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Bomb damage in unidentified streets

Well I've had a browse but I'm struggling because of lack of landmarks so decided to have a 'then and now' session ...:)

It is interesting looking at how some properties still survive.
Two shops in Bromford Lane took a blast in the bombing. All the roof tiles loosened or blown off, but as the modern photo shows the properties were repaired and they are in use as shops today. I wonder what 'Bingham's' sold in 1940 ? (I've since found out that they were a Barber's Shop)
bromford19402014.jpg

Moving across the city to Swanhurst Lane a house had been completely destroyed but the two houses to the right seemed to be only superficially damaged. Hopefully all residents were in their shelters. New houses have been built on the bombsite although not of the style of other houses in the road. Interesting to see that the site of the bus stop is still the same.
Swanhurst19402014.jpg

The 'then and now' sessions do show that the bomb damage identified on Shoothill as Chartist Road is probably incorrect.
 
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I believe a 'photo of the bus depot was on the Forum but might be one that 'went missing' I also recall another bus depot, just north of the city centre that also was bombed.

I gues someone will reply with info and maybe a pic or two.
 
Just looking at photo 15, the houses look like system built, concrete blocks. There were two estates to my knowledge built like this, Around Dovedale Road Shortheath and The Pype Hayes estate. There may be others of course, but I recall these were the main two areas of system built.
 
I think this must be the bombed bus depot at Highgate

highgate_bus_garage_bombed.jpg
 
It is Mike. There is at least one more which shows the exterior with a bus laid on its side. The northern depots name begins with the letter 'H'
 
Morturn said:
Just looking at photo 15, the houses look like system built, concrete blocks. There were two estates to my knowledge built like this, Around Dovedale Road Shortheath and The Pype Hayes estate. There may be others of course, but I recall these were the main two areas of system built.
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Following Morturn's lead ....

My maternal grandparents lived in Broomhill Rd near Dovedale Rd in houses similar to those shown in the photo. I remember the single large front bedrooms, but I can't recall any bomb damage in that area. Most of the old houses have since been demolished and replaced with modern housing. The demolitions were probably due structural trouble with the system built housing.

So moving to Pype Hayes ....

Typical housing in that area built in the 1920s. Note the large bay windows and the single bedroom windows as in Viv's image 15.
Typical House.JPG

The aerial view below dated 1926 shows Paget Rd (2) and note the terrace block (1). I can just make out the bay windows. It looks as if the housing is newly built and Paget Rd is curved as in Viv's image 15.
Paget Rd 1926 .JPG

This area-view below dated 1945 from Google shows Paget Rd (2) with Tyburn Rd (3) on the right. Where the terrace block (1) was in the 1926 image now appears to be a space - maybe a bombsite! The apparent diagonal stripes across Paget Rd are shadows from the house chimneys and there are no shadows where the terrace block (1) was.
Paget Rd 1945.JPG

Some time in the 1990s I drove through that area and remember seeing houses being demolished possibly because of structural problems. A Google Earth 1999 view shows the sites cleared and later GE views show there are modern houses in situ.

All speculation ... but maybe there are records of bombing which may, or may not confirm the above theories ... :)

Since noticed some mention of Paget Road and bombing in a forum thread here https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/paget-rd-pype-hayes.11690/page-2#post-195208
and a link to the Barra website which mentions someone being injured by bombing in Paget Road.
https://database.birminghamairraids.co.uk/
If the above link does not work use http://barra.historynut.co.uk/
 
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No one has come up with an alternative to image13 being Paget Road, so on to Viv's image 14 which seems to have a 'Handsworth look' to me.
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A large house on a corner, different style to the other houses in the residential street to the left. The street to the right (closed off) with shops or commercial properties. The house could be a doctor's or a rectory. There is a small square sign on it's garden wall and possibly a notice board on the house wall to the left of the bay window, and the lamp post might have a district sign on it.
The house appears to have sustained blast damage, tiles blown off, windows blown in, but the walls are intact so like many houses with such damage it was probably repaired. If it was demolished then it is gone forever and there is little chance of finding the location unless it is spotted in an old street pic ....
 
