Blackpool Tower and the Blitz: The 1941 Bombing and Postwar Reconstruction

Yes, Blackpool Tower was bombed during World War II. On the night of 14 June 1941, a Luftwaffe bomber—likely a Heinkel He 111 or Junkers Ju 88 returning from a Liverpool/Manchester raid—dropped its remaining ordnance on the town. One bomb struck the Tower's top section, destroying the flagpole, lantern room, and upper steel latticework. The main structure (158 m, completed 1894) survived intact.

The Raid Context

Blackpool was a secondary target. Primary objectives: Merseyside and Manchester industrial zones. Blackpool had no heavy industry but hosted RAF Squires Gate (training), Vickers-Armstrongs (Wellington bomber parts), and thousands of evacuees/troops. The 14 June raid was part of a larger North West operation; other bombs hit the promenade, North Pier, and residential areas. 12 killed, 60+ injured town-wide.

Damage and Repair

The Tower's cast-iron legs (four, 12 ft diameter at base) and brick foundation were undamaged. The upper 30 m—observation deck, crow's nest, flagstaff—were twisted and partially collapsed. Debris fell onto the Tower Buildings (circus, ballroom, aquarium) but caused no casualties there.

Repairs began 1942 but were slowed by steel rationing. Temporary wooden crown installed. Full restoration: 1946–1949. The current copper-roofed lantern (replacing the original glass) dates from this reconstruction. The Tower reopened fully 1950.

Wartime Blackpool Beyond the Tower

• RAF Squires Gate: 1M+ aircrew trained; now Blackpool Airport.
• Winter Gardens: Hosted 1941 Labour Party conference (Churchill attended).
• Evacuees: 30K+ children from Liverpool/Manchester billeted.
• US Army: 1942–44, Base Hospital 12 at Squires Gate; GIs on promenade.

Myth vs. Fact

Myth: "Hitler ordered the Tower spared as a landmark for invasion." Fact: No evidence. The Tower was a navigation beacon for British pilots (known, lit until 1939). German pilots used it too—but the 1941 hit was almost certainly opportunistic jettisoning, not precision targeting.

Myth: "The Tower caught fire." Fact: Steel doesn't burn. The ballroom/circus below had minor water damage from firefighting.

Today

The Tower (Grade I listed) stands 158 m, 563 steps, 5M bricks, 2,500 tonnes steel. The 1941 bomb damage is visible in the steelwork above the observation deck—close inspection reveals the 1940s welds. A small plaque in the Tower Buildings commemorates the raid. The "Devil's Knell" (Christmas Eve bell-ringing) continued uninterrupted—even 1941.