Recollections of Plymouth in the Blitz

Two very different faces of wartime Plymouth will be recounted by local historians during a public event marking the 70th anniversary of the Blitz. Looting is the theme of Todd Gray’s talk as part of the Blitz Conference – which is hosted and sponsored by the University of Plymouth – on Saturday, 5 March. Plymouth was hit by looting in the aftermath of the Blitz of 1941, when social control broke down and police were busy saving lives and didn’t have the resources to monitor private property. Items stolen in the city included cars, alcohol, cigarettes, chocolate, bacon, timber, razor blades, tools and clothing. Gray, a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, said: “People committed looting for a variety of reasons ranging from greed, temptation or desperation, to being career burglars. “It is surprising that this has been an unresearched topic, but this history challenges us with how we prefer to think about the war years and the notion of a ‘blitz spirit’. “For our generation to ignore this aspect of history, because it is uncomfortable, is to diminish the struggles and sacrifices of a generation which fought a terrifying war and transformed the city of Plymouth.