WWII in Middlesbrough
Not too long after the bombings at Middlesbrough Railway Station in 1942
At the advent of war in 1939, Middlesbrough had to brace itself as a prime target. As a port town on the east coast of England, The Axis would immediately pinpoint Teesside as an area of strategic importance for Churchill and the allies. This was very much the case having already been home to many important industries like metal working, which was useful for the production of weapons, tanks, planes and ships. There was also a huge railway network as freight from all over the country would make its way to Middlesbrough to ship across Britain and the empire. It also allowed soldiers to be speedily sent to the continent within a few days.
Sadly, Middlesbrough was the first major settlement in Britain to be bombed in World War Two. A lone German bomber flew over the town on 25th May 1940, dropping 13 bombs landing near South Bank Road. It could have been much worse if it were not for the RAF who scrambled to fight off the plane. Two months after, wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill came to Middlesbrough to express grief about the bombings and to inspect the towns defences.
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It didn't stop here. Bombing was a consistent threat to the people of Middlesbrough, and many were frightened and had to build their own defences such as bomb shelters. The Luftwaffe often flew over the town to reach targets further in land like Manchester and Leeds. As a result, some planes were actually shot down in the skies above to prevent them from reaching their destination. One such time was 30th March 1941, when a German plane was brought down by two Spitfires. It landed at Barnaby Moor, and its remains lied in situ for decades after.
