The Baedeker Raid on York

Early Raids on York

This page contains a summary of the seven air-raids prior to April 29th 1942 and the three raids that followed.
There is a very detailed website that transcribes many of the ARP and Council reports for all eleven raids.......York Air Raids (link opens in a new window).

Raid 1: 11th August 1940 (around 22:00hrs)
Four individual bombs fell in and around York.
The first bomb fell inside York Cemetery and caused some damage to the Cemetery grounds and tomb stones. 



Bomb damage inside the cemetery (photo credit: BBC The Longest Night)

The principal damage was caused in Cemetery Road, where about 80 houses were  damaged to varying degrees.



Residents clearing up bomb damage on Cemetery Road.
(Picture reproduced courtesy of The Press, York......www.thepress.co.uk)

One of the four bombs fell into the River Foss between Cliffords Tower and Picadilly but did not explode.

Raid 2: 28th October 1940 (around 22:30hrs)
A group of four bombs landed just north on the A1036 Malton Road in Sefton Avenue.
Two people were killed in this attack and there was extensive damage to houses in the area.

Raid 3: 5th November 1940 (around 22:00hrs)
A bomb fell on the York Waterworks situated bewtween the River Ouse and the A59 (Harrogate road). The bomb penetrated deep into soft ground and did little damage.

Raid 4: 15th November 1940 (around 01:30hrs)
As enemy aircraft passed overhead, incendiary bombs fell causing fires in three locations.
A few hours later eight small bombs were dropped west of the city inside the line of the A1237 bypass.
Five casualties (one serious) were reported. Additionally several farm animals were killed and injured.

Raid 5: 2nd January 1941 (around 18:30hrs)
Incendiary bombs were dropped in a line running down the Hull Road towards the city centre.
No serious fires were reported.
About an hour later more incendiary bombs were dropped in the Heworth area but again these were quickly dealt with.

Raid 6: 16th January 1941 (between 03:30hrs and 05:00hrs)
In the first raid, incendiary bombs started four fires which were quickly brought under control.
The later raid dropped a stick of eight bombs in the area a few hundred yards east of today's Union Terrace car park. There were three casualties, one who later died. A piggery was hit and a number of pigs were killed and several injured.
 

Raid 7: 3rd April 1941 (around 21:30hrs)
A number of incendiary bombs fell in the Boroughbridge Road and Clifton Ings District  (which was under water owing to floods). No fires were reported and all devices were extinguised by the Home Guard on duty in the locations affected.


Raid 9: 2nd August 1942 (around 16:30hrs)
A lone raider dropped four bombs in the centre of the city. Two bombs failed to explode but the others killed one person, seriously injured nine and slightly injured a further thirty six people. It also damaged around 400 properties.
 

Raid 10: 24th September 1942 (around 01:10hrs)
A single aircraft dropped two flares and two containers of incendiary bombs which scattered over a wide area.
One person died of shock and another was injured.

 

Raid 11: 17th December 1942 (around 21:50hrs)
Two people were killed and there were over 20 additional casualties. Three incidents were reported, the most serious being a fire at the gas works. Eight unexploded bombs were discovered.
 

A reminder that full details of each air raid together with an excellent interactive map (screenshot shown below) are available on the York Air Raids website..........link opens in a new window.