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Penryn Somerset Rd Fire Station

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foxhound

New Member
I’m looking for help please. During World War 2 there was an Auxiliary / National Fire Service station at 31 Somerset Road Edgbaston which was a house called Penryn. The house was at one time also a school and this building has now been demolished. Has anyone got any photos of the building Penryn at any time but especially during WW2 when it was a fire station please? The reason being that my Dad served there during WW2 and so it would be great if anyone also has anything at all about the building or people who were there at that time please.
 
I'm reasonably sure that this building was used as a training facility by the GPO in the 1950s although I don't have any more information as the people who mentioned it to me are no longer around to ask.
 
foxhound said:
I’m looking for help please. During World War 2 there was an Auxiliary / National Fire Service station at 31 Somerset Road Edgbaston which was a house called Penryn. The house was at one time also a school and this building has now been demolished. Has anyone got any photos of the building Penryn at any time but especially during WW2 when it was a fire station please? The reason being that my Dad served there during WW2 and so it would be great if anyone also has anything at all about the building or people who were there at that time please.
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My Name is John C. Thompson (Born 1928 at Ettington Road Fire Station 3rd October 1928) and I lived at Harborne Rose Road Fire Station from 1935 to 1952. My Father William Joseph Thompson served in the Brigade at various Stations from about 1927 to 1952. During the War, he was stationed for a while at "Penryn" Somerset Road Auxiliary Fire Station so there would be a mix of Regular & Auxiliary Firemen dealing with Fires. I used to spend time at "Penryn" running errands for the Firemen and doing odd jobs on the Station.
Before the War, I understand it was a Catholic Boys' School, and following the evacuation of the Pupils, it was taken over by the Auxiliary Fire Service, who built a large Corrugated iron Garage to house the Fire Engines, the Kitchens & Dining Rooms where utilized and the Station was manned 24hours a Day 7 days a week.
Some of the upper Rooms were adapted as sleeping Dormitories, and on the Ground Floor were the Kitchen & Dining Rooms, also a Games Room with a Full-size Billiard Table
In their spare time, the Crews played Cricket / Football on the big Lawn at the back of the Building, there were also extensive gardens which many of the Firemen adopted
At the end of the War, the Station was closed and I lost track of who took over. a couple of years ago I did a tour of Birmingham looking for the Wartime Fire Stations but found no traces of Somerset Road Auxiliary Fire Station, a Large Modem House occupied the Site. I trust this is of some interest to the followers of the Birmingham Forum.
 
That's a comprehensive account of the building and very interesting. I have no idea how long it was used by the GPO but I know my father did some training there, around 1960 I think.
 
Further to my earlier post about the converted Catholic Boys' School Penryn in Somerset Road, I can add some further information.
In 1941 The Fire Service was Nationalised and Birmingham became part of the National Fire Service 24th Area Fire Force with the Headquarters at A1 Central Corporation Street. The "C" Division Headquarters was at C1 Albion Street, and C3 W, Harborne (Rose Road), and Penryn (Somerset Road) became C3 Y.
Following the Bombing of Birmingham in 1940 & 1941 Concern was expressed as to the Fire Protection of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital due to being in a relatively isolated area, and although there was a Canal nearby the local terrain did not lend itself to Fire Service Pumping.
Therefore, a further solution had to be found, and a relative area of flat land was found in a Housing development on Hintlesham Avenue, Harborne, and a Concrete Basin was constructed on what had been the plots for Two Large Houses & Gardens
it took Two Days to fill the Basin (this was done by the Crews on Duiy at Penryn) fed from Hydrants and static Water in the Area, (Sadly during the Operation, the Station adopted Dog "Goffe" got into the Basin and drowned).
A 6-inch Pipeline was built (Using Crews from Penryn) from the Basin to the QE Hospital the whole operation took about Two Weeks.........It was tested OK, but never used in anger!, and was all dismantled, after the War, and now Two Luxury Homes occupy the site of the Basin!... With no trace of its Wartime use!,

Around the end of 1945 "Penryn" C3 Y, Fire Station was closed and the wartime temporary buildings were dismantled, bye 1950 I lost contact with the area, I have been back several times but no trace of the Wartime occupation could be found anywhere in the area, however, it played a very important part of the Fire Protection in that part of Birmingham during the War years. John C. Thompson Watime NFS Messenger Stn C3 Rose Road Harborne.
 
First mention of Penryn is 1911 and in ownership of Mr Greey.
First mention as Retreat House is 1922 and as a Catholic preparatory school for boys in 1926.
Later in 1973 the 50th anniversary of the school is mentioned, where it is situated at Chaddesley Corbett. It had opened in Edgbaston but moved to Ross-on-Wye during the War.
 
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jctfirepic said:
Further to my earlier post about the converted Catholic Boys' School Penryn in Somerset Road, I can add some further information.
In 1941 The Fire Service was Nationalised and Birmingham became part of the National Fire Service 24th Area Fire Force with the Headquarters at A1 Central Corporation Street. The "C" Division Headquarters was at C1 Albion Street, and C3 W, Harborne (Rose Road), and Penryn (Somerset Road) became C3 Y.
Following the Bombing of Birmingham in 1940 & 1941 Concern was expressed as to the Fire Protection of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital due to being in a relatively isolated area, and although there was a Canal nearby the local terrain did not lend itself to Fire Service Pumping.
Therefore, a further solution had to be found, and a relative area of flat land was found in a Housing development on Hintlesham Avenue, Harborne, and a Concrete Basin was constructed on what had been the plots for Two Large Houses & Gardens
it took Two Days to fill the Basin (this was done by the Crews on Duiy at Penryn) fed from Hydrants and static Water in the Area, (Sadly during the Operation, the Station adopted Dog "Goffe" got into the Basin and drowned).
A 6-inch Pipeline was built (Using Crews from Penryn) from the Basin to the QE Hospital the whole operation took about Two Weeks.........It was tested OK, but never used in anger!, and was all dismantled, after the War, and now Two Luxury Homes occupy the site of the Basin!... With no trace of its Wartime use!,

Around the end of 1945 "Penryn" C3 Y, Fire Station was closed and the wartime temporary buildings were dismantled, bye 1950 I lost contact with the area, I have been back several times but no trace of the Wartime occupation could be found anywhere in the area, however, it played a very important part of the Fire Protection in that part of Birmingham during the War years. John C. Thompson Watime NFS Messenger Stn C3 Rose Road Harborne.
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Hi, I have been researching Harborne Fire Station and I have come across an article you wrote. I am wondering if you would be prepared to have a conversation with me. I am particularly interested in the wartime years at the station, and wondering if it would be possible to use the photo of your father at the control of an NFS pump?
 
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