John Penny is a veteran historian. Bristolian born and bred. Many Bristolians will have heard him talk, seen him on local television or read his publications (some of which are already on our website). He has very kindly passed his archive to the Bristol Historical Association.
His archive really is the last word on the ‘Bristol Blitz’. It is the culmination of forty years research. Several summers spent at the Bundesarchiv-Militärarchiv at Freiburg im Breisgau along with 375 trips to London and years looking through resources closer to home. What makes the Blitz Diary so amazing is the sheer amount of detail. It is a Bristol epic. There is day by day information about the Luftwaffe, the RAF, the fire services, ARP, anti-aircraft guns, searchlights, barrage balloons, damage to buildings and streets and of course casualties. There are also the human stories both tragic and moving. The diary with associated documents runs to over a thousand pages. It is especially important because most accounts of the Bristol Blitz tend to focus on the effects. John Penny’s research pays particular attention to the Luftwaffe. I would argue that this diary gives you an aerial view!
Alongside the diary we have ‘Bristol Area Defences’ and a list of the primary sources John used.
Dr Evan Jones at the University of Bristol has created some fascinating local history links.
JEWS ACRE. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jews_Acre,_Bristol
FUCKING GROVE. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fucking_Grove,_Bristol
FORLORN HOPE ESTATE. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forlorn_Hope_Estate
BEWELL’S CROSS. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bewell%27s_Cross
JACOB’S WELL. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob%27s_Well,_Bristol
PLUS if you have a spare few hours you can beat the bounds of the ……..
City and County of Bristol
Material evidence in the archives: the Ruscombe murders of 1764: https://bristolrecordsociety.org/stories-from-the-arc
FOUR JOKES ON THE MILLERD MAP OF BRISTOL. Evan Jones has written a lovely story about four jokes on the famous 1673 Millerd map of Bristol. Follow the story here……….
Bristol Historical Association 