Saving St Paul’s: The St Paul’s Watch

This year marks the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) day when in the words of Churchill, the "blood, toil, tears and sweat" of Britons and others had finally resulted in Europe being freed from tyranny after the unprecedented global conflict of World War II which raged from 1939-45.

It was during this global conflict, and in particular the German aerial bombing campaign, dubbed ‘The Blitz’ that St. Paul’s became something more than just a grand building, or a place of worship. It became a symbol of defiance, almost the soul of a nation. Who can fail to be moved by that iconic photograph, perfectly captured by Herbert Mason, on 30 December 1940 when, following a bombing raid so ferocious that it was called ‘The Second Great Fire of London’, St. Paul’s stood proudly amongst the devastation. With flames, smoke and dust blanketing the City, the people’s cathedral was unmoved, quietly mocking the enemy planes as if to say, “Is that all you’ve got?”

In Nazi Germany, the same image was used as propaganda to convince the population that St. Paul's had been destroyed - false evidence that the Luftwaffe's bombing raids had been a success.

However, what many people may not realise is that one of the reasons it survived is in no small part down to a dedicated group of volunteers, men and women, and drawn from all walks of life, who worked 24/7 to ensure that St Paul's, a symbol of Britain's cultural heritage and history, survived the worst excesses of the German aerial bombing campaign. They were the St Paul’s Watch and to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, St Paul's Cathedral have erected a free alfresco exhibition in St Paul’s Churchyard to highlight the work of the Watch. Entitled Saving St Paul's: The Watch and the Second World War it includes information boards and photographs telling the story of this remarkable group of men and women.

Manning exterior lookout posts, checking the interior for damage and combating the fire-spreading incendiary bombs dropped on the cathedral. These were highly dangerous and could easily become lodged in various parts of the Cathedral during air raids, left unchecked they could easily have done enormous damage to the building. Members of the Watch had to find and douse them with water from stirrup pumps or just sand, all in darkness.

It is largely down to these brave souls that St Paul’s is still here, a debt we all owe them.

Following the cessation of hostilities on 8 May 1945 (VE Day) the St Paul’s Watch was no longer needed and so were stood down. After a farewell dinner in October 1945 members returned to their old lives. However, the story doesn’t end there. The bonds that had been created between the members of the Watch led to them forming a new organisation: The Friends of St Paul’s Cathedral.

Founded in 1952 by the wartime Dean of St Paul’s, Walter Matthews, the Friends raised funds for the restoration of the building (it didn’t escape completely unscathed) and promoted knowledge of its history and ongoing work. Numbers of the Friends grew rapidly during the post-war years and is still going strong today.

The display is free and runs until October, so why not take a look, or book a tour with London City Mouse Tours to find out more about the City in World War II.