THE BLITZ 1940 - Rare colour footage taken by ex-mayor of Marylebone discovered in attic

Published: 10 September 2010
by JAMIE WELHAM
 

RARE colour footage of the West End during the Blitz has been discovered after lying in an attic for over 70 years.

The film was shot by an air raid warden and shows bomb-ravaged Oxford Street including shots of the burnt-out John Lewis department store, which was bombed as 200 people slept in the makeshift shelter in its basement.

It also features Winston Churchill, showing him reviewing a parade of Civil Defence workers in Hyde Park. Until now the film has only been seen by a handful of people but is now released by Westminster’s archives team to mark the 70th anniversary of the Blitz. It lasts 20 minutes covering the period between September 1940 and May 1941 and was shot by wartime mayor of Marylebone Alfred Coucher, who was also chief air raid warden. 

It reveals a “business as usual” attitude and famous Blitz spirit that prevailed, with shots of double-decker buses taking passengers along Oxford Street and commuters going to and from work. 

The John Lewis store can be seen displaying an “open for business” sign, despite much of it being reduced to rubble.

Following the war Mr Coucher stored the film in his attic, where it was discovered by his family and passed on to the St Marylebone Society.

His grand-daughter, a former Lord Mayor of Westminster and Westminster councillor, Carolyn Keen said: “My grandfather was an enthusiastic amateur film-maker and as chief air raid warden at the time he made this footage as a way of informing and training other wardens in Westminster. I had no idea just how striking the images would be and how much they would serve to act as a reminder of the terrible damage inflicted on London during the Blitz.”

Other highlights include shots of medics setting up a make-shift medical centre, a separate training film telling wardens how to deal with incendiary bombs and interviews with Nigeria-born air raid warden Ita Ekpenyon.

The footage will be available to view on a website set up by Westminster Council to commemorate the bombings called West End at War. 

Other features include digitising one of the most detailed local authority “bomb maps” in the country, to reveals every single bomb incident in Westminster.

Councillor Steve Summers, Westminster’s libraries boss, said: “It is important we continue to remember the dark days of the Blitz and all of those who were affected by the bombings. This work by our archives team goes some way towards keeping those memories alive…”

See West End at War www.westendatwar.org.uk