The night of 10th May 1941 was one of the worst of
Hitler's blitz on London - and Westminster suffered
particularly heavy damage. Incendiaries started several
fires in the Palace, two duty policemen were killed, and
Westminster Hall was only saved by the heroic action of
Colonel Walter Elliot, MP, who mustered the Fire Brigade
and supervised them as they soaked the roof beams
throughout the raid.
The worst damage, however, was suffered by the Commons
Chamber, which was totally destroyed. The Commons moved into
the House of Lords and sat there until the chamber had been rebuilt in 1950. On the insistence of the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, it was constructed in virtually the same style - and exactly the same size - as the old bombed chamber.