Spirit of the Blitz

Liverpool in the Second World War

10 July 2003 - 5 December 2004
Merseyside Maritime Museum

Through the collected memories of ordinary people who lived in the city, we explored the way people prepared, adapted and coped in the war years of 1939 to 1945. The conflict affected all of Merseyside. It was a time of comradeship and community spirit but also of sadness and destruction.

The Port of Liverpool played an important role in the Second World War, staying open to provide a vital supply route for Britain's survival. It was an obvious target for German bombers. As a result more than 4000 people died, 10,000 homes were destroyed and 70,000 people made homeless during air raids which peaked with the May blitz of 1941.

There is a huge selection of striking artefacts on display, ranging from bombs and bits of aircraft to black-out curtains and ration books. The contrast highlights the plight of ordinary people getting on with their lives in the face of a terrible onslaught from the skies.

The area around the dockside has also adopted the spirit of the blitz, with the Piermaster's House transformed to wartime style and the Museum of Liverpool Life hosting a vegetable garden that would have helped to top up rations. In the GWR building, there are Second World War vehicles on display including emergency fire-fighting apparatus.

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