I remember one particle raid possibly the 30/7/1942.
I had been evacuated with my mother prior to the raids to Hagley in (Worc.)
My mother heard of the raids on the radio so I was taken with her to visit my Dad & Grandparents who lived at 4 & 6 Sandy Lane Aston.
We arrived in Birmingham to board the tram for Aston in Steelhouse Lane we were told that the tram would only be going as far as the stop before Victoria Rd.
We arrive at Lichfield Rd. Victoria Rd stop and got of the tram, no-body was expecting what we saw in front of the tram.
The corner of Lichfield Rd. & Church Lane was a massive pile of rubble across the Erdington bound track all the buildings shops & homes on this corner were flattened almost down to Frank Grounds yard by Church Road.
Both sides of Church Lane was flattened, after the war the site was a second hand car dealers and was there for many years afterward.
The scene I remember was the smell of wet burning embers, dust, and the strong smell of gas from factured mains.
Victoria Rd. there was not much damage the Dairy was standing along with a few houses and the Salvation Army Church but behind Pugh Rd. was flattened along with the Church Lane.
Lichfield Rd. towards Birmingham very little damage,the Shops of Taylors (Toys), Grocers, Butchers (Robinson ?) Greengrocers (Birds?) on the otherside Humphies (cycles), Vine (Pub) and Doctor Goulds on corner of Sandy Lane along with Atwoods (newsagaents).
In 1990's my Uncle George Cross (Tramman George of local radio) told his story to the family never heard before.
Under the debris's across the tram track on Lichfield Rd. was an un-exploded bomb which had drop under the tram track it was defused by Bomb Disposal but not removed till later.
To enable tram services to continue to Erdington , Shortheath & Pye Hayes the Tram operators BCT laid a temporary track over the bomb, Uncle was give the job of taking the first tram over this, safely over normal service resumed if at a slower pace.
Thankfully my Dad & Grandparents was safe, Dad was on Fire Watch Duties at HMS Witton ( GEC works in Electric Av.) this was a Royal Navy establishhment during the war.
A Mr. Dudley Poole a foreman at GEC works was later awarded the MBE for services to the Navy in the manufacture of Sub-merseable electric motors for Submarines.
They are not Happy memories but thankfully we lived through them, people just got on with it, a bit different to this day's our am I being and old moaner ?