Comments on: Trouble at Millwall

By: Best Bomber Picture of WW2... - Page 2 - World War 2 Talk

Best Bomber Picture of WW2... - Page 2 - World War 2 Talk — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 21:03:50 +0000

[...] photo this roof appears to be missing. I may be able to find the link on my computer at home. Airminded ? Trouble at Millwall It looks real to me but make your own minds up. __________________ ‘There I stood at the bar, [...]

By: South East London during the Blitz - World War 2 Talk

South East London during the Blitz - World War 2 Talk — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 13:52:35 +0000

[...] discussion asking whether the famous picture of a Heinkel over the Den is fake or real? Airminded ? Trouble at Millwall Kind [...]

By: Airminded · Return to Millwall

Airminded · Return to Millwall — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 10:23:45 +0000

[...] of my favourite posts here was one I wrote almost two years ago, about a claim that a certain well-known photo of the London Blitz was faked. Not only for the post itself, but for the ensuing discussion, which led me to change my mind on [...]

By: Brett Holman

Brett Holman — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 03:59:41 +0000

Thanks, Joe, you’re right. A bit of local knowledge helps!

By: Joe Pitcher

Joe Pitcher — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 09:24:04 +0000

The smoke in the bottom two pictures is almost certainly coming from Deptford power station, which still stands but has not been operational since the early eighties.

Joe Pitcher
New Cross

By: Gazza

Gazza — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 23:58:51 +0000

Don’t mind at all being challenged to back up a statement.

I haven’t contacted the IWM, might be worth sending them an e-mail.

The issue was raised in the Guardian in August 2006….Corrections and clarifications

http://www.guardian.co.uk/corrections/story/0,,1855309,00.html

By: Brett Holman

Brett Holman — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 09:32:14 +0000

Thanks for dropping by, Gazza. I hope you didn’t mind my not just taking your word for it! For what it’s worth, I’ve been swinging around to the “fake” point of view since the discussion here. Just too many inconsistencies, and I really don’t think there is a north terrace there in the supposed 1940 pic. Now you tell me that the smoke plume I pointed to is actually a power station and not smoke from a stray bomb, and that strengthens the conclusion. And I don’t think I should put much stress on a couple of white dots in the middle of the Thames.

(You’re probably right about the direction of flight of the He 111, but I don’t find that conclusive by itself — it could be flying in an odd direction for any number of reasons. But anyway, the conclusion doesn’t rest upon that argument alone.)

So, good call, and well spotted! Have you tried getting in touch with the Imperial War Museum to tell them that they have captioned that picture (C 5422) incorrectly — or if they think they haven’t, can they give us chapter and verse on the origins of the photo? In fact, even if it is a fake, I’d be curious as to the history of the picture and how it ended up becoming one of the best-known images of the Battle of Britain?

By: Gazza

Gazza — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 23:09:02 +0000

And this higher resolution blow up of the den may help

http://www.millwall-history.co.uk/The%20Den1940.jpg

By: Airminded · Gazza speaks!

Airminded · Gazza speaks! — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 11:34:13 +0000

[...] Gazza of The Millwall History Files has weighed in on last year’s post discussing his claim that a famous photo from the Blitz is a propaganda fake. Check it out! [...]

By: Gazza

Gazza — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 00:14:54 +0000

Oh dear the Pics looked Ok in the preview pane but have not appeared in the post!

Here are the links.

The North Terrace at the Den 1937 and 1938
http://www.millwall-history.co.uk/Millwall%20North%20Terrace%201937%20and%201938.jpg

The Den 1943
http://www.millwall-history.co.uk/Bombed.gif

Deptford Power Station
http://www.portcities.org.uk/london/upload/img_400/H2566.jpg