Imagine if they had done to us what we did to Berlin

People often talk about how destructive the bombing of the Second World War was on Portsmouth.
SARDINES An aerial view of Southsea to the south of the railway line between Fratton and Portsmouth & Southsea 		        Picture: Barry Cox collectionSARDINES An aerial view of Southsea to the south of the railway line between Fratton and Portsmouth & Southsea 		        Picture: Barry Cox collection
SARDINES An aerial view of Southsea to the south of the railway line between Fratton and Portsmouth & Southsea Picture: Barry Cox collection

Indeed there was much damage and destruction, but when you look at the photograph above, taken about 1938, and which streets remain today (ie most of them), perhaps it could have been worse.

If you look at footage of Berlin just after the war there were hardly any buildings remaining.

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To get your bearings, apart from the top right hand triangle, everything in the lower part of the picture is south of the railway line from Fratton to Portsmouth & Southsea stations.

Can you identify this man?Can you identify this man?
Can you identify this man?

In the top left hand corner is the Guildhall. In the bottom left hand corner is St Matthew’s Church in Fawcett Road.

Just above the roof of the church and to the right is the rooftop of the Embassy ballroom.

Just below the right hand corner can be seen Fratton Bridge with the Fratton Hotel prominent in black.

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The road running from the hotel to St Matthew’s Church is the length of Fawcett Road.

PROPER SNOW Orchard Road, Southsea, in the winter of 1981, from Nick Moore of SouthseaPROPER SNOW Orchard Road, Southsea, in the winter of 1981, from Nick Moore of Southsea
PROPER SNOW Orchard Road, Southsea, in the winter of 1981, from Nick Moore of Southsea

•Linda Sait (née Uniacke) is trying to identify the man in the second.

He was a lodger with her grandmother about 1950. She was Mary Jane Rustell and lived in the South Street area of Gosport. He is seen here with Linda’s sister Dorothy. Linda says: ‘He was very popular with the family at that time but no one seems to now remember who he was. I would be very grateful for any help.’