Barrow Blitz The Barrow Blitz is the name given to the Luftwaffe bombings of Barrow - in - Furness , United Kingdom during World War II . It took place primarily during April and May 1941 , although the earliest Luftwaffe bombing occurred in September 1940 . VSEL shipyard was the main target for bombing alongside Barrow ' s steelworks which were formerly the largest in the world . Prelude . Many Barrovians believe the first sign of German interest of the town was in May 1936 , when the Hindenburg Zeppelin flew very low and slowly over Barrow , which locals and government officials alike believed was spying on the shipyard , although it claimed to be simply carrying passengers on a luxury trip . The town , with a population of around 75 , 000 in 1941 , was targeted by the Luftwaffe mainly for its shipbuilding industry ( similar to the Clydebank Blitz ) which was one of the most sophisticated in the world and built many submarines and ships for the Royal Navy . Artillery and defences . During the Second World War , Walney Island was home to two of the country ' s many coastal artillery installations ( Hilpsord Fort and Fort Walney ) , numerous pillboxes can to this day be found littered across the Walney coastline . They were used as lookouts and contained rifles and light machine guns that could be used to defend Barrow against the Luftwaffe . The entrance to a large underground air - raid shelter that was used by shipyard workers can be found in the car park of the Waterfront Barrow - in - Furness development . A large unit of the Royal Air Force was based at Barrow / Walney Island Airport which was expanded during the war in an effort to aid Britain ' s air defences . 1941 raids . The difficulty of solely targeting Barrow ' s shipyard meant that many residential neighbourhoods were bombed instead ; 83 civilians were killed , 330 injured , and over 10 , 000 houses were damaged or destroyed during the Blitz , about 25 percent of the town ' s housing stock . Surrounding towns and villages were often mistaken for Barrow and were attacked instead , while many streets in Barrow were severely damaged . Bombing during mid - April 1941 caused significant damage to a central portion of Abbey Road , completely destroying the Waverley Hotel as well as Christ Church and the Abbey Road Baptist Church . The town ' s main public baths and Essoldo Theatre were also severely damaged , however they were repaired within years . Hawcoat Lane is a street that is most noted for taking a direct destructive hit in early May 1941 . Barrow has been described as somewhat unprepared for the Blitz , as there were only enough public shelters for 5 percent of the town ' s population ; some people who lived in the town centre were even forced to seek refuge in hedgerows on the outskirts of Barrow . This shortage of shelters was believed to have led to excessively high casualties . Two fire watchers were killed in May 1941 when the hammer head crane they were stationed in at Vickers Shipyard was bombed by the Luftwaffe . The headquarters of Barrow ' s anti - aircraft defences was in the Furness Abbey Hotel ( now ' The Abbey Tavern ' ) . A sandstone building next to the former railway station by the ruins of the abbey , in a valley screened by trees , it would seem to have been an unlikely target . In May 1941 it was attacked and badly damaged by the Luftwaffe . Barrow Central Station was heavily damaged on 7 May 1941 ; a First World War memorial located within it still bears the holes and gashes caused by the World War II bombings Aftermath . A local housewife , Nella Last wrote a diary of her everyday experiences on the home front during the war for the Mass - Observation project . Her memoirs were later adapted for television . Barrow ' s main war memorial is a cenotaph located in Barrow Park . It bears the names of hundreds of Barrovians who died in combat during various wars , including 616 in the First World War , 268 in the Second World War , and 6 in the Korean War . The Dock Museum in Hindpool contains an exhibit about the Barrow Blitz . Timeline . Timeline of events during the Barrow Blitz .