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Memorial found in a skip

Also interesting is the addition of J.A. Mason's name on the bottom of the memorial in 1945 ... it seems that whatever linked them was still active 25 or so years after the original memorial was set up.
 
i think that makes 3 or 4 different schools now so its swaying away from a school connection...many thanks pedro these snippits build up such a lot of info about these brave men

lyn
 
Lots of valuable information here. So I’ve set up a new thread called Balsall Heath Memorial so that we can capture all this additional information in one place. (The thread title might be temporary depending on the outcome of research to find out more about it). It’s a closed thread intended to record any information about the men named.

Please continue to comment on this thread and I shall extract information to post to the new thread.

Excellent collaboration going on here everyone - something BHF does so well. Thank you all. Viv.
 
The last entry on the list is JA Mason at Herbert House, Moseley....RAF VR and died 20 March 1945.

However this clip from the Birmingham Daily Post for Dec 1917 is for David Evans also RAF and Herbert House!


9169E682-0C11-4B9B-8525-DBD0161D05B7.jpeg
 
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The clips in the above posts are obtained from direct entry of the address, so more may be found by a different search.
 
Some of the newspaper reports show that some servicemen were aged 20 years or younger and maybe others were of similar age. They must have been young teenagers just before WW1 started and maybe they were in a club or church group or something similar. As previously stated any school connection seems to have been ruled out.
 
i agree with you phil...could have been something as simple as a fishing club although again something like that i would have thought would not have been massive...:rolleyes: think i will sit back for a while now as sometimes doing that can get the old grey matter working again:)

lyn
 
Astoness said:
hi pedro herbert house is a bit of a coincidence isnt it

lyn
Click to expand...

Going back to the picture in the first post the plague ends with G. WILLIS but the compiled list shows a gap before JA Mason who is said to have been born in 1922, after the Great War.

The “add-on” at the bottom of the plaque shows 1939-1945 MASON.

Quite a coincidence that the parents of Sergeant DAVID VAUGHAN EVANS RAR (31 years old) had lived at Herbert House in 1917.
 
I was using the names in newspaper searches, but that takes longer than addresses as they may have recorded full names or just initials or a mixture of both. Well done, Pedro, I had to cease as I've been out with friends this evening and much of the next three days is already tied to doing other things. A fishing club is unlikely to have had premises, but it could have been a political club perhaps or some form of social club.

Maurice
 
The Balsall Heath and Moseley Institute used to be a place for debating amongst many other things. Just a thought. Viv.

image.jpeg
 
With the large scale re-development of Balsall Heath I presume many pubs went along with the old houses.
I know the RAOB (Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes) held their Lodge meetings mostly on licensed premises. Just another line of thought.
 
Alan,

Here's a list of their meeting places in 1939 and I see the South Birmingham Lodge met at the Chapel Tavern, former meeting place for musicians in the late 1950s and where I could be found every Saturday lunch time. I believe it was demolished, but it has been mentioned many times on here and there is at least one photograph.

Maurice
Buffs.jpg
 
I've just noticed from an old posting that Phil (Retired Layabout) may be able to help with the meeting place of the Buffs in this area.

Maurice
 
Lyn - don't know if it is situ but I don't think it is ours from this description taken from the Historic England site.
The half-landing of the staircase which leads to the first floor classrooms has a war memorial in the form of a wooden board commemorating those members of the institute who gave their lives in action or died during the course of the First World War. The lugged and shouldered classical surround has an arched panel at the top with a laurel wreath, carved in relief, circling the word 'PAX'. The names of the dead are recorded by year, without service or rank.
I can't see the word "Pax" and our names are alphabetical. Otherwise a good idea.
 
I am trying to find out if Moseley & Balsall Heath Institute (now Moseley School of Dance) had a memorial. No luck so far.
 
Looking for a connection ...
In 1908 the Scout Movement was founded and many boys joined the various scout troops. The 38th Birmingham 1st Clifton Scouts was at the Clifton Rd School as mentioned here in Library of Birmingham
https://www.search.birminghamimages...=11161&PageIndex=1&KeyWord=scouts&SortOrder=2
The pics on the site are dated in the 1950s and one of the 1950s pics states that their headquarters were in a pub!

Does anyone know whether there were Balsall Heath scout troops before WW1.

There is also information about them in the Balsall Heath thread
https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/balsall-heath.2869/post-460683
 
38th troop must be fairly early on. Wonder if they still exist today? Answering my own question - no they are not currently listed.
24th Birmingham claim to have started in 1908 - so scout troop is a possibility. However, if they met in a pub then a school where was the plaque - not sure about a scout hut.
 
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A rough picture of the main cluster of roads (Red dots) where the men lived. Just to give an idea if not, like me, familiar with the area.

60CD11E0-AB7A-4133-8445-CF514CA71C10.jpeg
 
I am sure any connection with scouting would have the Scout emblem. As the Board (plaque) has a simple wreath I think most large organizations could be ruled out. Mainstream churches most likely would have had a cross symbol rather than the simple wreath. Smaller or less ostentatious denominations might favour a simple wreath of course.
As the Memorial Board (plaque) was not considered important - I suggest - I get the impression that the building that housed it was not that important to those demolishing or re-developing the area. Moreover, anyone using the place should have been aware of the Board, unless, of course, it was situated in a closed off or rarely used part of the building in which it was originally affixed. Another point might be that the original group, society or whatever had ceased to exist soon after WW2. This might explain the single name Mason added to the Board
 
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I'm finding this thread intriguing. Hope we can solve the mystery eventually. As Radiorails suggests for the Scouts, I think the Boys Brigade would have used their own Anchor emblem on their memorial. Certainly, they did for other Birmingham BB memorials:
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i would go along with that alan....i was thinking that surely larger organisations would have said on the plaque how the men were connected and i think we have now ruled out the same place of work or attending the same school..which leaves either a church or as already said a club/organisation...thanks mrs fry it certainly is entriquing and could very well remain a mystery

lyn
 
Yes, very strange that it doesn't mention the organisation to which the men belonged. Who actually has possession of it at this point in time?

Maurice
 
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