London blitz milkman

Please note: images depicting historical events may contain themes, or have descriptions, that do not reflect current understanding. They are provided in a historical context. Learn more. Contact your local office for all commercial or promotional uses. Editorial :. Date created:. Licence type:. Release info:. Not released. More information. Object name:. Standard code Legacy code. The raid that took place that night was the 32nd in a row, the United Kingdom being mercilessly bombed night after night.

It depicts St. The monumental building stands tall and proud and, most importantly, undamaged. This was the sort of story and image, desperately needed in those times, that the press was urged to create. Menu Rare Historical Photos. Interesting facts: By the end of the Blitz, around 30, Londoners would be left dead, with another 50, injured.

The British government censored the bombing pictures particularly because the British were actively using countermeasures to disrupt the German navigational beams, resulting in Luftwaffe planes regularly bombing the countryside instead of cities for a few months. Publishing results of German bombings in newspapers would alert the Germans that the countermeasures were working. Updated on: September 11, For many Londoners, this was a source of inspiration. They felt that if St. But on October 9, 32 days into the Blitz, Fred Morley had an idea.

As a photographer, he was very aware of the power of images, and he personally felt the world should see the devastation in London. But he knew the British government would never allow a publication of an image that was just of bombed streets and burned buildings. So Morley and his assistant set out to find the right backdrop for their project.

Morley walked around the rubble of London until he found a group of firefighters trying to put out a fire amidst the fallen buildings, as he wanted that specific scene in the background. He then either posed as the milkman or had his assistant pose as the milkman. They thought it would boost morale, but they also thought it would send a message to Germany that Britain was still holding strong despite the Blitz.

These images are so powerful and striking, it really forces me to think about the atrocities of the past.