The Birmid

[Mandy williams]

I hope no one will mind me posting this here as strictly speaking Im out of the Birmingham boundary by I guess, a few miles.

Does anyone here have any connections with "The Birmid" it always seemed that local people always used the definite article when referring to it.

I worked for Dartmouth Auto Castings, who had three foundries in the area, the most recent opened in , I believe, 1965 and designed specifically for the productin of shell moulded crankshafts using S.G./ Nodular iron.

No3 was virtually in Brum anyway as it was half way down Raybone lane and is still in operation as Darcast Crankshafts and claiming to be formed in the 1930s, which to my mind is stretching the imagination a bit.

Effectivly they have adopted the history of the original Birmid owned concern and used it as their own (norty). Other foundries all within the group where............

Midland Motor Cylinder (MMC) Birmingham Aluminium Castings (BAC)

Pneulec was also part of the group and other plants existed in and around the area.

Production was all directly for the Motor Industry and all the Major car and tractor manufacturers would have been supplied with either S.G. or Grey Iron castings and not forgetting the Aluminium ones from BAC.

I seem to remember the groups own newspaper (Pivot) covering the fact that BAC cast the aluminium wheels for "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" and Birmabright, at Clapgate, Quinton, made the aluminium used for the land Rover panels.

Sorry if it not totally related but after all Smethwick is only "up the road"

 

[Clinton Piggott]

Marvellous article on Birmetals. I remember selling NS4 Aluminium scrap to Birmetals in the late seventies The buyer was a Mr. Tomlinson

 

[Philip H]

Hello everyone, I've just discovered this forum and my father Duncan Hazleton worked at Birmetals for about 30 years in the electrical maintenance. Just wondered if anybody on here remembers him?
Thanks

 

[Liam]

Does anyone have a photo of BAC Dartmouth rd, I worked as a fitter from 1975- 1986. Some names I remember, George Garbett, Derrick Carey, Bob Lambert, Ken Viney, Kevin Grice, Alan Teague, Charlie Ploughman, Doug Jesson, David England, Pat O’ Sullivan, John Miles, George Gator, Arthur Motram, Frank Davies, Ray Peach, Dick Griffiths, Terry Hudson, Freddie Sherwood, Dickybowdes,

 

[lesley60]

Local History-----A young girl named Betty Sudale , in the mid 50"s used to deliver milk by pony and trap from the local farm to Birmetals. She later worked for the company

I was born/lived, next door to the Sudale family, in Stonehouse Lane.... May & Harry Sudale (Bettys mom & dad) were my god mother & godfather.. Betty, then went on to marry Bill Gossage..

 

[Pedrocut]

The biggest attraction at the Birmetal's Industries' sports day proves to be a helicopter, Woodgate, Ist September 1957.

Birmingham at Work.

 

[DavidGrain]

The biggest attraction at the Birmetal's Industries' sports day proves to be a helicopter, Woodgate, Ist September 1957.

Birmingham at Work.

View attachment 182177

I was thinking I was there but my dad had left Birmetals by that time. I remember being at an event when a helicopter landed on the sports field in Woodgate. I think it was bringing the Marquis of Exeter, the chairman of Birmid to the sports day. This helicopter is landing inside the works perimeter. People would not have been allowed this close nowadays. I have been at another event with a dignitary arriving by helicopter and nobody was allowed anywhere near the flight path.

 

[paul stacey]

I was at the Birmetal's, when a helicopter landed but cannot remember the date, I have said befor that my dad ran the social club and we went to all the sports days and Christmas's and bonfire nights in the 50's, they also had a pantomime when Mr pastry came one year, it was a wonderful period when some company's really looked after there employee's, the pay might not have been great but the perks were!!!

