| Nazi German Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW) motorcycle with sidecar moves through the Rue des Maux in the destroyed Belgian town of Tournai. Tournai’s strategic position on the River Escaut, and the British troops streaming West through the city, made it the subject of intense German bombing from May 16-23, 1940. By May 18, much of the city was ablaze, the fires had become uncontrollable until British engineers created firebreaks by demolishing buildings with explosives. Tournai was finally occupied by German troops on May 24. The Cathedral of Our Lady is in the background. Built from the 3rd through the 12th centuries, the roof of the ambulatory along with some of the Cathedral’s chapter buildings were partly destroyed by the fire. Tournai residents and the Cathedral staff turned out in the middle of the bombing to fight the fire and saved the Cathedral. The town, including its medieval buildings, were restored after the war. | |
| Image Filename | wwii0389.jpg |
| Image Size | 2.29 MB |
| Image Dimensions | 4773 x 4076 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | Kriegsberichter |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | May 1, 1940 |
| Location | |
| City | Tournai |
| State or Province | Wallonia |
| Country | Belgium |
| Archive | Scherl |
| Record Number | |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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