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Priory Road Uxb May 2017

Could see no mention of no 55 in Kellys, though did not look at every year. so think probably only no 57 was shop
 
i still find it amazing that a 500 lb bomb can land in between 2 houses and nothing was done about it until now..fascinating..:eek:
 
Watching the news last night I saw there was something about them knowing a bomb fell but that they searched and couldn't find it, it apparently having been buried deep in the ground and covered by falling debris.
 
Looking at the position of the 'sand igloo' in post#282 it looks as if the bomb had hit a house possibly as marked by the red circle on this GE view which shows the houses still there in 1999.
1_prioryrd1999.jpg
 
Understand that you all had a blast yesterday and the day went with a bang or kerooomph, so for some of you the earth moved and Lady P had two days off. And today in Devon it is grey, cold,wet, miserable, but we don't call it rain just liquid sunshine and no we did not hear the bang, but have assumed that like Krakatoa this weather is the aftermath of your little bit of excitement. Seriously what a fascinating discussion this has become, but a 500lb bomb lost for 70plus years, are there any ordinance technos in the forum who can give the formula for the depth a falling missile might go allowing that Birmingham could not have an underground system because of the earth type (if I can use that word) and the bomb presumably fell in soft earth. One final though if a raid was on and everyone was sheltering is it possible that although there was a crater, it was assumed that the bomb had exploded? Answers on a postcard please.

Bob Davis
 
A 1951 view of the fronts of the houses. If they had been bombed they appear well repaired in original style and materials, but there was a 500lb bomb underneath them.
Priory1951.JPG
 
Reading all the posts about shelters, plus seeing and hearing bombs falling myself during those dark days in WW2, Its is a reality of just how close many of us were, to not living to tell our tales. One second difference, in a Germans finger on the lever, or even a gust of wind and some of us would not be here today. All like a dream almost like a game in those days, but now we see just how real it was. Huh Dave??
 

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i agree froth and you can even see the double gates next to a shop front...i think that the bomb could have missed the house and ended up in the back yard/garden but no matter what everyone who lived in that line of houses was very very lucky..
 
I have been looking at possible targets in the area of Priory Road. As seen from the air, within a short distance of Priory Road there were two canals, which were getting a lease of life in WW2 and needed breeching as far as the enemy were concerned. There were two railway junctions, north and south close by, which were a significant target and the waterworks if bombed could cause serious disruption to factory production, water mains (for firefighting) and even flooding.
As there were very many small manufacturing establishments it was immaterial, I believe, which were hit just as long as some damage was done on a sporadic basis.
 
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thanks for the updat phil...hardly suprising those buildings caught some bomb blast...
 
December 2001 houses still there.
October 2003 all gone but just look at where the digger is working.. WOW!:eek:
 

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We didn't see a mention of 'our' bomb in the national news (although we may have missed it) despite the fact that it was one of the biggest, if not the biggest, bomb to be found on mainland UK. It would've made the headlines if it had been discovered in London wouldn't it? Anyway, our bombs bigger than theirs!
 
I went to that school between 1964 and 1968 while attending Upper Thomas Street senior boys....I also took some photographs of the houses before they were knocked down in or around 2001......, number 39 and the houses at the back.....P1010117.JPG P1010121.JPG
 
A report below ... 116 High Explosive bombs dropped and 34 noted as unexploded !
A person was injured at 67, Priory Rd Aston during a raid on 18th October 1940.
Police Records Raid 19 - 18th October 1940 Air Raid Warning Red was given at 7.47 p.m. on Friday 18th October and the ‘All Clear’ was sounded at 11.29 p.m. Approximately 116 High Explosive bombs were dropped, about 34 of which were reported to be unexploded. About 107 incidents reported due to Incendiary bombs and about 78 fires reported to have started. The first report of a bomb dropping was at 8.05 p.m. The districts most affected were Sparkbrook, Sparkhill, Balsall Heath, Duddeston and Aston. Total casualties - 10 fatal and 18 non-fatal.
 
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thanks phil...so an injury at no 67 which is about 5 houses away from where we reckon the UXB was found...very interesting...

thanks for those photos john...

lyn
 
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