St Michael's Cathedral was destroyed during the Coventry Blitz, in which 554 people were killed

UK: Coventry Cathedral – WWII Ruin – Reconstruction Drive! (30.9.2026)

My paternal grandmother – Gladys Wyles – would tell us stories about how she lived in Leicester during WWII. She remembered the bombing of nearby Coventry and how the Luftwaffe pilots came down on parachutes amongst the streets. Many were so polite and smart that the UK government permitted them to roam freely around the city carrying-out various aspects of rescue and reconstruction work. Many were glad to be out of the war – but considering how many British were killed in their bombing-raids – it is interesting that such POWs were not routinely attacked out of revenge. I have never visited Coventry.