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BSA Factory 1940s Onwards

Shelagh i posted this on one of the threads: I worked at BSA Guns factory, Blossomfield Rd, Shirley, it was demolished and the site now is a retail shopping park, the factory was a Shadow Factory built by the government in WW2 to get the company away from the heavy bombing of Armoury Rd, Small Heath. Len.
 
Re: Looking for Photo of BSA Small Arms & Gun Proof House A friends father was Sergeant Joseph (Joe) Topham, a BSA Toolroom Foreman and a Sargeant in the BSA Platoon, Home Guard he was awarded the BEM for his actions in trying to save workers wounded in the bombing, 4 HG`s`s were given medals 1 GM, 3 BEM`s including Joe`s, A.F.Stevens GM, A.W.Goodwin BEM, A.R.E.Harris BEM, A.Slim BEM, Ada Deeming MBE, S.S.Ashburner Commended, E.Hoof Commended, Pte F.Knight HG, Commended, Pte G.Treen HG Commended, E. Withe Commended, building had wooden floors, on the top floors there was heavy machinery which crashed through the floors into the very deep cellar and that is where the dead and wounded were found and superhuman efforts were taken to get them, the building became unsafe and reluctantly it was filled with concrete because of possible threat to the health of other workers. I posted this on another thread. Len.
 
In 1960 while working at BSA Guns, Shirley, i had to go to repair a machine at Armoury Rd,Small Heath, in what was called the Wood Shop where they were machining the butts for the FN Rifle i walked along past high speed woodworking copying machines producing the butt shape, the floor was wooden about 12ins thick but over the years the wood had worn away leaving 2-3in deep holes which i could easily have been tripped by and the thought of what could happen if i fell in to the machines made me ultra cautious and scared, health & safety would not allow it in 2008. My post on the thread on this forum "looking for photos of BSA Small Arms & Gun proofhouse" put it into search, top of page. Len.
 
lencops The building you refer to was known in my days at BSA as the Stockin shop . you are correct when you say it was where the gun butts were made. The building that is left now up Armoury Rd is about where the Sttocking shop was I beleive what you refer to as the Proof House was the indoor rifle range alongside the recreation ground or rather at the back of it. Fillery Toffe back fence ran alongside . One of the gun firms from Steelhouse Lane used it to shootin rifles that were handed in after the war . I got a very nice Savage rifle given to me by one of the chaps that worked in there in exchange for teaching him how to ride one of the Beezas . That was quite a good swap I thought at the time and I later on shot a lot of rabbits with it down in Wales . Oh yes Wilders fireworks
adjoined Filler,s and their back fence also adjoined the BSA grounds Old Brummy
 
Welcome back Capt, that would be good if you could post the Airel Photo to the Forum.
 
As requested here is an ariel pic from google earth. the area marked one is the Parker Hale factory as was (dont know what it is at the moment.
The area marked two are some exposed air raid shelters that i found about 4 years ago. i had been looking for these for about 20 years but could never find them, anyway a few years later they made a motorcylcle track for trail bikes and in doing so exposed them. It is aonly a small section but you can clearly see what they were. Over the next few days i will try to get over there and takea few pics if anyone is interested. Hope the pic comes out. if it doesnt my apologies
 
Old Brummy i remember that wooden hill well, i remember when it snowed we used to slide down it on an old steel tray we found, in the summer we used to try and cycle up it on our pushbikes (i cant remember if anyone ever did it ) lots of fun tho
 
sylviasayers said:
I worked for the BSA in the Export Sales Department from July 1957 just after I got married and
went to live in Small Heath and thought it too far to travel to Norton Motors in Aston!! This was just after the Bernard Docker era and BSA was making the Gold Star a wonderful motorbike. The Japanese were just starting to make inroads into our motorcycle industry then.

I could weep when I think of all the old famous firms which have gone by the wayside as listed by Aston, plus Norton Motors, Sun Cycles, Dunlop (my dad would turn in his grave if he knew what happened to them - he started at Aston Cross when he came out of the army about 1919/1920 moved to Pype Hayes with them, and worked there until he retired in 1966). Also Ansells, M & B, Atkinsons Breweries (my first job) so many. Birmingham was known as the workshop of the world - I dread to think what the future holds.
Click to expand...

