World War II: London in Colour

The air raids by German Luftwaffe planes on English cities and towns in 1940 and 1941—attacks known collectively and famously as the Blitz—were terrifying, but they failed in their key aims: namely, to demoralize the British people, and to destroy the UK’s war economy. London, not surprisingly, suffered the brunt of the Blitz: More than a million London houses were ruined or badly damaged, and more than 20,000 civilians were killed in the city alone. (Roughly 40,000 civilians were killed in the whole of England.)
Here, LIFE.com presents color photos taken in London during the war, in tribute to the spirit of Britons who would not be cowed.

London, WWII | World War II: Color Photos of London During the Blitz | LIFE.com

 

Think colour pics from the '40s always home bring the horror of war.

 

I agree Gordon. Black & White just seems too.....movie-ish. Color pics due put things into perspective.

 

It seem to me that the B&W creates a psychological barrier because that's not the way we experience the world around us. When I see color pictures from WWII, I find myself comparing the images to the world I actually experience. I guess that's a long form way of agreeing with what's already been said more concisely.

BTW, my favorite pic is #9, the guy sitting on a park bench reading a book while a barrage balloon is being launched in the background.

 

I agree. Colour makes you feel you are witnessing WWII for yourself. Brilliant images. I wished I experienced life back in those days.

Number 9 photograph- Prince Charles?

 

I doubt it. It's a guy reading. Doesn't he have someone do that for him?

 

True. Its amazing real colour images from WWII era. You can look outside and think to yourself' this would've been what it was like in WWII, ect...the weather, blue skies, the wind,humanity etc...

 

On the same site, you can see an even more haunting collection of 22 photos from Nazi occupied Poland, Kutno and Warsaw to be precise.

They are all of Jewishpeople, still managing to smile after all the privations. Whats sad is that most, if not all of them, probably did not survive the war. The Star of David sewn on their clothes was a death sentence for most in occupied Poland.

Whilst Londoners were copping it, these people were being systematically stripped of everything they owned, thrown out of their homes, herded into Ghettos, then rounded up for 'resettlement'. What a terrible set of circumstances for the photographer to record. And these people still manage a smile for the cameras? Their resiliance certainly rivals, if not exceeds, Londoners "We Can Take It" attitude.

World War Two was such a tragedy for so many.