Public lecture: Space Blitz: Discovering the hidden impacts of World War 2 bombing raids

The bombing of cities during the Second World War is still fiercely contested. To some, the Blitz against British cities and Allied raids over Germany were necessary battles, weakening the ability of an enemy to wage war. For others, the destruction of cultural landmarks and the deaths of around a million civilians worldwide were war crimes.

Coinciding with the anniversary of the British raid on Dresden, historian Patrick Major and space scientist Chris Scott will explore two different impacts of Second World War bombing raids. Using documents and images from the National Archives, Professor Major will describe what it was like to be on the ground during the chaos and destruction of an air raid. Professor Scott will explain how a new analysis of wartime records by scientists at the Radio Research Station near Slough has helped Reading researchers today conduct an ‘experiment in the past’ showing how the blast waves from the bombs shook the edge of space.