You must have been there with me, I wonder if our paths crossed, I worked in the Basement ( packing ) also 64 Shop scotter assy. I have attached a picture of the Rife club of which I was a member. Do you remember the sports results which came over the radio every day at 10 oclock and Lady Dockers ladies marbles team !!. Follow the links for other pictures. Rgds Lou Dalby Ex Test and Inspecition.

https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2016/2335409168_2fa2310d27_o.jpg

[ame="https://www.flickr.com/photos/g1ulz/2344667073/in/set-72157602073893291/"]BSA November 1953 on Flickr - Photo Sharing![/ame]
 
Hi to all I have had another try at the pics from Louis Dalby By clicking on the title line the set of 38 pics was opened up and some really excellent pics too Thank Louis. On the pic of the testers .......the one with the big false moustache was George Hughes He just happened to have his joke mussy in his pocket . The other name missing was Brian. Back row next to Flash Rodgers but I cannot for the life of me recall his surname.........so go to post no.56 and click on the title line folks Chgeers Old Brummie
 
Oh I forgot to mention in the Testers Pic The kid in the white tee shrt was the lad that filled the bikes up and trhe one in the overall coat was a really good friend of mine Norman Dawes . Norman died a few years back Very sad Cheers Old Brummie
 
Capt Black Lets see if Louis can get the picture up of the egine, It may be the pic I am refering to .Otherwise I will have a go at sending the copy I have but Louis will no doubt sort things out .He is much better at this P>C> stuff than I am Oldbtummie
 
Old Brummy said:
Oh I forgot to mention in the Testers Pic The kid in the white tee shrt was the lad that filled the bikes up and trhe one in the overall coat was a really good friend of mine Norman Dawes . Norman died a few years back Very sad Cheers Old Brummie
Click to expand...

Hi Joe, many thanks for the names I will add them to the picture. I don't understand why the engine picture will not open up for you has it is OK for me, I always do a test before I post. I will try a differant way with a covering note. Thanks again for the names. Rgds Lou.

ps. I think lad on the pumps must have taken over when John was called up for service. LGD.
 
hi all.iworked for the bsa in 1964 and was on the beagle track,putting the cyl heads together that is when i was not exploring the basement.and comp shop.what a great place to work for,and the canteen meals for a tanner,great stuff.ba section no 414 i will allways remember that no.
pete
 
sylviasayers said:
I worked for the BSA in the Export Sales Department from July 1957 just after I got married and
went to live in Small Heath and thought it too far to travel to Norton Motors in Aston!! This was just after the Bernard Docker era and BSA was making the Gold Star a wonderful motorbike. The Japanese were just starting to make inroads into our motorcycle industry then.

I could weep when I think of all the old famous firms which have gone by the wayside as listed by Aston, plus Norton Motors, Sun Cycles, Dunlop (my dad would turn in his grave if he knew what happened to them - he started at Aston Cross when he came out of the army about 1919/1920 moved to Pype Hayes with them, and worked there until he retired in 1966). Also Ansells, M & B, Atkinsons Breweries (my first job) so many. Birmingham was known as the workshop of the world - I dread to think what the future holds.
Click to expand...

Hi, I have attached a picture of the main office, I did this on my last post to you but people could not open it so I have sent it in a differant format. I expect you remember it. Rgds Lou Dalby.

https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2187/2344667073_651954e118_o.jpg
 
Louis Dalby Hi Louis The pic comes up O.K. You can see the crane on the skline. if you look carefully BTW ...in the pic of the testers I said the man next to Flash Rodgers was named Brian Sorry I am mixed up a bit ........his nam was alan He had a brother who worked on the assy line nickname Jimpy had an an accident which left him with a slight limp.. His nam was Jim so got called Jimpy I got the pic of the main office opened O.K Oh yes the crane was the one that unloaded the coal for the foundry .It had a big grabber at the end which opened and closed automatically Cheers Oldbrummy
 
Captblack Lois dalby has posted the pic I was talking about . You can see the crane. It show up much better on the scan of the pic.. Off to Melbourne right now to see my brother Hal who worked in the BSA service dept around the 1950 period Cheers Old Brummy
 
Old Brummy said:
Louis Dalby Hi Louis The pic comes up O.K. You can see the crane on the skline. if you look carefully BTW ...in the pic of the testers I said the man next to Flash Rodgers was named Brian Sorry I am mixed up a bit ........his nam was alan He had a brother who worked on the assy line nickname Jimpy had an an accident which left him with a slight limp.. His nam was Jim so got called Jimpy I got the pic of the main office opened O.K Oh yes the crane was the one that unloaded the coal for the foundry .It had a big grabber at the end which opened and closed automatically Cheers Oldbrummy
Click to expand...

