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Bombing Brum

Sorry Nick,

It was the Grange, not the Grafton. I seem to have got the names confused. 70 odd years ago, and a failing brain are to blame!

Eddie
 
BirminghamLynda said:
Has anybody got any info on the night bombings of November 19th 1940 in the Stirchley/Selly Oak area, particularly St Stephens Road? I have hit a brick wall on research. Thanks
Click to expand...
Thanks Carolina. For the picture of Katie Rd, Selly Oak bomb damage.
I'm interested in this post, had a greater aunt who lived in Katie Rd, Selly Oak at the time. I was told by a now deceased lady who lived on Lottie Rd that the bombed houses were bulldozed and the doctors surgery/walk in clinic are on the same piece of land. Does anyone know if that's correct.
I was sent a photo, (but the sender didn't cite the source I'm afraid) of the origins of Katie Rd estate, originally a farmhouse, converted by John Rodway, Auctioneer in 1825 into a gentlemans residence. The land of Selly Oak House was then redeveloped in 1875 by John Abraham, who developed, Katie, Winnie, Lottie and Gleave Roads, named after the children of Henry Elliott, of Elliott Metal Company, Selly Oak. (Possibly giving his name to Elliott Rd, running off the others to the Post Office sorting depot and rear of Selly Oak Hospital, the which was originally workhouse.
The country estate was demolished soon after with no trace of the original building or impressive carriage drive, fish ponds, pools, lawns, orchards and gardens.
This area is located around the corner from the original Selly Oak tree in Oaktree Lane. B29
 

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Two images of damage from bombing on 22/11/1940 in Katie Road, Selly Oak.
KatieRd_iOS2.jpg
KatieRd_iOS1.jpg
The link below leads to the barra website which lists some deaths and injuries in those raids. Search for location of injuries (katie).

BARRA - Online Database

BARRA Online Database
barra.historynut.co.uk
shoothill
 
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Best, Barbara 22/11/1940 12 Grove Avenue, Katie Road
Best, Joseph 22/11/1940 12 Grove Avenue, Katie Road
Best, Phyllis Margaret 28 22/11/1940 12 Grove Avenue, Katie Road 23/11/1940 died at 12 Grove Avenue, Katie Road
Best, Robert 22/11/1940 12 Grove Avenue, Katie Road
Dunn, Martha 22/11/1940 11 Grove Avenue, Katie Road, Selly Oak
Painter, Ellen 59 23/11/1940 21 Grove Avenue, Katie Road , Selly Oak 23/11/1940 died at 21 Grove Avenue, Katie Road, Selly Oak
Painter, Florence 22/11/1940 22 Grove Crescent, Katie Road, Selly Oak
Painter, Gertrude 22/11/1940 22 Grove Crescent, Katie Road, Selly Oak
Stringer, Dorothy 22/11/1940 12 Grove Avenue, Katie Road these are the people who were injured or killed at this location ..may they rest in peace
 
There were 77 air raids on the city and 2,241 citezens of birmingham died between 8 august 1940 and 23 April1943
Around 2,ooo tons of bombs were dropped on,making it the third most heavily bombed city in the United Kingdom
Members of the Birmingham Air Raids Rememberance Association
Helped raise funds for a sculpture known as the Tree of Life.
It was errected in the Bull ring in memory of the 2, 241 civilians victims of the raids in the second world war,
Over 3,000 people attended the ceremony in October 2OO5
Best wishes Astonian;;;;
 
On 25 October 1940 in a packed Carlton Cinema, Taunton Road, an air raid warning flashed on the screen but as people were thinking about heading for shelter a bomb crashed through the roof to explode just in front of the screen sadly killing 19 and injuring 20 more. They are named and remembered on the Barra website http://barra.historynut.co.uk/

Photos of the damage in the cinema.
1_Carlton-Cinema.jpg 2_Carlton-Cinema (1).jpg
In 2007, a memorial to the 19 victims was unveiled – a grass area with a curved path representing the auditorium, a straight brick path for the screen and 19 slabs of slate in memory of each individual who lost their life on that tragic night.
3_CarltonCinemaMemorial_iOS.jpg

There is a brief mention in another thread about the incident giving the name of the film which they were watching.
https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/bombing-brum.21044/page-5#post-505156
 
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I was reading Brum Undaunted by Carl Chinn and I came to a little section on the Carlton Cinema Taunton Rd. I read through it as I have often heard that people died there in the Air Raid on 26th October 1940,

The once section related to Carl Chin on his radio programme by a young sister some 55 years after the event brought a tear to my eye and I thought I had to share it. I have repeated it exactly as it is printed. To me it brings home the real cost and effect of war. Will we ever learn?

