By the time the war broke out the Germans had earmarked Tyneside for aerial bombardment. The Luftwaffe had made reconnaissance flights over the area and had built up an archive of aerial photographs of key shipbuilding and industrial targets. But their raid also hit halls, churches, streets and houses.

German records examined after the war revealed targets included the Tyne bridges, the Spiller's building, Byker Bridge, the docks and Elswick works.

They were also desperate to destroy the oil tanks at Jarrow, Swan Hunter shipyard, Vickers Armstrong Naval Yard and Wallsend Slipway, Newburn Steelworks and Brancepeth Cokeworks to disrupt the war effort.

The first major raid on Tyneside was in daylight in the late afternoon of July 2, 1940, and flattened the Spillers factory.

Byker and Heaton suffered terrible bombing on the night of April 25, 1941. Bodies were still being recovered in Guildford Place and Cheltenham Terrace five days later, with unidentified remains buried in a grave in Heaton cemetery.

And on September 1, 1941 New Bridge Street Goods Station was reduced to ruins when it suffered a direct hit. The blaze continued for two days and was fought by firemen from all over Northumberland and Durham.

Air raids are thought to have killed 141 people and injured 587 on Tyneside during the Blitz.