Navy spotlights to be shone in commemoration of Plymouth Blitz
Locals are being asked to join in by shining torches from their doors
The Royal Navy is set to join commemorations the 80th Anniversary of the Plymouth Blitz by shining searchlights from vessels in Devonport and Plymouth Sound into the sky.
It is happening tonight (26 April) at 9pm, and echoes back to how Royal Navy ships used their searchlights to scan the sky for Nazi bombers during World War Two.
People are also being asked to join in by shining their torches at their doors in an act of remembrance.
"When it came to the Blitz the destruction that rained down on the City took no account of age or fitness, as whole families were wiped out, the maternity unit of the hospital destroyed and the city devastated. Plymouth's uniqueness today is largely a legacy of that devastation and the searchlight and torchlight gestures will hopefully serve as a timely reminder of the horrors of yesteryear and help us steer a path to an enduring peace."
Chris Robinson - Local Plymouth Historian
2021 is the 80th Anniversary of the Plymouth Blitz, where the city was targeted by the Luftwaffe as a major naval port, home to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines and as a base to units of the Army and the Royal Air Force.
During the 59 bombing attacks, 1,174 civilians were killed and 4,448 injured.