He says to me this Friday night, he says “Mag will you take them beer bottles over to the Antelope? So I says “what for?” he says “I want to go to the pictures”, So I took them over to the Antelope, the beer bottles, and got the money back and he says “when you get the money buy me five woodbines”. Anyway I bought him the five woodbines in Dunne’s next door to the Antelope, came over and they were looking in the papers which pictures to go to and of course me brother Ted says “Oh I’ve seen that one on the Carlton” he says “Typhoon” he says “I don’t want to sit through a picture again”. So anyway they looked all at the Olympia and the Warwick and all the other. “Ah there’s nothing any good” So this Richard Hannon and Nipper Bourke as they called him then….. Jimmy Bourke, they says “Ah come on go down the Carlton, it doesn’t matter whether you’ve seen it again or not”. So anyway they went and that was the night that the Carlton got hit.. And me Daddy was in the Home Guard then they came up for him to go down and help take the bodies out. While me daddy was down at the Carlton a copper came to the door and he says “Mrs Byrne?” So she says….. “Yeh” He says “Would you go down to Selly Oak Hospital as Edward has been brought in there”…. So when me daddy came back with me brother in law Johnny Devine he, me mammy says “you better go to Selly Oak Ted. Ted’s in there.” So he went in to Selly Oak . The nurse brought him to the ward and he went in and he just, he seen Ted there and he says “Y’alright Ted?” He opened his eyes and he said “yes dad” and then he died. He was only 15.
 
yes so very very sad...so many young lives lost...edward was the only one to die in hospital all the others died at the cinema..
Exact Matches

Name Aged Injured on Injured at Died On Died At
Byrne, Edward 15 25/10/1940 Carlton Picture House, Taunton Road, Sparkbrook 26/10/1940 Selly Oak Hospital

xact Matches

No Entires Found
Similar Matches

Name Aged Injured on Injured at Died On Died At
Bayley, Vidah Blanche 31 25/10/1940 Carlton Picture House, Taunton Road, Sparkbrook 25/10/1940 Carlton Picture House, Taunton Road, Sparkbrook
Bayley, Willam Henry Smyth 32 25/10/1940 Carlton Picture House, Taunton Road,Sparkbrook 25/10/1940 Carlton Picture House, Taunton Road,Sparkbrook
Clifford, Leah Elizabeth 18 25/10/1940 Carlton Picture House, Taunton Road,Sparkbrook 25/10/1940 Carlton Picture House, Taunton Road,Sparkbrook
Coates, Phillip Francis 16 25/10/1940 Carlton Picture House, Taunton Road, Sparkbrook 25/10/1940 Carlton Picture House, Taunton Road, Sparkbrook
Davies, Stanley Charles 18 25/10/1940 Carlton Picture House, Taunton Road, Sparkbrook 25/10/1940 Carlton Picture House, Taunton Road, Sparkbrook
Gauder, Ernest William 16 25/10/1940 Carlton Picture House, Taunton Road, Sparkbrook 25/10/1940 Carlton Picture House, Taunton Road, Sparkbrook
Hannon, Richard 25 25/10/1940 Carlton Picture House, Taunton Road, Sparkbrook 25/10/1940 Carlton Picture House, Taunton Road, Sparkbrook
Heath, Joan Molly 20 25/10/1940 Carlton Picture House, Taunton Road,Sparkbrook 25/10/1940 Carlton Picture House, Taunton Road,Sparkbrook
McGuirk, Henry Edward 19 25/10/1940 Carlton Picture House, Taunton Road,Sparkbrook 25/10/1940 Carlton Picture House, Taunton Road,Sparkbrook
Milner, Douglas Donald 17 25/10/1940 Carlton Picture House, Taunton Road, Sparkbrook 25/10/1940 Carlton Picture House, Taunton Road, Sparkbrook
Murcott, Joyce 16 25/10/1940 Carlton Picture House, Taunton Road,Sparkbrook 25/10/1940 Carlton Picture House, Taunton Road,Sparkbrook
Parfitt, Douglas John 17 25/10/1940 Carlton Picture House, Taunton Road, Sparkbrook 25/10/1940 Carlton Picture House, Taunton Road, Sparkbrook
Pollock, Elizabeth 17 25/10/1940 Carlton Picture House, Taunton Road,Sparkbrook 25/10/1940 Carlton Picture House, Taunton Road,Sparkbrook
Rogers, Mary Ann 53 25/10/1940 Carlton Picture House, Taunton Road, Sparkbrook 25/10/1940 Carlton Picture House, Taunton Road, Sparkbrook
Shuttleworth, Eric 17 25/10/1940 Carlton Picture House, Taunton Road, Sparkbrook 25/10/1940 Carlton Picture House, Taunton Road, Sparkbrook
Smith, Evelyn Gladys 42 25/10/1940 Carlton Picture House, Taunton Road, Sparkbrook 25/10/1940 Carlton Picture House, Taunton Road, Sparkbrook
Wake, Walter Harry 56 25/10/1940 Carlton Picture House, Taunton Road,Sparkbrook 25/10/1940 Carlton Picture House, Taunton Road,Sparkbrook
From Our Archive
We Remember....
 
