol, England During World War Two
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| Metal for munitions, 1940 |
Old Historic Photographs of Bristol, England During World War Two
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| Newspaper vendor, Angel Fountain, High Street, 1940 |
Old Historic Photographs of Bristol, England During World War Two
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| One of the great granaries took a direct hit in the city docks, 1940 |
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| Smart's store, Union Street, 1940 |
Old Historic Photographs of Bristol, England During World War Two
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| St James Barton, 1940 |
Old Historic Photographs of Bristol, England During World War Two
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| The Dutch House on the corner of Wine Street and High Street was reduced to a charred skeleton and for safety's sake it had to be pulled down, 1940 |
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| A dawn scene after a night raid on Union Street, 1941 |
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| View of the Dutch House, with its statue soldier still on guard before the bombed-out remnants were pulled down, 1941 |
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| Air raid wardens pose for the camera at the Crescent, Henleaze, Bristol, 1941 |
Old Historic Photographs of Bristol, England During World War Two
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| Bedminster residents enjoying their Christmas party in an air raid shelter, 1941 |
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| Bedminster tram depot in West street after an air raid, 1941 |
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| Blitz on West Street near Chessel Road, Bedminster, 1941 |
Old Historic Photographs of Bristol, England During World War Two
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| Cheriton Place Westbury-on-Trym and Henleaze, 1941 |
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| Evacuation at Temple Meads station, 1941 |
Old Historic Photographs of Bristol, England During World War Two
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| Families who were bombed out of their homes, 1941 |
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| "Give us the tools, we will finish the job", July 1941 |
Old Historic Photographs of Bristol, England During World War Two
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| People lost homes, 1941 |
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| Peter Street, 1941 |
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| Sailors help bombed-out Bristolians collect their remaining belongings, 1941 |
Old Historic Photographs of Bristol, England During World War Two
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| St Francis’, North Street, Ashton, 1941 |
Old Historic Photographs of Bristol, England During World War Two
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| Stafford Street, Bedminster, 1941 |
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| The Children of Bristol leave their families and homes for Devon and Safety at Temple Meads Railway Station, 1941 |
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| Utter devastation in Bristol after a night of air-raids, 1941 |
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| Victim of the blitz, 1941 |
Old Historic Photographs of Bristol, England During World War Two
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| View from the still standing Odeon cinema showing the bomb damage in Union Street and the Castle Street area, 1941 |
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| Water froze in the hosepipes, January 1941 |
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| Wine Street, 1941 |
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| Winston Churchill outside the shop of S.W. Pitman at the junction of Raleigh Road and Leighton Road, Southville, 1941 |
Old Historic Photographs of Bristol, England During World War Two
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| A doll's house survived the blitz of Newfoundland Road, 1942 |
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| A lone figure walks through the ruins of Dolphin Street, 1942 |
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| A rescue worker digs deep into the ruins of a house in St Michael's Hill, 1942 |
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| A triumphant bomb disposal team with one that failed to go off, 1942 |
Old Historic Photographs of Bristol, England During World War Two
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| After a night of heavy bombing, 1942 |
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| Air raid wardens at Muller's Orphanage, 1942 |
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| Bedminster West Street Baptist, 1942 |
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| Bomb damage at Bristol Homeopathic Hospital in Cotham, 1942 |
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| Bomb damage in the City Docks, 1942 |
Old Historic Photographs of Bristol, England During World War Two
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| Bristol blitz victims being fed at an unknown parish hall, 1942 |
Old Historic Photographs of Bristol, England During World War Two
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| Bus conductors, 1942 |
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| Crowds turn out to watch this military parade march down Park Street towards the City Centre, June 4th, 1942 |
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| Daylight air raid on Broad Weir, August 28th, 1942 |
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| Holy Trinity Church, Hotwells, 1942 |
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| Prince's Theatre, Park Row, 1942 |
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| St Anselm's Church, Clifton Down, Bristol, 1942 |
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| The burnt out remains of St Peter's Church, Castle Park, circa 1942 |
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| The mobile greengrocer, 1942 |
Old Historic Photographs of Bristol, England During World War Two
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| The pub might have vanished but there's still time for a pint, 1942 |
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| The remains of Wine Street after a night of fire and destruction, 1942 |
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| Winston Churchill tours bomb-battered Bristol with his wife Clementine, 1942 |
Old Historic Photographs of Bristol, England During World War Two
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| Women’s voluntary service, 1942 |
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| A group of US soldiers outside Filton House, 1943 |
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| An American GI and his Bristol girlfriend are interviewed by a BBC roving reporter, 1943 |
Old Historic Photographs of Bristol, England During World War Two
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| German planes transported through the street's of Bristol, 1943 |
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| Unexploded bomb outside 7 Beckington Road, April 14th, 1943 |
Old Historic Photographs of Bristol, England During World War Two
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| Bomb damage buildings on Bristol's St Michael's Hill, 1944 |
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| Allington Road, Southville, Bristol on VE Day, May 8th, 1945 |
Old Historic Photographs of Bristol, England During World War Two
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| Temple Meads Railway Station is boarded up after it was damaged in a bombing-raid, 1945 |
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| The White Funnel paddle steamer Britannia in full camouflage returns to Hotwells, Bristol from war service, May 1945 |
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| VE Day celebrations in Hill Street, Totterdown, Bristol, May 8th, 1945 |
Old Historic Photographs of Bristol, England During World War Two
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| Victory tea party in the Muller Road area of Eastville on VE-Day, May 8th, 1945 |
Old Historic Photographs of Bristol, England During World War Two
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| Crowds at Temple Meads boarding a London bound train, 1945 |