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Gun Sites

brummie nick, I posted that photo of a 3.7in calbre Anti- Aircraft Gun on an ex-services site, that photo was taken pre WW2 at Stockfield Rd Brks now demolished and the site has the Gala Bingo Hall on it, the Gunners on Oaklands Rec were nearly all Londoners because we kids would go and talk to them and run errands for them, the Terrier Gunners are wearing best uniform, my uniform on a Gun was denim boiler suit, no gaiters, no webbing belt and did you know, no studs in my boots so you did`nt slip on the metal base of the Gun, they would be wearing steel helmets while firing, you may have noticed that i always give Gun an uppercase "G" that is because the Guns are the Royal Artillery`s Colours so you rally around them and protect in battle, if you called your rifle a Gun the N/C/O`S would give you a ripe lot of swear words!.
 
Hi Geoff/
I am sure we must know each other,I spent the war years in church rd. in the yew tree shops area. remember the large public shelter between the bank and the yew tree shops ? I spent many many nights in this. the land mine outside the shops in Hobmoor rd.
the shops in church rd were Wrights greengrocer. Wimbush baker. Greenwood chemist Wrensons grocers(Mr Austin) Lythalls sweet shop the millinery shop Mr Izon butcher. Smiths the Ironmonger. local friends included John Shaw John Light tony riley Bill greenwood stuart griffiths tony sweetman(HarveyRd.) The field behind the bank was known as "Prescotts field" I was in George Botts evening class great times I am still in touch with Ray Ward who has been a lifelong friend and we were also in Small Heath Photographic Society a great club with a long long history (Just like Yardley through the war years! )
Regards Ken (Wimbush of Yardley)
 
Birmingham and Coventry AA Guns were in 11 AA Division, 34 AA Brigade, the regiment who fired rockets was the 10 Anti Aircraft Z Regiment, all rocket regiments were disbanded in 1945.
 
Two Guns which formed part of Anti Aircraft defence of Birmingham & Coventry, a Bofors Light AA Gun and a 3.7in Calibre Heavy AA Mobile Gun these Guns were used in the Sheldon & district area, the Guns on Oaklands Rec were bolted to concrete & steel base.
 
My mother was stationed at Park Hall Castle Bromwich where they had a big Gun emplacement, she came from Grimsby with her unit of ATS, the Guns were used to protect both the Shadow Factory and Hams Hall, the placement was right opposite Park Hall School. From what she said about it and seeing the Concrete placements left afterwards it was a big site and being on a hill had commanding views for miles around, It was at a Dance at the Victory Hall Castle Bromwich where she met my Dad home on leave before he went off to the Jamaca to train troops for North Africa in 1940. Why is there no mention of the great work done by the Women during WW1 and WW2 who were the backbone of the home front and actually fighting there to ensure the safety of the Home Front.
 
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Regarding whether one of the Guns on Oaklands Rec was hit by a bomb, my Brother has told me it was`nt one of the Guns that was hit by a bomb but one of the Gunners huts they lived by the entrance to the Rec in Church Rd and sadly several died in the hut who were off duty at the time.
 
bobbyb, Interesting that your Mother came to Brum from Grimsby, on N/S with the Royal Artillery 1947-48, i was stationed in the 92 HAA Reg, at RN Barracks, Immingham Dock near Grimsby, our 5.25in calibre Guns were at Stalinborough, did your Mother ever speak of this?.
 
Hi Len/
Thanks for info and photographs,can your brother recall how many Guns were on the site? I allways went upstairs on the 15 bus from the Yew Tree to town so I could get a view of the guns. also the whole site of the Oaklands was not the Gun site about half the site towards the Coventry Rd was down to allotments I remember it being ploughed up and pegged out,you could only get in from the Coventry rd side.
there were also Two allotments on the left hand side of the drive up to the guardroom,he used to have great rhubarb.
Regards wimbush Ken.
 
Morning wimbush, As an RA ex-gunfitter i can say there would be be four 3.7in calibre Anti-Aircraft static Guns plus Predictors which told the Gunners the hight & Position of the target, these would constitute a Battery, usualy there would be 2 or 3 Batterys in a regiment, the regiment i was in near Grimsby had 3, we don`t seem to have the regiment No that the Battery on Oaklands belonged to. Len.
 
Hi wimbush, Next to the entrance to the Rec was a Methodist? Church/Chapel and the caretaker used the garden to grow veggies etc, the Church has been demolished then there was the Cul-de-Sac with the Post & Mail Sportsground at the end if you carried on walking towards the Swan Island and turned right into the Coventry Rd past Robinsons Chemists/Post Office, past Tonks Bakery shop on past Hemmings the Builders past Vic Kents Shop, next road is Henry Rd at the bottom is the District Schools playing fields, next road is Howard Rd then the Coventry Rd entrance to Oaklands Rec, the Gunsite was fenced off from the Rec. Len.
 
Used to be AA site at Perry Hall playing fields off Perry avenue near where i lived. Most of the houses in the grove had cracked ceilings thanks to the guns. Still probably kept the bombs away.
 
Evening Len/
Thanks for all the info. you must of spent all the war years growing up in Yardley just like me.thanks for jogging the memory about Tonks the bakers great bread there,two more shops in that block were a wool shop and the leather shop was he called Davies? The post and Mail ground was that were the barrage ballon was stationed,next door but one to the Tivolli was a seed and corn merchant.I remember the bombing of about five houses in Lilly road. Len can you recall just after the war a shop opposite the tivolli selling furniture,I used to go down to the County ground with the son from this shop I recall hes name as Morton Sterry.
Regards Wimbush Ken.
 
wimbush, I do remember the furniture shop it was next to Fellows Electrical, he did electric wiring and sold fires, wireless sets (Now called radios) irons, light bulbs etc, on the corner of Gladstone Rd was Wathes, Cattell & Gurdens who sold milk & other dairy products they closed at the start of the war and the shop was used by the Home Guard as their HQ, i don`t think it re-opened after the war. Yes, wimbush i lived in Yardley from birth until 1953.
 
Re my post, page 35, i have been told the Guns on Oaklands Rec were a Battery belonging to 134 Regiment RA, who were given a barrel of beer by Yardley resident after they shot down an enemy bomber?, has to be a question mark, no hard evidence, any memories?. Len.
 
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