Has anybody any information or pictures of the bomb damaged in Heather Road Small Heath when 3 or 4 people where killed. I was with my mother in the Anderson two or three houses up(222) from where an aerial mine demolished the houses and killed the occupants. We were trapped in the shelter by debrie and our house lost part of its roof it could have been on the night the BSA was hit. Any information would be appreciated
 
hi aggie you were very lucky then as there were deaths at 3 properties in heather road on different dates...here is info

lyn

NameAgedInjured onInjured atDied OnDied AtLane, Wiliam Henry46 10/04/1941 306 Heather Road, Small Heath 10/04/1941 306 Heather Road, Small Heath Norton, Edith60 19/11/1940 212 Heather Road, Small Heath 19/11/1940 212 Heather Road, Small Heath Walker, Douglas Henry65 19/11/1940 210 Heather Road, Small Heath 19/11/1940 210 Heather Road, Small Heath Walker, Isaac Rufus52 19/11/1940 210 Heather Road, Small Heath 19/11/1940 210 Heather Road, Small Heath Walker, Margaret Audrey43 19/11/1940 210 Heather Road, Small Heath 19/11/1940 210 Heather Road, Small Heath
 
Serious damage on the corner of Elm Tree Road and Charlotte Road from an air raid on 10 April 1941. Three people were killed at 27 Elm Tree Road and they are remembered on the Barra website http://barra.historynut.co.uk/ search for location Elm Tree there.
index.php

image from https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/for...ur-old-street-pics.41947/page-111#post-595977
(only visible if logged in)
 
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A peaceful view of Yardley in 1936 and 4 pairs of houses (marked) in Lily Road will be destroyed 4 years later in an air raid on the 14 Nov 1940.
LilyRd1936c.jpg
At 10.15pm on 14th Nov 1940, high explosive bombs dropped on Lily Rd and the view below shows the scene next day. 14 people were killed by the bombs. They are remembered on the Barra website
https://database.birminghamairraids.co.uk/
Lily Road_1940.jpg
The houses have since been rebuilt but are slightly different to the originals and other houses in the road. (images from shoothill and britainfromabove)
 
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you can almost hear the lady holding the baby saying...god that could have been our house...must have been awful
 
I was there remember it well, Live on Moat lane not far away. Could have been our house Is that the Tivoli?
 
It was the Tivoli on the corner of Lily Road now replaced by another building. Today's view below of Lily Rd and the four pairs of slightly different style houses which were rebuilt on the bomb site.
lilyCapture.JPG
 
Just came across this thread and as i have mentioned before on the site about an uncle Thomas Edgar Harrison his body was found at 35 Claverdon street nechells he is recorded on the Barras website and war graves website for civilian dead as being found in Clarendon street but his death certificate states Claverdon street , whilst talking to an elderly relative recently he remembers that Thomas and Adelaide his wife heard the sirens Adelaide and the children went to the air raid shelter but Thomas who worked at the Dunlop had just finished work and said that he felt tired and said he was staying in the house and went to bed i don't know if the house recieved a direct hit but he was buried in the rubble and found on the 10th April 1941 Adelaide never knew of his death until they returned from the shelter , she hated the sound of the sirens that used to sound for various reasons after the war for the rest of her life.
His name is on the memorial in The Bullring, he pinpointed the road as Claverdon street which was off Francis street the street disappered in the redevelopement of the area in the 50/60s it was after Loxton street .
Philbee
 

