Second World War Records

Introduction
Hull was rarely referred to by name during the Second World War. Instead, reports of raids were said to have taken place in a ‘north-east town’ in an attempt to protect the identity of the City and play down the devastation wreaked on the population by the Luftwaffe.

Photographs and original archives held at the Hull History Centre bear testament to the extent of this devastation and provide an insight into how the City coped under war time conditions.

Most records created during 1939-1945 will contain information relating to the war, but the records discussed in this leaflet are restricted to those created as a result of the war.

How many raids were there on Hull?
Hull was subject to 86 raids; the first, June 19th/20th 1940, and the last March 17th 1945.

Are there maps which show where the bombs were dropped?
Yes. At C TSY/2 we hold maps which show where bombs fell on the city between 1940-1943. We also hold colour coded Ordnance Survey sheets indicating war damaged properties letter coded to identify houses, public buildings, shops and industries. These are held at C TSY/3 and C TSY/5.

How can I find out when a street in the city was bombed?
The street name index in the searchroom contains a card for each street bombed within the city boundaries giving the date of the raid(s) and the reference number of the files containing information relating to the raid [C TYA/1-23] including copies of all messages, reports and correspondence received in relation to each incident.

How can I find out what damage a house sustained during the raids?
During the Second World War the Local Authority was made responsible for housing the people within its boundaries and to enable it to fulfil this duty it was given powers to repair and make habitable houses which had been damaged by enemy action. The City Architect was responsible for assessing and supervising the execution of the repairs required.
The records were collected in three series:

     1.  Record of damage and first aid repairs to individual properties [C TAY/AR]
These records were kept on printed forms. Every time a property was damaged a printed form was made out giving details of the property, the damage sustained and repair work carried out.  They are filed in alphabetical order of streets and numerical order of properties within them with forms relating to terraces filed alphabetically after the houses fronting the street itself.  Terraces are not listed and to search for an individual terrace please search under the main street.

     2.  Record of damage and repairs to properties owned by the Corporation including first aid posts, police boxes and various properties used by the Corporation during the war [C TAY/CP]

     3.  Returns as to damage to property [C TAY/PR] directly consequent upon bombardment or attack from the air (forms W.D.P.I,II and III).  These returns were made after each raid to the District Valuer and the Minister of Health. There are three parts to each return and they are filed in chronological order, so if you know the date of a raid we should be able to trace the returns:

  • Part I – a summary for each raid giving the date of the raid and the number of properties affected. They give details as to whether a) totally damaged; b) so badly damaged that demolition is necessary; c) seriously damaged but capable of repair and whether still usable or evacuated or to be evacuated; d) slightly damaged
  • Part II – a detailed schedule of properties summarised in Part I giving description, address, occupiers name (often omitted), gross value (omitted at first), rateable value and an indication of the extent of damage to contents (generally omitted)
  • Part III – a detailed schedule of properties giving description, address, occupiers name, owners name, gross value, rateable value

Can I find photographs of the damage sustained during raids?

Yes, the History Centre has a comprehensive series of photographs showing the damage sustained to properties and areas around the city of Hull. These are held at C TSP.3 and arranged by the number of the roll of film in chronological order of when the photographs were taken, not the date of the raids.
Descriptions of the photographs can be found on the online catalogue by typing into the search engine the name of the street you are looking for and identifying anything with the reference number C TSP.3.* Please note that this will NOT display the image, just the name of the street and the date the photograph was taken. If you identify a photograph you would like to view, take a note of the reference number and either bring the details in to the History Centre or phone/e-mail in advance to order the item to view. Details of how to contact us can be found at the bottom of this page.

How can I trace a casualty of the bombings?
The History Centre holds Casualty Lists [C TYC] which for each incident (raid) gives the names, ages and addresses (or unit in the case of service personnel) of casualties under the headings of:
  • Mortuary (dead)
  • Hospital (seriously injured)
  • First aid post (slightly injured)

These large volumes cover the following dates:
C TYC/1         26 January 1940-31 March 1941
C TYC/2         3 April 1941-9 November 1941
C TYC/3         13 April 1942-20 December 1942
C TYC/4         15 January 1943-14 July 1943
C TYC/5         20 April 1944-17 March 1945

We also hold a printed list of civilian dead at C TYD/1 which is available in the searchroom in SRL/R Box 10.

How can I find out where my relatives were billeted after their home was bombed?
The Civil Defence Warden Service (Fire Guard Section) records at C TYW/3/1 detail the movement of people after their homes had suffered bomb damage. Please note that they only cover April 1941 to June 1942. They are filed in alphabetical order in 79 files and list the family members and other residents, where billeted and their subsequent address, if applicable.
C TYW/3/2 contains the Ministry of Information Searcher Service (Air Raids Welfare) Section records. These sheets were issued in order to urgently seek information as to the safety and whereabouts of missing people. They are organised  in alphabetical order according to family name and can have a variety of additional information such as addresses, places of work and supplemental reports.

How can I find out if an ancestor served in the Warden Service?

Our Registration of Personnel in the Hull Warden Service consists of a card index record of persons registered for service in the various sections of the A.R.P. service. The cards for each service differ but they all give the full name, national identity no. (except the rescue cards), age, date of birth, name and address and relationship of next of kin (except the rescue service), occupation and business address or name of employer and a record of training completed. The cards also contain various general remarks and information specific to the particular service.

C TYR/1 Warden Cards A-Z - to access quote C TYR/1 and the name of the individual you are searching for

C TYR/2 Control and Report Centres - to access quote C TYR/2 and the name of the individual you are searching for

C TYR/3 Cyclist Messenger Corps
C TYR/3/1 Card index of persons registered for service - to access quote TYR/3/1 and the name    of the individual you are searching for
C TYR/3/2 Cyclist Messenger Corps Equipment List. Indexed cards showing equipment issued to members of the cyclist Messenger Corps - to access quote C TYR/3/2 and the name of the individual you are searching for

C TYR/4 Decontamination of personnel workers, first aiders, rescue workers, highway workers, sewer workers, transport driving, messengers and clerks - to access quote C TYR/4 and the name of the individual you are searching for

C TYR/5 Fire Guard Section - to access quote C TYR/5 and the name of the individual you are searching for. Please note that the cards for the surnames between Watson H and Weynes are missing.

Do you have any evacuation records?
The only evacuation records we hold are within the Hull Education Department records at C TED/1/1/6. The majority of these do not mention individual children’s names but are concerned with the cost of evacuating children to other authorities.  They are not indexed and you would need to know which area the child was evacuated to. Please note that these records only refer to children evacuated by Hull Education Department, those evacuated privately will not be included.

How do I view items I would like to see? 
If you have found original documents on our online catalogue at http://www.hullhistorycentre.org.uk/catalogue that you would like to consult contact us (tel 01482 317500 or e-mail hullhistorycentre@hullcc.gov.uk) prior to your visit with the reference number and description for up to 5 items and we will get the items out for you - please let us know by noon the day before your intended visit at the latest.

To consult items in the searchroom you will need to bring your CARN ticket if you already have one or bring some ID with your name and address on it (eg driving license, utlility bill etc) and we will issue you with a CARN ticket. Further information about this system and how to make the most from your visit is available on this website