My research uses primary sources from British and German records during the Second World War to create a set of interactive online maps of the bombings on Clydeside. Secondary sources and anecdotal records are used only to confirm primary sources. The term Clydeside denotes the geographical area that encompasses the banks of the river Clyde from the city of Glasgow to the Clyde estuary. The aim of my research is to document and publicise the attacks on Clydeside in the Second World War through online maps that show the following:
- where all recorded bombs were dropped
- the Luftwaffe’s targets on Clydeside
- where civilians were killed
- locations of Second World War structures
These maps are the first interactive online maps to show this level of detail about the attacks on Clydeside during the Second World War.
Primary sources
Glasgow Mitchell Archives
In the online maps, bomb locations are primarily taken from the Air Raid Precautions (ARP) period communication forms held in the Glasgow Mitchell Archives. These forms were the standard of communication between the ARP and other departments.
- ARP-M1 was used by ARP wardens to report bomb incidents to the reporting centres.
- ARP-M2 was used by the reporting centres to designate an incident ID called a serial number of occurrence.
- ARP-M3 was used by the reporting centres to provide detailed information about what level of assistance was required from other departments.
- ARP-M4 was used by other departments to reply to the reporting centres specifying what level of assistance could be provided.
When this system was developed during peacetime, it seemed like a perfect way of dealing with incidents. However, during the attacks on Clydeside in March 1941, one of the first casualties was the communication systems, which made it difficult to relay information. In Clydebank the system of reporting became overwhelmed very early on and at one point they were down to one functioning telephone before the system completely collapsed. Glasgow fared much better than Clydebank – although they lost most of their communications early on, they used young boys as bike messengers to transport messages to functioning telephones. Compared to Clydebank, Glasgow had a wealth of ARP forms which I used as a primary resource.
Additional archives utilized:
- DCD9-18/19 Central ‘A’ 1940- 1944
- DCD9-20/21/22 Marine ‘B’ 1940-1942
- DCD9-23/24/25/26 Southern ‘D’ 1940-1944
- DCD9-27/28/29 Eastern ‘E’ 1940-1944
- DCD9-30/31/32/33/34/35/36 Maryhill ‘F’ 1939-1944
Clydebank Library
Clydebank Blitz: Maps showing position of bombs dropped on Clydebank on 13-15th March and May 5-7th 1941 compiled from the Burgh Surveyors Records 1941 by the Scottish Office.
Kew Archives
- HO 203/6 (973-1151) are the reports of intelligence briefings of enemy action on domestic Soil
- Ministry of Home Security R & E Dept: Air raid summaries of Occurrences
- HO 192 Air Raid Assessment Reports
- HO 203 Files
- Ministry of Home Security R & E Dept: Air raid summaries of Occurrences
- HO 192 Air Raid Assessment Reports
- Air 40 Radio Countermeasures Air Intelligence Reports Part 1
- Air 20/6037 No.80 Signals Wing Reports
National Collection of Aerial Photography (NCAP) Luftwaffe reconnaissance photographs