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The Blitz

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Small part of Home Guard Map of Brum showing Nechells and part of Aston
Black Dots...High Explosive bomb
Red Dots...Incendery bomb
X....Unexploded bomb

Our house in Cromwell St. had a direct hit
 
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Alf
Sorry for the delay in answering,Just seen your reply. If I zoom in only a street or two will be clear, but if you want to look at a paticular street I will do you a close up of that street
 
Where could we get a large copy from and more information regarding the bombings, dates and locations across the city.
 
The copy I have is 17 by 13 inches
I have a bit of info as well regarding the Bombings but I will leave that to someone else if they want to do it
I will give them the info I have plus a video of Birmingham at War
 
Well we would be very interested in that for our Home Front section. So if I can borrow it off you, and have a copy of the map and the info I might be able to put something together?
 
For those who haven't read it try Carl Chinn's book "Brum Undaunted"
A very informative history of Birmingham in the Blitz and a real eye opener, until I read it I never realised how badly Birmingham suffered.
Well worth a read!
 
I'm looking at it right now Jerry. It's really quite a surprising book isnt it, a taste of what it was like in those dark days. Our dad always told me Brum had it bad but I never understood why the truth wasnt made more available once the war ended. Censorship is one thing but this went a step further?
 
Greenway Street, Bombings ?

Hi,
does anyone have any details of the bombs that dropped on
Greenway Street during WW2 ?? I certainly remember the bomb
sites, but wonder if there is any documentation of the house numbers
that were bombed. NOTE: It is number 70 Greenway Street that is of interest to me...I believe it was a shop.
Hoping you can help me on this....
Regards,
Margaret.
 
I can remember walking up Kingstanding Road from the Circle towards the Parson & Clerk, the bombers had tried to wreck the road but they'd missed and there were a row of bomb craters in the front gardens of the houses.

In our road (Hurlingham) we had one block destroyed and I believe the occupants were killed in their Anderson shelter, not sure how many.

We were in our shelter and dad was standing outside the door, the draught from the bomb passing over nearly lifted him off his feet and made our shelter shudder but it struck the block a very long way up the road.

We had a large collection of shrapnel. E.
 
In the kelly's directory of birmingham.1940.
70 Greenway street was occupied by Mrs emma ann keenan. listed as shopkeeper.hope this helps.
 
Margaret, map shows were bombs fell in 1940 ..Greenway Street
Red dots Incendiary bombs
Black dots High Explosive Bombs
 
Thanks Chris, a very interesting piece.

My brother and I were evacuated to Ripley in Derbyshire but we only stayed a week, our mom fetched us back. E.
 
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Hi Cromwell,

Does your map that plots bomb damage during WWII plot the bombs dropped on Vincent Street, Balsall Heath, if so I would be really grateful for a scan of that section.

Cheers,

pmc1947 (Phil).
 
Unfortunately Phil the map ends at the top end of the street which I have already told you about on another thread
 
Greenway Street, Bombings ?

Thank you for the map, Cromwell, looks like No 70 wasn't touched.
Thanks again,
Margaret.
 
William Mosedale's story in the Birmingham Blitz has been told in full for the first time in Come if ye Dare, the story of the 11 Civil Defence George Cross receipients.

It is available direct from the author for £12.50. Please PM me with an email address and a flyer will folllow.

Terry
 
The shelters were basic too, lencops!
There should be more to that film, though - the next instruction was to "Cover the shelter with earth 15" deep".
I don't suppose they said how bad it was in them, cold, damp, and exhausting if you had to stay up pumping rainwater out with your stirrup pump! You can see why quite a few people said "Bu**er this, I'm going back inside to my bed!"
The shelters offered little protection, other than if your house fell down from the ground shocks of nearby bombing.
Did you have to pay for them? I can't see the government giving anything away in those dire times.
 
According to 'Wikipdia, [and they don't make many mistakes] :D


Anderson shelters were issued free to all householders who earned less than £250 a year, and those with a higher income were charged £7
 
brummie nick said:
According to 'Wikipdia, [and they don't make many mistakes] :D


Anderson shelters were issued free to all householders who earned less than £250 a year, and those with a higher income were charged £7
Click to expand...
There were 5 in our house, Dad out of work, Mom, Brother 1 low paid jeweller, Brother 2 apprentice low pay, two boys at school (i was one) so we were living on the breadline, i doubt if my jeweller Brother got paid £7 over 4 weeks & we were not alone in our road, living in poverty. Len.
 
A Tribute to the People in Wartime Great Britain, there are some very touching pictures. Len. [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw8BpcWgET8&feature=related"]YouTube - The Blitz 1940-1941 (Tribute Video)[/ame]
 
My mother lived in Greenway Street until about 1935. She says there wasn't a pawn shop in Greenway Street - it was nearby in Arsenal Street.
 
Does anyone know the night that Avenue Rd.Aston was bombed?.I know it was a Friday,my dad keep's asking me for an answer.
 
Thanks Bojalu,that's perfect.It was the day my gran rescued me from the bombing in Aston, and took me to Harborne for a time.
I remember going up Aston Rd.with her, and seeing the tramlines sticking up in the air outside the old Astoria.I shall tell my dad tomorrow,he will be very pleased to know.
 
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