3. Does Source D support the evidence from Source B and C about the damage done during air raids? (8)
Source D partly supports the evidence of Sources B and C about the damage done during the air raids.
Source D is a photograph taken on 15th November 1940 after the air raid on Coventry. The photograph shows a man, whose face we can’t see clearly, pointing at another man. The streets as we can see in the photograph is heavily bombed and on the left side of the photograph we can see a building with only one facade that survived. This clearly shows how heavy the bombing was. From the photograph we can make out that there might be some sort of argument going on and perhaps looting, though we cannot be sure what is happening.
The photograph was taken on 15th November 1940 and was not published for 3 months until February 1941. The photograph has a positive propaganda caption ‘sorting personal property’ but the source is ambiguous. On the left hand side you can see a damaged building with pieces of the building fallen off on the road. There is a lot of smoke in the background and you can capture faint glimpses of people walking. The right hand side of the street appears to be undamaged with the building looking in good shape compared to the building opposite. There are various pieces of rubble and scattered possessions all along the pavement and the road. There are bits of litter, clothes and pieces of the building that have fallen off everywhere on the road. There are more pieces of building on the road on the left hand side of the picture that the right suggesting that that the building on the left hand side must have been badly damaged. There are a number of people on the picture approximately ten of them. Some of them are walking, perhaps to work, and some of them are waiting, perhaps for a bus or another kind of public transport. There are 3 people closest to the camera; two men and a women. The women leaning against the wall could be demoralised or depressed. The two men could be joking around and ‘sorting out personal property’. However their body language looks more aggressive suggesting there could be an argument or looting going on.
