Commonwealth Collection

St. Pauls Survives
The iconic view of St. Pauls Cathedral from the roof of the Daily Mail newspaper building, through the smoke and flames of the nights German bombing raids

Mass at bombed Southwark Cathedral
Holding mass in the ruins of St Georges Roman Catholic Cathedral, Southwark London June 1941

Roof spotter at football match
A roof spotter searching for oncoming German bombers, at a West Ham vs. Chelsea match 8 December 1940

Bomb disposal unit in action
The Royal Engineers bomb disposal unit in action in West London, 17 September 1940

Land Girl in 1944
Land Girl from Girls Training Corps farming in Southern England

No swim today
These boys can only gaze longingly at the sea, through the barbed wire and mined beaches, 1 June 1944

Damage to Houses of Parliament
Inspecting bomb damage to Cloister Court, Houses of Parliament 17 December 1940

German plane wreckage being removed
German Messerschmitt fighter wreckage being removed in front of Westminster London, September 1940

Woman in gas mask clocks in at work
Women on the telephone switchboard in Faraday Buildings, Queen Victoria Street in London, were trained to speak in gas masks 1938

American troops feeding pigeons in Trafalgar Square, 1942
American troops feeding pigeons in Trafalgar Square London, 4 March 1942

Arriving French troops
A train-load of French troops passing through London, give a thumbs up from a train carriage, 2 June 1940

A radio operator at work
A WaF (Womens Auxiliary Air Force) radio operator, communicating with aircraft, 1 May 1943

Wartime Utility dresses
The first collection of Utility dresses for women designed by Norman Hartnell modelled in Bond Street 1942

Women of the Air Transport Auxiliary Service, whose job was to fly combat aircraft from the factories to RAF bases

WaF checking barrage balloon
A WaF (Womens Auxiliary Air Force) checks that the barrage balloon is securely tethered, 12 November 1942

Policeman checks for gas leaks
A policeman checks for gas leaking from this street lamp following a daylight air raid, London 19 October 1940

Bomb damaged house Hackney London
Children viewing a bomb damaged house, with a message on the door to the milkman, Hackney London 11 October 1940

Woman bus conductor in wartime
Woman bus conductor standing on the rear platform of a London Bus 1940

Australian troops marching
Australian troops march on The Strand, London 28 June 1940

Dancing at an open air dance
An open-air dance at Brockwell Park in London in the summer of 1941; with the majority of young men in the forces the young women partner each other, 2 July 1941

Open as usual
A hairdressers in the West End of London after an air-raid; the legend Business as Usual and the Union Jack were two of the most frequently seen symbols of British morale

Children off for a swim
Four energetic evacuees off for a dip, 11 August 1941

Children waving while being evacuated
Youngsters crowd a train window while leaving a London railway station for the country, 1 December 1939

All together again
A group reunited

Women relaxing in the park in 1942
Women sunbathing in 1942

Wartime street trader
A trader in Lambeth Walk London selling silk stockings 1940

Collecting firewood
A family out collecting firewood to keep the home fires burning, in response to a coal shortage in southern England, 25 February 1945

Firefighters battle flames near St. Pauls Cathedral
Firefighters battle flames on a shop near St. Pauls Cathedral London, after a night of heavy air raids causing extensive fire damage 29/30 December 1940

Observer listening post
Dawn breaks over an Observer Corps listening post, 23 November 1939

Bombed sports good shop
Groses sports shop in New Bridge Street London, suffering bomb damage December 1940

Londoners evacuating
Still smiling: Londoners, who are evacuating themselves, together with their belonging, enjoy a read on the tailboard of a removal van, 3 October 1940

Shot down German plane in a field
A farmer herding sheep around the wreckage of a German plane, shot down after a dog-fight over his farm, September 1940

Eagle squadron of fighters 1940
Eagle Squadron fighters in formation, one of three squadrons of the RAF formed with volunteer American pilots (prior to American entry into the war), 12 October 1940

WaFS in Paris
Womens Air Force (WaFs) in 1944, in Paris with Eiffel Tower in background

Training of Auxiliary Territorial Service
Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) women during training, 10 October 1939

Two models wearing Utility dresses
Models wearing first collection of utility dresses for women designed by Norman Hartnell

Wartime Fashion
The first collection of utility dresses for women designed by Norman Hartnell 1942

Army comforts depot in Reading
The Army depot at Reading, Berkshire, with some of the boxes containing comforts for the troops in France, 22 November 1939

John Lewis Oxford Street bombing aftermath
John Lewis department store on Oxford Street London, gutted after an air raid 18 September 1940

Changing underground sign lighting
Illuminating the sign with ultra-violet light, which would not seem that different to the bluish blackout lights, 14 January 1942

Rescuing books of records
Soldiers help City of London clerks rescue books of records, after massive air raids 29/30 December 1940

Refreshments after landing
Some of the first American troops to arrive in the UK 27 January 1942, only 7 weeks after Americas entry into the war, taking refreshment

Fitting gas masks
Children being fitted with gas masks, 17 April 1941

Entertaining the troops
Serving soldiers take to the stage to put on a show for their fellow soldiers, 9 October 1939

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