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WWII Barrage Balloon Sites

Hi Phil/Di
I'm very late as usual, as a lad growing up around Witton I recall us referring to the grassy area on the hill between Deykin Avenue and Brookvale Park as 'The Barrage Balloon field' we used to catch field mice and release then in what must have been the Concrete Balloon Mooring points, bowl shaped structures sunken and set in the ground. Years later the whole area was split by the M6 but the gully to George Rd remains with a tunnell under the Motorway - such is progress.
 
Dennis,do you have a map for Air raids on Bordsley Green,Pretoria Road to be specific as my mum was bombed out of there,thanks Angela.
 
Angela it appears from the BARRA/ Swanshurt School site that Pretoria Road was hit badly on 3/12/1940, with a number of casualities on that date, what number did mom live at.

Colin
 
Angela it appears from the BARRA/ Swanshurt School site that Pretoria Road was hit badly on 3/12/1940, with a number of casualities on that date, what number did mom live at.

Colin
Mom lived at 147 Pretoria road which isnt mentioned on the Barra website.I have been to 147 and its the last one of a run of 11 terraced houses (mid terrace) i.e.127 to 147 that are completely different so i guess the whole 11 had to be demolished. There are other houses in the road also different in ones and twos. I think the bombers were aiming at the factory in Fordrough Lane the next road. I notice alot of houses in St Saviors road were also hit probably because of the gas works .It makes me wonder if the bombers thought its easier to kill all the workers instead.Angela
 
My Father was in 911 squadron and kept all his documents from the time 1939 to 1942. His Company address was 'Headquarters Nos. 911 & 912 (Co. of Warwick) Balloon Squadrons, Royal Air Force, 885, Tyburn Road, Erdington, Birmingham 24.
As I mentioned he kept all his documents plus many photo's of the time and if anyone is interested I would be happy to pop them on here.
 
zzfool,
My Father was in 911 squadron and kept all his documents from the time 1939 to 1942. His Company address was 'Headquarters Nos. 911 & 912 (Co. of Warwick) Balloon Squadrons, Royal Air Force, 885, Tyburn Road, Erdington, Birmingham 24.
As I mentioned he kept all his documents plus many photo's of the time and if anyone is interested I would be happy to pop them on here.
Post them Please i am sure they will be of great interest. Len.
 
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Not sure if this will work.. if it is too large I might put them up as a link..

image.jpeg
 
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Sorry if they are too large.. However, 911 squadron No. 17 crew based in West Bromwich. Most if not all the crew were from Fort Dunlop in Erdington.
 
That's all for now.. I have other doc's but unless anyone has a specific request for certain papers I think that gives a general impression of events at the time.image.jpeg
 
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Re: WWII Barrage baloon sites

Fascinating pics and other information. Thanks for them.

Do you have a rough estimate of the year for each of them?

Chris

PS Obviously not the Calling Out notice!
 
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Almost certainly 1939 - 1940. Father was sent a Dunlop inernal Memo 29th Feb 1940 saying that it would not be neccesary for him to return to his regiment unless he received further papers recalling him..
 
Re: WWII Barrage baloon sites

zzfool, I am pleased you have posted these super photos, Thank you. Len.
 
Thank you for that. However, It is my older Brother Alex that has been working away in the background getting old negatives developed and printed.. not an easy or cheap task these days.
 
zzfool, You and your brother Alex have started a very interesting thread and i am sure all forum members will agree and those who hav`nt seen it yet will agree when they look at the thread. Len.
 
... Colin B Ref Post # 67. Yes, had come across the article. It must have been quite a base in its heyday. All the former WAAFs I've been in touch who were based there, have said what a happy camp it was. The King & Queen visited the site in 1940. Today there is no trace of it.


Oh dear, I know I have arrived on this threat a few years late, but I am interested in RAF Wythall, as my grandfather was one of the original officers there.

If Wythall is the place Phil Bonner is referring to on page 5 of this thread, I believe there is certainly some trace of it.
The Birmingham & Midland Motor Omnibus Trust operates The Transport Museum at Wythall: www.wythall.org.uk and I understand it occupies part of the site of the erstwhile RAF camp.

AngelaB

 
I thought I would share these snaps (taken with as Box Brownie I think)

image.jpeg image.jpeg image.jpeg image.jpeg image.jpeg image.jpeg image.jpeg image.jpeg
 
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And these two snaps show a typical 'jape'

Those Old Dunlopians amongst you may recognise a certain Walter Simes first asleep inside the tent and then with the tent 'removed'

image.jpeg image.jpeg
 
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