Yes I remember the crane, I used the road a longside the railway has my Bantem test route also the bridge over the canal on to the tip. I did my Trainspotting down there at break time oh the 9.00 ex Snow Hill to Padd always a King, Happy Days. Lou.
 
I was the Training Center Armoury Road 1969-70 circa. It cater for Apprentices from all around the Midlands,indeed, the world, as my best mate then hailed from Mexico City [English father.]
Just three weeks ago I gave a lift to two Yanks up here who'd begin at a BSA bike rally on the Isle Man
 
Shelagh said:
.......I noticed going down the small heath bypass that a piece of building was still there All glass windows, was this part of the BSA,the Singer car facory looked very similar,on the cov road where ASDA is now but I can,t remember how far back it was before the Bypass,anyone else remember this
shelagh
Click to expand...

Opps forgot to mentiom that the building you saw was our Training Center.
 
yes the singer factory did look a bit like the bsa,any on have any pics of it in coventry rd.dont know if there is a pic of the bsa,here is another.
 
Just got 4 really good pics from Lou Dalby .One of then shows a little bit of the corner of Armoury Rd where it meets Golden Hillok Rd. Opposite side to factory of course...... There used to be a coffee shop on that corner and poking around this siie and also the other Birminham Forum site ,I have seen a very good picture of theCoffes shop. Does anyone know who put this pic on the site Cheers Old Brummy
 
lencops said:
Shelagh i posted this on one of the threads: I worked at BSA Guns factory, Blossomfield Rd, Shirley, it was demolished and the site now is a retail shopping park, the factory was a Shadow Factory built by the government in WW2 to get the company away from the heavy bombing of Armoury Rd, Small Heath. Len.
Click to expand...

Hi
I was an Apprentice at BSA From 1953 to1959 initially starting at Armory Rd and finishing at BSA Guns Shirley, ending up in the Drawing Office.
Here are a couple of pics taken at BSA Guns
Pic1[1958] shows me hard at work in the D.O.

Pic2 [1958] this was some sort of social evening and shows me at the table with partner Francis Clayton [who I think was the Toolroom Foreman]
The arrow is pointing to my girlfriend at the time and it must have been serious as we have now been married for 48 years.

Pete
 
Hi Pete,
It appears you left the BSA the year my dad died(still Employed)strange quirk.

I have been looking at the BARRA site that Lencops suggested for the injured and killed in the Blitz,I notice that Elliotts LTD lost a lot of their employee's ,what did they make? or was it when they were just targeting Brum

Shelagh
 
Peter Madkins said:
Hi
I was an Apprentice at BSA From 1953 to1959 initially starting at Armory Rd and finishing at BSA Guns Shirley, ending up in the Drawing Office.
Here are a couple of pics taken at BSA Guns
Pic1[1958] shows me hard at work in the D.O.

Pic2 [1958] this was some sort of social evening and shows me at the table with partner Francis Clayton [who I think was the Toolroom Foreman]
The arrow is pointing to my girlfriend at the time and it must have been serious as we have now been married for 48 years.

Pete
Click to expand...
Peter, I started at BSA Guns in 1959 as Machine Maintenance Fitter left in 1961, the Foreman was Wal Ashley, the Works Manager was named Clayton, he had a habit of going round the sections clapping his hands to encourage more production so he was nicknamed "Clapper" Clayton, did you have your haircut in the barbers shop on site which was a legacy from the WW2 years?. more another time if you are interested. Len.
 
Hi Len
Thanks for putting me right about Francis Clayton and no I never went to the site barber.

Pete
 
Hi Pete, I don`t know if the Clayton you were playing table tennis with was "Clapper" Clayton, the Christmas shows put on by the workers were great entertainment, on the Christmas holiday break up day everybody packed in working at midday and went to the canteen to see the show on the stage there top bosses included and as it was licensed the spirits, beer and misletoe flowed for rest of the afternoon until the last person went home, did you know "Joe" Teleky who was a designer & was boss of the experimental toolroom?, if my memory is good the works toolroom foreman was named Minton he always wore a suit and Trilby hat, what year did you leave the "Guns" Pete?. Len.
 
I have 8 pages from The BSA Group News, December 1959, which features my late Gt Uncle Horace Ford. The pages contain quite a few names and photographs.
Would anyone like me to try and post the information and photos on here and am I doing this in the right place ?..Im New to this...!!!
 
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