 

[Liam]

Hi all, My father ( John Howell) worked at the Birmid for a good few years in B.A.C as a band saw operator, he cut the excess metal"risers" off newly cast engine cylinder blocks before shot blasting and sand blasting them to finish the outer surface.His foreman I recall was Arthur Motram, and my father was partnered by a West Indian I only ever knew as Theo. I started there as an apprentice in 1976, and although at Warley College for several days each week, was most at home in the piston foundry. Pistons were rough cast in pressure dies which clamped shut in two halves prior to being filled with molten aluminium from a pot besides each worker. The pot was topped up regularly from a main smelting furnace by forklift, this was driven by my cousin Michael Brookes. I had several relatives working at the Birmid as the Brookes family lived nearby in Great Arthur street. The pistons were then rough turned prior to being shipped out to various firms , from small diameter pistons for Suffolk lawnmowers to large diameter pistons for bigger engines including Ford, Austin and Talbot etc.... amongst others.
As an apprentice in quality control, I had to take samples at various stages, measure all dimensions for accuracy, and test the metal for gas inclusions, porosity and general strength, which varied depending on which alloy was being used.( The alloy make up varied greatly from each job, some requiring harder, softer, or more tensile metals for different uses once made up into the various products )
The work was hard ,dirty, and sometimes dangerous, but still holds a lot of memories not only of my late father, but of the people that made up the community of Smethwick. This was before race riots , when you could share a pot of food with a person of different race without the stigma attached today. Happy days. I'm 50 now and can say with hand on heart that those were the happiest days of my working life.

I was a fitter in Sand foundry in the 70s and must have know your Dad, remember repairing the piston machines Bandsaws and the BSA lathes that turned the pistons. Great set of chaps to work with my Forman was Ken viney George Gator was also a sand foundry Forman. Other names David England John miles Charlie plowman . Happy days I’m 71 now.

 

[COMPRESSORMAN]

I was a fitter in Sand foundry in the 70s and must have know your Dad, remember repairing the piston machines Bandsaws and the BSA lathes that turned the pistons. Great set of chaps to work with my Forman was Ken viney George Gator was also a sand foundry Forman. Other names David England John miles Charlie plowman . Happy days I’m 71 now.

My Dad was a foreman in the aluminium castings 1930's, I have a photo of him standing next to the engine block that went into the THUNDERBOLT World speed car.

 

[Morturn]

My Dad was a foreman in the aluminium castings 1930's, I have a photo of him standing next to the engine block that went into the THUNDERBOLT World speed car.

The Thunderbolt had two Rolls-Royce R-type V-12 aero engines, so were Birmetal's Industries making parts for Rolls-Royce?

 

[COMPRESSORMAN]

The Thunderbolt had two Rolls-Royce R-type V-12 aero engines, so were Birmetal's Industries making parts for Rolls-Royce?

I am trying to find the photo, yes apparently they were RR engines, no reason why the BLOCK shud not be made elsewhere?..I saw the photo about 50 years ago, so I may not have it and therefore looking in vain, praps another member of my family has it I will ask them. Lots of car parts are made by different companies to make up the final car, I remember Leyland hitting the wall and many small businesses went as well as they relied upon them to stay afloat. Remembering that RR was a car manufacturing company before it went Aero and they did use other engines, not their own. But this may help you?...
Chassis and engine components. [7] 1982 By now was part of Birmid Qualcast (Foundries). Specialised in Rolls-Royce, Jaguar and Rover blocks, heads and pistons. Although some operations at Birmid were closed and others transferred to Perry Barr Metal Co, Birmingham.
A bit more here or you?..applied a link here but the site wont allow me to show it to you. So will try another way?
gracesguide.co.uk/Birmingham_Aluminium_Castings

 

[Morturn]

I am trying to find the photo, yes apparently they were RR engines, no reason why the BLOCK shud not be made elsewhere?..I saw the photo about 50 years ago, so I may not have it and therefore looking in vain, praps another member of my family has it I will ask them. Lots of car parts are made by different companies to make up the final car, I remember Leyland hitting the wall and many small businesses went as well as they relied upon them to stay afloat. Remembering that RR was a car manufacturing company before it went Aero and they did use other engines, not their own. But this may help you?...
Chassis and engine components. [7] 1982 By now was part of Birmid Qualcast (Foundries). Specialised in Rolls-Royce, Jaguar and Rover blocks, heads and pistons. Although some operations at Birmid were closed and others transferred to Perry Barr Metal Co, Birmingham.
A bit more here or you?..applied a link here but the site wont allow me to show it to you. So will try another way?
gracesguide.co.uk/Birmingham_Aluminium_Castings

Thanks. I have fixed to link for yout too but there is no information on the page as yet.