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Birmingham Tramways - staff and uniforms

W

Whaley Ash

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Hi all

I run a website dedicated to BritishTramway Company Uniform Badges and Buttons (https://www.birches.plus.com), and am trying to update my Birmingham Corporation Tramways entry. Ideally, this would not only show the badges/licences that I am currently aware of, but would include, if possible, some photographs of BCT staff in their uniforms.

If anybody has any photos of BCT staff (Motormen, Conductors, Inspectors etc) that they be willing to let me see and use on the website, I'd very much like to hear from them. Moreover, if there's any background info to go with them such as their name etc (often the case for family photos), then this would really add to the context and the overall historical record.

Fingers crossed - hoping to hear from someone out there with photos, as well as anyone with badges/licences etc which I may not have seen.

Ashley Birch (High Peak)
 
Ashley, my grand father was a motorman for Birmingham City Tramways, he is shown as such on his service record when he enlisted for WW1 in 1914. Not sure what happened after the war there is a gap of about 10 years for details of his next employment.
The pictures show him in uniform and also on the tram.
I have another couple of photos somewhere will sort them out.

Colin
 
hi colin
well your grandad looks very smart in his uniform and has his WW1 medal ribons up looks like pip.squeek.and wilfred the whole show, men were very concerned with a smart appearance in those days even cinema door men had service ribbons on show so different to to day.
paul
 
Thanks Paul, I never thought about the medal ribbons for dating the photo, I nearly removed them when I was tidying the image up before posting it. I was never sure he returned to the trams after war service, but it certainly looks as if he did


Colin
 
Hi Colin

Many thanks for the great photo - just the kind of thing I was looking for. It shows the older wreath style badge, and as Paul kindly pointed out, he's wearing his medal ribbon on his jacket, strongly suggesting that the photo is post WW1. Can you let me know your grandad's full name so that I can add it to the photo when I put the updated web page together? Also, if you can give me your full name I can make sure that I acknowledge you too. Of course, more photographs are welcome!


The badges clearly changed to the oval enamel type (with employee number) sometime later, but I have no idea when this was. Confusingly, I have a photo taken in July 1951 wear all the staff have the newer enamel cap badge, and a later photo (taken on 4th July 1953 in Victoria Rd) where the subject is clearly wearing the older badge. Given that the man in the second photo is also wearing 'coat of arms' collar badges, it could be that he was an Inspector and that senior grades retained the old ornate cap badge. If anyone knows who any of these individuals are, please do let me know.

Regards, Ashley
 
Nice picture Lloyd, tons better than the one I currently have on the website. Is it OK to use it? I don't suppose that you have a photo of an 'Inspector' cap badge do you - Although I've never seen one, it seems likely that they existed.
 
Can't remember where the picture came from - could have been e-bay, or one of several history and transport forums I visit. I have enhanced it (some of the blue enamel was missing) and brightened it from the original. Sorry no 'Inspector' badge pic.

I had an Uncle who, at the time I met him many years ago was a trolleybus driver in London (so that's before 1962) and apparently was a motorman in Birmingham before that. I've only recently acquired this picture of him, it came as surprise to see him in the BCT uniform.

View attachment 43692
 
Dear all

I've just finished a major overhaul of my Birmingham Corporation Tramways page, so please feel free to take a look. However, I'm still missing decent photos of the very earliest days (when staff wore kepi-style caps), as well as photos of female staff during the Great War and WWII. If anyone can help me with any of these, please do let me know.

https://www.birches.plus.com/page148/page4/page164/page164.html

Ashley (High Peak)
 
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