Wartime mystery scene

Looks right to me, Helen. As a slight aside - from the BFA photo - what are they doing to St John's? As it's 1949 I presume re-roofing rather than war damage, as I wasn't aware it had lost its eastern end roof?

Bl**dy marvellous sleuthing.

The lack of uniforms and/or tin helmets is unusual in a wartime photograph but my own thoughts are that in the immediate aftermath of the air raid the firemen, rescue workers, and everyone else in uniform would still be engaged putting out fires and trying to rescue those who were trapped or injured. The recovery of the dead is a priority, but harsh as it might sound, it is the rescue of the injured which takes the highest priority, then making the area safe for the rescuers, and then looking after uninjured survivors. The emergency services were extremely stretched so the recovery of the dead may have been left to undertakers or even civilian volunteers. I must stress that this only my personal interpretation and may be completely wrong.

We are all speculating. How about the chance of it being some hours or days after a raid and men clearing the rubble find another body. Might explain the lady in distress on the scene and the apparent casual bystanders.

There was a fire at St John's Neil, I believe the organ was destroyed, though not sure of date, but after 1945!

According to the newspaper Prof it was 9th July 1945

Going back to the Spon Street picture, The Plough Inn was actually destroyed in the raid on 8/9th April 1941. The death of Lily Francis Harriet Potter aged 41 was registered as 9/4/1941 and her name is on the memorial. She was buried on 15/4/1941. Later in April a demolition worker was prosecuted for looting articles, some of which belonged to Lily. I am wondering if the men in the picture are in fact demolition workers. Looking at the Alton Douglas 'Coventry at War 'book there are other pictures of workers with no helmets on. Most of the Telegraph pictures we see after a bombing raid are usually smokey and hazy, they look as they rubble is still smouldering and the dust still settling. This picture is fairly clear so could well have been taken days after the raid. Another thing I was considering is that this is a Daily Mirror picture. Would they have been able to get to Coventry the day after the raid. Most of there pictures seem to be well after any raid. So my theory is demolition workers who have perhaps found a body (one of the men has his hand over his nose). Another question, where did they get the nice clean sheets?

The information network here is fantastic. Thanks. The Plough Inn was a big brick building and the picture doesn't look like there was enough rubble so it could well be a few days after the bombing. I agree Anne, the first photos were very hazy with smoke.

This was the Plough - a postcard I'd not seen before

Nice one Neil. Its size isn't immediately apparent from other angles.

Annewiggy, Helen. Have I got this right, a 'Daily Mirror picture'. So why not more info' - can you be sure it is Coventry? Not criticising, just so many crushed buildings look alike, plus there were bombs going off after the all clear - could be one of a thousand things. To me, if I had the energy, I would go right back to the 'Mirror' for info'. If you can't find about a local lad that died in the blitz, then what chance have you got.

Kaga - if you are referring to Dennis Lapworth then I will happily supply you with all the information that I have. I did not put too much on here because there are still relatives in Hawkesbury. Just click on the 'contact' icon and give me an address and I will post it to you, or an email account if you want it that way. Regards. Roger

I didn't confirm the location by the buildings in the foreground Kaga but the ones in the background. These are available for compare in the aerial views on Britain From Above. If you look at post 55, I put the relevant features side by side. Now there could be a similar set of buildings in other towns and there were some that were close in other parts of Coventry, but that area of Spon Street fits best. That the photo was labelled in several places as Coventry and Spon Street was only a guide. I was doubting it myself until I realised that the building in the background looks very different from the other side. I kept dismissing it until I spotted the one shot looking south west. Roughly the same direction as the photograph. I have to think in 3D when I look at the photos and the maps. I try to relate everything in a picture to the features on the maps. The final piece of evidence is that the half timbered building on the right still exists. From Google Street view you can just see it from the car park that sits over what was Queen Victoria Road. Ignore the buildings in front, they were moved from Much Park Street. Spon Street, Queen Victoria Road as was.

Helen, your work is phenomenal, no question about that - but to me that picture is all wrong. The scene is being shielded from the photographer - no scene was shielded, only the editor would censor about what could be shown. No way Coventry people, the public, stood by if there were bodies about, no way rescue teams would leave bodies close to a broken building, no way at all for bodies laying anywhere without some authority in attendance. After the all clear, ambulance, police etc flooded into the city, fire brigades brought in new hoses. Throughout every scene there was help, but those people are more concerned about the cameraman. All the hundreds of photos I have seen of bombing, never have I seen one with sheets blocking out the view. We have two topics on this forum, no sheets. It would be hard for me to be convinced they were Coventry people, or even wartime clothes. London had been bombed for months, they had a million pictures of bomb damage - why would they come to Coventry for one photo? Helen to me, it's not about buildings, it's about what is being hidden. At least five of them are concerned about the camera? Helen, if I wanted to pursue this I would be asking how, where and who from did you obtain this photo. Only trying to solve a mystery, my way. Regards, Kaga.

Roger - if you enter "Lapworth" in the search box, you will see there has been plenty of previous discussion about Dennis on the forum