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BirminghamLynda said:
Best, Barbara 22/11/1940 12 Grove Avenue, Katie Road
Best, Joseph 22/11/1940 12 Grove Avenue, Katie Road
Best, Phyllis Margaret 28 22/11/1940 12 Grove Avenue, Katie Road 23/11/1940 died at 12 Grove Avenue, Katie Road
Best, Robert 22/11/1940 12 Grove Avenue, Katie Road
Dunn, Martha 22/11/1940 11 Grove Avenue, Katie Road, Selly Oak
Painter, Ellen 59 23/11/1940 21 Grove Avenue, Katie Road , Selly Oak 23/11/1940 died at 21 Grove Avenue, Katie Road, Selly Oak
Painter, Florence 22/11/1940 22 Grove Crescent, Katie Road, Selly Oak
Painter, Gertrude 22/11/1940 22 Grove Crescent, Katie Road, Selly Oak
Stringer, Dorothy 22/11/1940 12 Grove Avenue, Katie Road these are the people who were injured or killed at this location ..may they rest in peace
Click to expand...
How very sad for the families concerned. From the end of 1939 to the beginning of 1944 I lived with my parents in Lottie Road. I can't recall the number of the house but it was not far from Elliot Road. I remember lots of noise and the terrible drone of the bombers overhead. As a child aged 2 the events of Katie Road passed me by, but my Mother was sufficiently concerned at one stage to take me to her parents house in South Gloucestershire. Unfortunately, while we there Adolf decided to bomb Bristol Aeroplane Company, but, unfortunately, some of the bombs landed in my Grandparent's village. After this my Mother decided we should return to Sellie Oak on the basis that it was better to be killed in your own bed rather than somebody else's.
 
oldMohawk said:
On 25 October 1940 in a packed Carlton Cinema, Taunton Road, an air raid warning flashed on the screen but as people were thinking about heading for shelter a bomb crashed through the roof to explode just in front of the screen sadly killing 19 and injuring 20 more. They are named and remembered on the Barra website https://database.birminghamairraids.co.uk/

Photos of the damage in the cinema.
View attachment 111734 View attachment 111735
In 2007, a memorial to the 19 victims was unveiled – a grass area with a curved path representing the auditorium, a straight brick path for the screen and 19 slabs of slate in memory of each individual who lost their life on that tragic night.
View attachment 111736

There is a brief mention in another thread
oldMohawk said:
On 25 October 1940 in a packed Carlton Cinema, Taunton Road, an air raid warning flashed on the screen but as people were thinking about heading for shelter a bomb crashed through the roof to explode just in front of the screen sadly killing 19 and injuring 20 more. They are named and remembered on the Barra website https://database.birminghamairraids.co.uk/

Photos of the damage in the cinema.
View attachment 111734 View attachment 111735
In 2007, a memorial to the 19 victims was unveiled – a grass area with a curved path representing the auditorium, a straight brick path for the screen and 19 slabs of slate in memory of each individual who lost their life on that tragic night.
View attachment 111736

There is a brief mention in another thread about the incident giving the name of the film which they were watching.
https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/bombing-brum.21044/page-5#post-505156
Click to expand...

about the incident giving the name of the film which they were watching.
https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/bombing-brum.21044/page-5#post-505156
Click to expand...

My Father in Law was injured in the Carlton cinema bombing
He lost part of his jaw and was in hospital for some years.
We did not realise the bombing was in 1940 we both thought it was around 1942
What really kind of got to me is the 25th of October is my birthday

I can never recall my father in law talking about not sure if he even told his children about it.
 
Birmingham Gazette 13 December 1940 reports…BIRMINGHAM HAD BIGGEST BARRAGE.

BECAUSE THEY HAD BEEN BOMBED OUT, A BIRMINGHAM FAMILY NAMED TUDOR, MOVED ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT, FATHER, MOTHER AND BOTH CHILDREN WERE KILLED WHEN A PUBLIC SHELTER IN WHICH THEY WERE SPENDING THE NIGHT WITH THEIR NEW NEIGHBOURS WAS HIT BY А BOMB. Two other people were killed at the same time.

IMG_7315.jpeg
 
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