Sunderland was a key shipbuilding and repair facility with a long
history of providing vessels for the British Merchant Navy. As well as
its shipbuilding industry, the town also possessed other important
industries such as paint manufacturing and extensive industries
connected with shipbuilding and coal mining. The port town, on the banks
of the strategically important River Wear, was also a main hub, along
with its northerly neighbor the River Tyne, for coal exports, with much
of the coal produced in the huge Durham coalfield being dispatched south
via the Wear. All of this meant that the town found itself on the front
lines of the war effort and marked it as a prime target for the
Luftwaffe.
The town experienced several heavy air raids, including one which caused
a great deal of damage to both housing and key industries, as well as
resulting in serious casualties to the civilian population. The
considerable disruption and dislocation caused meant that the
authorities struggled to provide adequate shelters and to fill the gaps
within what were to become vital Air Raid Precautions services. When the
bombing came, these volunteers were to make a vital contribution.
Sunderland also had a proud tradition of military service and many of
her men and women volunteered for service in the armed forces, with many
paying the ultimate price in defense of freedom. A large number of
Sunderland men served in the Merchant Navy, while the Royal Navy also
boasted many Wearsiders. The local Army regiment, the famed Durham Light
Infantry, also boasted many Wearsiders and the regiment saw action in
almost every theater of the war. For other Wearsiders, the attraction of
flight drew them to service in the ranks of the RAF, for some, service
in Bomber Command was motivated by a thirst for vengeance after
witnessing the bombing of their home town.
