“It was a night of terror for the people of Exeter, but we all thought of our Fuhrer and the command he gave ‘Revenge’… with cold calculation, we carried out our orders”
– Ernst Von Kugel, German pilot.
“Exeter is the jewel of the west; we have destroyed that jewel, and we will return to finish the job”
– German Radio, May 1942.
During April and May 1942, Exeter became the first target of the Baedeker Raids, in which German Luftwaffe bombed areas throughout the city that were of cultural and historical value. Join us for this talk from Clive Russell about the Exeter Blitz during World War II.
About Clive Russell:
I am a post-war baby boomer – as a result I have attended Remembrance Day Parades since I could walk and have retained an intense interest in WW2. I lived in Surrey until I was given a very early retirement from my work, which fortunately came with pension, and so I moved to Devon 22 years ago. I qualified as a Red Coat Guide in 2003 and still love learning about our city!