Second World War Bomb Damage Maps of London

Second World War Bomb Damage Maps

The bomb damage maps held in the collection at The London Archives represent the most detailed record of damage to the capital’s built environment caused by aerial bombardment during 1940 to 1945.

These were annotated extensively with the use of colour keys by the Architects Department of the London County Council (LCC) to indicate, building by building, the destruction in London during the Second World War. An iconic and multi-layered source for London’s experience of war and its aftermath, it conveys complex survey data in the tradition of Leake’s Great Fire map, Milne’s land use map, Mylne’s geological maps and Booth’s poverty maps.

The full set of maps is made up of 110 hand-coloured 1:2500 Ordnance Survey base sheets originally published in 1916 but updated by the LCC to 1940. The maps are part of the UNESCO memory of the world register.

What the maps record

The maps record cumulative damage to buildings in the County of London caused by air raids and V-weapons. Because of their origins in 1916, the maps give us a glimpse of a ‘lost London’, before post-war redevelopment schemes began to shape the modern city.

Key to the damage

The colour coding on the original maps indicate the following:

• BLACK – Total destruction
• PURPLE – Damaged beyond repair
• DARK RED – Seriously damaged; doubtful if repairable
• LIGHT RED – Seriously damaged; but repairable at cost
• ORANGE – General blast damage; not structural
• YELLOW – Blast damage; minor in nature
• LIGHT GREEN or LIGHT BLUE – Clearance areas
• SMALL CIRCLE – V-2 Rocket
• LARGE CIRCLE – V-1 Flying Bomb

Note that many parks and open spaces are coloured light green, while areas of water are coloured light blue.

What are the maps used for now?

The maps are used frequently by architects, surveyors, town planners and local and family historians seeking information on the precise degree of damage suffered by properties across the 117 square miles of the London Region. They are a symbol of Londoners’ resilience in adversity and highlight the enormous effort and forethought of the LCC to serve London and Londoners in their ‘hour of need’.

Used by Patrick Abercrombie and John Henry Forshaw in drawing up the County of London Plan (1943) and the Greater London Plan (1944) to rebuild the capital in the post-war period, the maps are a key source for studies of post-war town planning in London and the UK.

How can I view them?

The bomb damage maps are available for consultation at The London Archives as colour facsimile copies or as digital copies via the Mediatheque in the Information Area.

You can also view them on the London Picture Archive and purchase copies in a print or digital format.