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Birmingham's Blitz

caz9 said:
Steve Richards' book 'The Luftwaffe over Brum' has been reprinted and is available from today. The book covers not only Birmingham but the adjacent local authorities also (Smethwick, West Brom, Oldbury etc). You can read reviews on Amazon and also the author's own website www.birminghamair-raids.co.uk . View attachment 120242
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I got it the first time round. Well recommended for those with an interest in aircraft or wartime history especially.

Simon
 
I called into Bewdley Museum today to take a look at their air raid shelter. It was built for the Post office workers in Bewdley because the German bombers would follow the River Severn up to Bewdley, counting the bridges as they flew. The would then turn right at Bewdey bridge and head straight for Birmingham and Coventry.

Some people also think that they would use the power station at Stourport-on Severn as a landmark to navigate too.

A very helpful volunteer member of staff was happy to show me around the shelter. If any forum members would like to visit, it is best if they phone the museum first, as they only open the shelter if there is a volunteer available.



Map-1.jpg Air-Shelter-1.jpg Air-Shelter-2.jpg Air-Shelter-3.jpg
 
bomb.jpeg


bomb a.jpeg These two images should be joined together side by side but it is all too time consuming. see below for the story
 
Out of curiosity are there plaques for people of other cities that had severe bombing and heavy civilian casualties.
 
W. Churchill at the bombed Holloway Head. Birmingham..jpg
This is a picture of Winston Churchill in Birmingham after an air raid that caused a lot of damage around Holloway Head.
 
Dave M said:
At the NMA i do not think so
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If I remember rightly there was an opportunity during the planting of trees to have a dedicated tree. It looks like the Birmingham Association took advantage.

I don’t think the NMA were proactive in seeking dedications.
 
Morturn said:
I called into Bewdley Museum today to take a look at their air raid shelter. It was built for the Post office workers in Bewdley because the German bombers would follow the River Severn up to Bewdley, counting the bridges as they flew. The would then turn right at Bewdey bridge and head straight for Birmingham and Coventry.

Some people also think that they would use the power station at Stourport-on Severn as a landmark to navigate too.

A very helpful volunteer member of staff was happy to show me around the shelter. If any forum members would like to visit, it is best if they phone the museum first, as they only open the shelter if there is a volunteer available.



View attachment 120275View attachment 120276View attachment 120277View attachment 120278
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Thanks for the mention - I'm one of the volunteer stewards for this Air-raid Shelter and we get thousands of visitors each year..! :) We also have lots of school parties taking part in our education days as part of the Blitz and Evacuation section of the National Curriculum - it's great to meet so many people (from all over the world).
As mentioned, if you plan to visit us, ring the Tourist Information Centre in the museum, who will be able to tell you when the shelter will be open (it's staffed by volunteers).
Look forward to seeing you :)
 
I have the book by Steve Richards The Luftwaffe over Brum. Very interesting reading, cannot believe all the facts that he has gathered. Many things that I did not know, of course, just how accurate it all is? I was born in 1933 so just a nipper through the war, many many very bad memories and I consider myself lucky to have survived as many did not. By the way, I am in one of the photos in the book, page 85 bottom photo I am one of the nippers by the barrow November 1940 I was 7 then
 

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Was probably 1941-42 lived in Inkerman St Vauxhall in my cot in the attic.Dont know what time but My Father rushed in grabbed me just as a bomb exploded across the road.We both finished up on the floor covered in bits of glass ,he then carried me down stairs treading on broken glass from all the windows that had blown in.Relatives used to put their fingers in their ears every time My Father used to start telling the Story
 
Hi, I don't know if I am posting this in the right thread (and haven't yet mastered how to start a new one!) but does anyone know exactly when Nile Terrace and Bell Barn Road were bombed during WW2. My dad lived there at the time and would really like to pinpoint exactly when the bomb/s fell that took out the terrace and meant they had to move home, can anyone help?
 
DebSher said:
Hi, I don't know if I am posting this in the right thread (and haven't yet mastered how to start a new one!) but does anyone know exactly when Nile Terrace and Bell Barn Road were bombed during WW2. My dad lived there at the time and would really like to pinpoint exactly when the bomb/s fell that took out the terrace and meant they had to move home, can anyone help?
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Hi, and welcome to the BHF.
A couple of bombing dates shown below ... and there might be more dates in the main 'Blitz' and 'Bombing Brum' threads on this forum.

There was a bombing raid on 19 Nov 1940 see

BARRA - Online Database

BARRA Online Database
database.birminghamairraids.co.uk

and another raid on 9th April 1941 showing damage to a terrace in Bell Barn Road.
BellBarn.jpg
From

Resource Details - Birmingham Images

Images, documents and views from the past for the area where you live, work or visit.
www.search.birminghamimages.org.uk
 
oldMohawk said:
Hi, and welcome to the BHF.
A couple of bombing dates shown below ... and there might be more dates in the main 'Blitz' and 'Bombing Brum' threads on this forum.

There was a bombing raid on 19 Nov 1940 see

BARRA - Online Database

BARRA Online Database
database.birminghamairraids.co.uk

and another raid on 9th April 1941 showing damage to a terrace in Bell Barn Road.
View attachment 158031
From

Resource Details - Birmingham Images

Images, documents and views from the past for the area where you live, work or visit.
www.search.birminghamimages.org.uk
Click to expand...
Thank you so much for your reply and all the detail that you've given me, that's super and really thoughtful of you. I'll check out the other thread you have mentioned too. As my dad isn't very PC literate, I may put a little scrap book together with this information in that you have directed me towards. Thank you again, I really appreciate it.
 
According to Wikipedia… “The first raid on the city centre occurred on 25/26 August, 25 people were killed in the raid, and the roof and interior of the old Market Hall in the Bull Ring was destroyed after being set ablaze by incendiary bombs. Birmingham Small Arms plant at Small Heath, the sole producer of service rifle barrels and main aircraft machine guns, was first bombed on the same day, resulting in one high explosive bomb and a shower of incendiaries hitting the main barrel mill…..As with most provincial cities bombed during the Blitz, reports of the bombing were kept low key. Wartime censorship meant that Birmingham was not mentioned by name in contemporary news reports about the bombing, being referred to instead as a "Midland Town". This was done in order to keep the Germans from knowing the outcome of their raids.”
Here is the Birmingham Gazette’s first extensive report of “Midland Towns.” From the 28th August 1940.


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