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Dad in a photograph with his father Hugh, mother May and two sisters Sue and Marie. This photograph was rescued from the rubble of their home in Veryan Gardens that was destroyed during the 1941 Belfast Blitz. His mother and two sisters were killed when a parachute landmine landed on the house. His father was away at sea at the time.
Almost 200 German bombers carried out a night raid overnight on April 15, 1941. More than 900 people were killed and a further 1,500 were injured. It was the largest single loss of life in any city outside London during WWII. Half of Belfast’s housing stock was also badly damaged when the 673 bombs and 29,000 incendiaries were dropped.
More than 150 were unidentified and were buried two in mass graves