Portsmouth Guildhall
10 January 1941 · Portsmouth, Hampshire
View this record on the map →- Date
- 10 January 1941
- Record type
- Historic bombing site
- Bomb type
- incendiary
- Location
- Portsmouth, Hampshire
- Position accuracy
- Confirmed site (fixed, well-known landmark)
What happened
The Guildhall was struck by multiple incendiaries and completely gutted. An observer described ribbons of green fire dropping down the side of the building as the copper of the cupola melted.
Casualty note
No deaths are attributed to the Guildhall itself. 172 people were killed across Portsmouth on the night of 10/11 January 1941 — a city-wide figure. Portsmouth's war total was 930 dead and 2,837 injured across 67 major raids.
Also worth knowing
The civic silver was recovered from a basement safe. The building was not rebuilt until the 1950s.