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"They also serve who only stand and wait" - defiance to keep the stores trading |
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| One of the most famous British Movietone Newsreels of World War II shows the damage to shops in London's West End after a night of bombardment in the blitz. As the voiceover says "In London's West End the self-confessed criminal sends his pupils to wreck and burn department stores and shops. Indiscriminate bombing is the hallmark of the Hun", what you see is a colleague from Woolies with a home-made sign that summed up the spirit of the Blitz. | ||||
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| No doubt as they dusted down the display of Mighty Midget books - a best seller at the time at 3D each - the titles like "Wreckers over Munich", "Berlin for Tonight" or "I captured a U-boat" must have made them feel better. But as you read this page and think of the people of Coventry, spare a thought for the people of Dresden, of London and Berlin, of Hull and Hamburg, of Merseyside and the Ruhr Valley. Indiscriminate bombing was not only the hallmark of the Hun. | ||||
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Just
when the Germans might have won the Battle of Britain by completely
destroying the country's air defences, Goëring ordered a change of
tactics - the cities and coastal ports were to be bombed. Night
after night, the bombers kept coming back. And day after day
colleagues and Managers swept up, picked up the pieces and got right
back to work.
For example Chelmsford, Essex, (No. 355) was hit by an incendiary bomb. The firewatchers put the fire out, cordoned off the affected area and re-opened the store. Customers remember the terrible smell of scorched mahogany, and the fighting spirit of our colleagues. |
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| When the large superstore in Plymouth was destroyed by the Luftwaffe, store colleagues and local people clubbed together to re-establish the store in Plymouth market - alongside M&S and other stricken retailers. The opening was advertised and reported in the Western Evening Herald and, according to the Manager, Ronald Bowen, a huge queue built up an hour before the store re-opened. A frenzy of customers bought tools, toiletries and sweets on the first day, making all of the effort worthwhile. |  |
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| Temporary stores were re-established in many other blitzed towns, including (left to right) Dover, Canterbury and Devonport. |  |
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| Despite the virtual annihilation of the City of Coventry, Woolworths was soon back open thanks to the extraordinary dedication of store colleagues and managers of other FWW stores in Warwickshire and Bedfordshire. |  |
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| The temporary store at Southampton had to cover for both the East Street and Above Bar branches (Nos. 26 and 128) which for a short time were both knocked out concurrently. |  |
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| Much later in the war came a new offensive, the Vengeance weapons. In the official history of Marks and Spencer, Asa (now Lord) Briggs pays particular tribute to the staff of Woolworths at Lewisham. When M&S was hit by a V1 rocket, Woolies came to the rescue, not only providing first aid, but later inviting M&S to share their premises. The arch-rivals shared the salesfloor, stockroom and staffrooms - and sent a clear message of defiance to the enemy. | 
V1 and V2 Vengeance
Weapons feature |
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World War II Gallery Home Page Xmas
1939: UK and USA a world apart Fire
from the sky - Blitz hits major cities |
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