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Looking at bomb damage photos, these captioned photos are on the forum and I've been looking at modern aerial and street view images of the area. Houses were often repaired but many houses in these views look unrepairable and if replaced would usually have been built in the style of late 1940s/1950s housing. I can't see any examples which stand out in this area and start to wonder about the captions. As is often the case I can't definitely resolve the name on the road sign in the first photo. Can anyone else ?
Image2_Rookery_Road_Bomb_Damage_1942.jpg



Image1_Douglas_Rd_Handsworth_Bomb_Damage_1941.jpg
 
These two views show modern style housing which replaced bomb damaged housing in Rookery Road.
The first pic dated 1942 shows Trinity Methodist Church undamaged near severe bomb damage across the road.
trnityold.JPG

The second pic shows the church in the distance with the modern style housing which replaced the bomb damaged houses.
trinitynew.JPG
shoothill
 
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oldMohawk said:
Looking at bomb damage photos, these captioned photos are on the forum and I've been looking at modern aerial and street view images of the area. Houses were often repaired but many houses in these views look unrepairable and if replaced would usually have been built in the style of late 1940s/1950s housing. I can't see any examples which stand out in this area and start to wonder about the captions. As is often the case I can't definitely resolve the name on the road sign in the first photo. Can anyone else ?
Image2_Rookery_Road_Bomb_Damage_1942.jpg



Image1_Douglas_Rd_Handsworth_Bomb_Damage_1941.jpg
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OM - I assume this is the Rookery Road in Handsworth, not Selly Oak. I've looked at the A to Z for adjoining streets that fit the sign; could well be Uplands Road. Note that the girl in the street appears to have a roller-skate on one foot only.
 
Viewfinder said:
OM - I assume this is the Rookery Road in Handsworth, not Selly Oak. I've looked at the A to Z for adjoining streets that fit the sign; could well be Uplands Road. Note that the girl in the street appears to have a roller-skate on one foot only.
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You're right Viewfinder - spot on, it is Uplands Road. :)
A pic from Google shows the modern housing in between the old housing.
https://goo.gl/maps/5DzBAuhVr232

I remember sharing a roller skate !
 
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After another look at a 1945 aerial view it looks as if the bombsite is the same as shown in the pic in post#100.
 
I found the Uplands Road picture very interesting as my Aunt lived at No 49 and was able to find it on the googlemap.
 
I have seen pic no 12 before and if I remember rightly it was listed as being on the corner of Bennetts Hill and New Street
 
A sign above a doorway opposite the gas lamp appears to have the words 'John Lee' on it in 1940s wartime Brum ... next to the quite distinctive building which trolley buses ran past !
johnlee.jpg
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Winston Churchill visits Birmingham on September 26th 1941 to greet ARP workers. Not sure where the street is located. He is passing a building marked "Tyre Service". Photo and caption were seen in Chartwell, Kent today. Dave.
 

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i would be grateful if anyone can find a photo of bomb damage in minstead road erdington

lyn
 
Sorry Lyn,

The best I can do is 1969 and though near the site of the bombing which I'm assuming it was near the junction of Gravelly Hill Road it's is a little too far up the hill.
 
ok thanks phil..yes near the gravelly hill end..number 19..2 of my rellies were killed..new houses built on the bomb site which took up 3 houses i think...

wonder where that pic of churchill was taken...looking for any clues

lyn
 
I wonder if this information may help the find location of Churchill's visit in the picture in post 115, it refers to Mr. Churchill's visit to Birmingham on Friday 26th September 1941 on this link: https://brianwilliams.org.uk/diary/1941.html

I'm sure Churchill visited Birmingham on other occasions during the war however I thought this link may be useful.

I don't know if the link to Brain David Williams web page has been mentioned before on the forum however it makes interesting reading. Here's the link to his home page https://brianwilliams.org.uk/
 
Definitely Clementine Churchill on the far left in #115. According to the link in #117 Winston went that day to a factory that makes tanks and also to the Spitfire Works at Castle Bromwich. Still don't know the location of #115. Dave.
 
I keep looking at pic below (as I have already done so with comments in posts 9,13,26,41,76,70, 110 ... :D) and for some reason feel that the building on the left looks like a bar although it might not be. The main building looks city centre type or near city centre and trolleybuses ran past it. The name on the sign over the door (second pic) says 'John Lee' .... does this awaken any memories with anyone?
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