"If you didn't laugh you would cry.

[Old Boy]

Hi All

The blitz was no joke but sometimes you could smile. I lived in Carlton Road, Small Heath and next door but one lived my uncle and aunt. There were quite a few times when enemy aircraft arrived before the air raid siren sounded.

One evening my mother was in my aunts house whilst uncle and my dad were enjoying a pint in The Vine pub. I heard the unmistakable sound of an enemy aircraft and went to tell my mother. I simply went through the yard next door, across the entry through my aunts yard gate. However, as I opened the gate to aunts' yard I heard the whistle of a bomb dropping and immediately threw myself to the ground. At the same time my uncle, who was returning from the pub, fell over me. He thought the bomb had got him. We both had a little laugh when we found out we were OK. Sadly the bomb hit a house in the next road, Whitehall Road, and people were killed.

As a matter of fact if you could hear a bomb dropping it was not going to hit you but would probably land fairly close.

Old Boy

 

[sistersue61]

Old Boy, I can just picture the panic when your uncle thought the bomb had hit him, but it must have been frightening at times. I think the attitude of the people in general was much more of the lets get on with it nature and make the best of what we have, but have to confess I'm not sure how we would react today, when a lot of people are selfish and the plea would be why me. I'd like to think that everyone would pull together, but am not convinced.
Sue

 

[Stephen0002002]

I dunno Sue. If you look at the Olympics you can see the coming to together for a good cause.
I think we wouild be surprised once the camaraderie started to set in.
I'd like to think so anyway.

 

[cookie273uk]

Yes, I think the majority would react as we did in WW2, all pulling together, frightened (but not admitting it) and helping each other, particularly during and after air raids, its amazing how a war draws people together. All in the same boat I suppose. Eric

 

[paul stacey]

My Uncle 'Ern', had a saying, "I havn't seen panic in a mans face like that , since I saw 3 men trying to get into one life jacket at Dunkirk", He was at Dunkirk and had 3 ships bombed out under him.
paul

 

[jennyann]

Over the years that I have been a member of the BHF I along with many other members have learned more and more about
what happened in Birmingham during the years of WW2 and learned a lot along the way. There is so much more information available these days
and a few books and photos in them telling of these awful years. However, I discovered recently the writings of a young boy who kept a diary throughout those years along
with many notes under his diary entries from the Birmingham Gazette regarding the bombings where they actually were and the sad statistics. Brian's family were bombed out themselves. These writings touched me deeply and I hope you will take time to read the writings by Brian Williams from the 1939-45 era. Brian is a prolific writer and has written about his life extensively.https://brianwilliams.org.uk/diary/1939.html

My eldest brother, Peter, was born in January 1940 and my Mother spent most of her nights under the stairs with Peter. I was born in 1941 so we were together with Mom under the stairs many many nights. Our house was in the flight path for the German bombers on their way to the GEC,ICI and other factories in the North Brum suburbs. My Mother told me it was so frightening and seemingly endless. My father was away much of the time at Selly Oak and Bournville Power Stations keeping the electrical power running for the munitions factories in Brum. Unlike so many other families we were not bombed and were always extremely grateful for that.

 

[brummie nick]

I've read the Brian Williams diary often, as you say It's a great source of information about the war times.
also good if your a Birmingham City supporter. he gives all the players names that appeared on the programs of the games he attended.