I have posted this info here as it seems the right place for it.
It is an extract from a 'Shrewsbury Club' news letter sent in 1941 by the club secretary to club members who were in the forces during the war. He was in weekly contact with over thirty members of the club,while they were away, sending them all the weekly news letter.
This extract has never been published before so you are reading it as it was sent to the club members.
This sort of information would have been unavailable to the British public at the time. It gives you an insight into what our parents and grandparents went through!
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?The raids have been repeated every night up until Thursday though there was nothing to equal the intensity of Saturday night?s attack - except what Bootle got on the Wednesday. To describe the total damage would be impossible but the main buildings etc destroyed are as follows. Lewis's, Bladders, the comer of Ranelagh St and Lime St, the corner of Lord St and Paradise St, about half Lord St on the left going towards Pier Head all South Castle St that matters, several blocks in, Castle St, Cook St Arcade, Town Hall (not demolished but fairly extensively burnt out) nearly the whole of Brunswick St, India Buildings burnt out), Dock Board Offices (burnt out) and a large part of James St.
Exchange Station has been badly damaged and Central slightly. Seel St. Duke St and Hanover St are all in a shocking mess. The Technical School was damaged by fire and the Museum more or less burnt out.
Damage in London Rd and Islington is slight only but Dale St is about the only one in the centre of the city completely undamaged. In Victoria St the GPO is burnt out also the County Court Buildings opposite.
The following factories have been more or less destroyed, Cathrops, Bryant and Mays and Chadbums and damage was done to the oil works of Wakefields and W.B. Dick and Co by Clarence Dock though the Power Station by a miracle escaped much damage.
Several Goods Stations have suffered and many of the churches in Liverpool have been burnt out including St Lukes, Walton Parish Church, Christ Church, Great Homer St and others in the club district in addition to what you have read in the news sheets.
Edinburgh St and Beatrice St got bombs on Wednesday night and also the bottom of Nottingham St. In Edinburgh St there are said to have been six" dead at No 60 just opposite the Ash's though the latter didn't even lose any glass.
Much of the area has suffered damage from blast and many people have been evacuated. Those who stay are grim but have shown and are showing a spirit which makes one proud of them. Perhaps I had now better try and give you some idea of the chief consequences of these unhappy events. In the first place the tramway system of the city is almost entirely at a standstill. Stanley Rd has no less than four hits one at Bankhall Bridge and one at the canal bridge at Bootle and it will be months before it can be used in those sections. Meantime all buses are packed and queues are the order of the day. Motor cars are not allowed to enter the centre of the city except on urgent business.
Each night lorry loads of women and children are taken out to Maghull, St Helens, Huyton etc ?(the most pathetic sight of all) and brought back again next day. It simply makes you sick. There is hardly any telephone communication even for business and if you want to get in touch with people you have to go and see them. I jumped a lorry to get down to the club on Friday and had to walk back to Bootle after although it was only just ten o'clock. What they are going to do with all the people who are homeless I don't care to think but the sooner they get out of the city all who need not be there the better. Water, gas and light are all off in some districts but most have one at least out of the three and this situation is improving rapidly. But listen to no stories about shaken morale. Everyone agrees that the population have been hardened and not weakened by what has happened. There is no danger there.
If the distribution of the necessities of life and the housing of the homeless can be managed things will right themselves by and by. I can only repeat that no praise is too high for the people. A week or two ago one sometimes heard defeatist talk in Liverpool. There is none now."
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