A regional daily has commemorated the 70th anniversary of the Blitz by devoting its front page to publishing the names of the victims who died.
The Hull Daily Mail marked the milestone in the city’s history by printing the names of the 1,241 men, women and children who died in the raids on its front page, pictured below, and six inside pages on Friday.
Hundreds of people were killed and injured on the two worst nights of the blitz 70 years ago when the Luftwaffe razed the city to the ground but wartime censorship meant the Mail was largely prevented from reporting the events.
The paper has also produced an eight-page broadsheet replicating the style of the Mail in 1941 and telling the story of the horrors of the raids, which could not be told at the time.
The supplement was written by acting assistant news editor Allison Coggan who trawled the city archives, tracked down personal diaries and accounts from the time and interviewed survivors who were just children at the time, to produce the accurate record of the raids.
Design editor Ian Bond created the 1940s-style broadsheet and head of photographic Jim Mitchell tracked down the names of the victims from the Civilian War Dead Roll of Honour at Westminster Abbey, as well as previously unpublished photographs and historic records.
Editor John Meehan said: “Our coverage is a fitting tribute to the sacrifices of the people of this region during this country’s darkest hours and also a most remarkable commemoration of those who died.
“The supplement replicates the style of the Mail during the Second World War brilliantly. The stories, written in the present tense, record the events with immense power and emotion. Even the small details reek of credibility.
“As ever, a number of people have been involved in this but I must pay particular praise to Allison, Ian and Jim for their outstanding dedication and professionalism.
“This is the most creative, powerful, impactful and in-tune-with-the-community coverage ever produced in the Mail.
“It is also a potent statement – if one is needed – of the enduring power and impact of newspapers. No other form of media could rival what we have been able to achieve today through a 126-year-old brand that remains the most influential in this region.”
The Mail’s coverage has also brought won praise from the vicar of the city’s Holy Trinity Church, Rev Neal Barnes, who said: “It really does bring home to us the scale of what this city went through. I am sure that for many people, it will stir memories, some painful of course.
“But I hope also that the fact that the city and the media are giving such prominence to it will be cathartic and healing in its own way.”
The Mail's broadsheet replica tells the story of the raids.
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If anybody needs to know how regional newspapers can continue as a relevant, vibrant and profitable medium through the on-line era – and beyond – they need to look more closely at the Hull Daily Mail than at the tabloid pap of the “nationals”
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One swallow does not make a summer! It’s not how regional papers handle big stories online and in print that is the problem – that’s where their skill is – it’s the general lack of entertainment on a daily basis that needs addressing. Worthy, but dull as flaming dishwater
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I find it incredibly weak to go big on a 70-year old story – People die in old war – shock! Why the 70th anniversary – why not the 50th? But so long as the local vicar likes it…
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A lot of effort – for what, exactly ? The thinking, presumably, must be that the friends and relatives of the dead will buy the paper and boost circulation. But if that was my local paper and it filled the front page with the names of people who died 70 years ago, I think I’d probably give it a miss that day.
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At a time when writing and producing innovative journalism is a very challenging task, I think it’s easy to just shrug your shoulders and say it’s a ‘circulation booster’ or ‘old news’.
If you live and work in Hull, you’d know that the Hull Blitz was a massive deal, which went largely unreported across the UK. Your comments simply prove this fact. The destruction shaped the very fabric of the city you see today.
I think my colleagues should be applauded for their efforts. Anyone who has read the supplement would quickly see how much effort they put into it, on top of the tasks they perform on a daily basis. Well done guys.
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A lot of work has gone in to this so I don’t think the HDM has been after a circulation boost, although it could do with one. However, I also would give this boring looking newspaper a miss and we all know what happens then – you don’t always get the readers back. The tribute should have been linked to the replica.
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The effect of the Blitz in Hull can never be overstated, it devastated the city – even now you can see where the bombs did their damage.
I think this will resonate very strongly with the community of Hull (which is unlike any other community in the country.)
As newspapers should represent and support their community, I applaud the HDM for this: perhaps more newspapers should try and be so in tune with their communities.
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