07-02-2018, 06:55 PM
1391
Re: The Pages of Punch
Originally Posted by summer
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Amazing that St Paul's was left standing, it must have become a prime target.
The surrounding buildings did not get that kind of cover. The cathedral was top priority.
07-02-2018, 07:07 PM
1392
Re: The Pages of Punch
Originally Posted by Mr Magoo
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It was not a miracle. It was protected by a team of wardens on hand for just such a situation. There were enough of them to put out the many incendiary bombs that landed on the roof. In 1940 the incendiary bombs were quite small and could quite easily be extinguished if you got there quickly enough. The surrounding buildings did not get that kind of cover. The cathedral was top priority.
Could have been much worse. A HE bomb could have destroyed much of the building.
An act of God?
09-02-2018, 10:45 AM
1394
Re: The Pages of Punch
1943: Infantry trainingDavid Langdon exaggerates quite a bit. I like the touch of the barbed wire at the very top of this obstacle. The date of this cartoon suggests that preparations for D-Day are already in full swing. On that operation the ability to climb up sheer cliffs would indeed be required.
10-02-2018, 10:44 AM
1396
Re: The Pages of Punch
Originally Posted by Mr Magoo
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1941: Lady at the plough A harmless fantasy is at work here. The Land Army woman would in reality have to keep both hands on the plough. Her knitting needles are sticking out of her pocket.
11-02-2018, 10:50 AM
1397
Re: The Pages of Punch
1943: The Navy’s here!The large vessel is flying the red ensign (union jack in the top left hand corner.) This means that it is not the Royal, but the Merchant Navy. The really small arrival is flying the white ensign (union hack also in the top left hand corner). This is the Royal Navy, the fighting service. It isn’t going to be able to provide much help. The red duster ship is more heavily armed than the white duster ship – that is the ironic point of this cartoon.
The background to this cartoon is the long standing conflict between ships supplying Britain and the German U-boats determined to sink these ships. Britain’s ability to continue the fight depended on enough of these supplies getting through.
13-02-2018, 12:14 PM
1399
Re: The Pages of Punch
1940: Checking up on those who do the checking upThe alarming woman in the car has just been asked to prove her identity. She has turned the tables on the Home Guard sentries and insisted that they prove their identity.
We all had to carry identity cards with us during the war. I can even remember my identity card number. Most of the modern numbers have not stayed in my mind.
14-02-2018, 10:50 AM
1400
Re: The Pages of Punch
1941: The Morrison ShelterFor a while I slept in a bedroom that was fitted with this cage like structure. It was called the Morrison Shelter named after Herbert Morrison who was Home Secretary in the war-time coalition. It had a metal roof to protect people from objects falling directly on top. The mesh was there to protect people from horizontal flying objects. During my time there it was never used as a shelter.
Here again this cartoon sought to make light of the real danger that people faced. A purpose built underground shelter offered much better protection.
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