A new book which tells the stories of those who lived through the Sheffield Blitz will be launched at a commemorative event later this month.
‘Defiant Voices – The Blitz Kids of Sheffield’ compiles first-hand accounts of the last generation to remember the Sheffield Blitz of December 1940.
It will be launched at the National Emergency Services Museum on Saturday 14 March at a special event which will feature a Q&A session with several Blitz survivors.
Neil Anderson, the book’s author, said: “The Blitz is a very important part of Sheffield’s history and it’s the reason, for example, that so much of the city centre looks like it does.
“These are the last surviving generation that experienced the Blitz and World War II first-hand, so it is very humbling to hear their stories.”
The event is part of the wider Sheffield Blitz 85th project, which has been delivered by the Sheffield Blitz Memorial Trust and supported by over £90,000 of National Lottery funding.
The Luftwaffe bombing campaign of Sheffield was known as Operation Schmelztiegel (Crucible) and resulted in 2,000 casualties, leaving nearly one tenth of the city homeless.
Mr Anderson, a local writer and journalist, first became interested in the Sheffield Blitz after finding an unpublished memoir from his grandmother which detailed her wartime experiences.
This discovery culminated in over 15 years of research, resulting in a number of books being published and forming the basis for a BBC1 documentary.
It also prompted the creation of the Sheffield Blitz Memorial Trust, which has helped to educate the city by establishing a permanent exhibition at the National Emergency Services Museum and creating a memorial trail and walking app.
Reflecting on the project, Mr Anderson said: “I often wonder what my grandma would think of what she inadvertently created and I’m very proud that it has had such resonance, and that people have got behind it.
“I think it’s just very important that we remember what happened, what people went through and the resilience they showed.”
Tickets for the book launch are free to buy and the event is due to start at 10:30 AM, with proceedings also being live streamed.
Images by Neil Anderson.