Chris,
In the book Heroes of the Birmingham Air Raids by Michael Minton there is a copy of the report of an air raid on 9th & 10th April 1941 taken from The London Gazette.It records a fire on the premises of L.H.Newton & Co. Ltd. bolt, nut and screw manufactures,Thimblemill Lane,Nechells where a number of incendiary bombs had hit the building setting the upper floors alight when a High Explosive bomb landed on the building pierced all four floors and exploded on the ground floor making a large hole and exposing part of the basement......."The fire spread rapidly and involved the whole works making it necessary to evacuate a large basement shelter housing 400 employees, several of whom had been injured and were receiving treatment in the first aid department".......for their part in the events of that night Fireman William Bennett AFS was awarded the George Medal..Fireman James Meers AFS the British Empire Medal and Kings Commendation to Philip Bermingham or Bermington (report/index spells it both ways) of the 5th Birmingham Battalion Home Guard.The BARRA site lists one death at the site on that date
Could this be it
Colin