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WWII Air Raid Victims

Oisin

Oisin

gone but not forgotten
Does any one know what's happened to the recently erected monument to the civilian air raid victims? I was down the Bull Ring yesterday and all that's left is the plinth.
 
Oisin, It was there on Tuesday when I visited. Perhaps it would be worth contacting The Birmingham Air Raids Assosiation as they were mainly responsable for it being errected. Let's hope its just maintenence. Wendy.
 
Think they have removed it for refurbidhment -and to add the names of some other victims they have discovered since originally putting it up. Got this from yesterday's Evening Mail

"
The list was thought to be conclusive, but further research has identified another 76 Birmingham people who lost their lives in the horrific bombing.

Their names will now be added when the statue is removed for refurbishment work and returned in time for a memorial service on Saturday, October 6.
"​
 
Thanks for the information Beatrice. I am glad that's the reason I suppose it would have to be removed to add more names. Very sad to discover there were more casualties. It will be nice though for the families to see the names of their loved ones commemorated, who lost their lives at this terrible time!
 
Thanks beatrice. I was a rather concerned as the fixing appear to have been hacksawed through to remove it, and knowing the morons that are around these days... well, you can guess what was going through my mind.
 
Oisin - I would have thought the same as you. Vandals have little respect for such monuments. I would have been mortified if I'd visited and found it gone. I only spotted the article in the Mail by accident. Perhaps they should place a notice near it to explain its absence.

It was only when the Memorial went up that I found out that I had a great aunt who died in the blitz and is commemorated on it. She died when Tenby Street North was bombed on 11th December 1940. She was only 20.
 
BOMBING OF COX STREET

Does anyone have any information on an air raid on the 24th of October 1940.
A bomb hit the corner of Cox Street and Livery Street, 1 man,13 women and 4 children who were in a bomb shelter were all killed.

Ladywood
 
The Birmingham Memorial - The Tree of Life is situated near St Martin's in The Bull Ring in Edgbaston Street close by to the Market area.

BARRA - The Birmingham Air Raid Remembrance Association is holding the Annual Service of Remembrance and Thanksgivings at St Martin's this Saturday 26th Sept 2009 at 11am

Bo
 
hi all
Great to see the memorial to the bombing victims, my Mom, home on leave from the WAAF, volenteered and an drove an ambulance for 48 hrs from B,ham to Coventry and back many times, without sleep or food during the blitz. This wonderful generation both military and Civvy must never be forgotten.
regards
paul
 
I recently twice came across,by accident,a web site that listed the names and addresses of Brummies killed in the blitz.The site could be searched either by name or address of victim.I now want to refer to site but for the life of me can't find it or remember how I came across in first place.Any ideas,please.
Thanks
Pembroke
 
Any one know anything about a raid 3/12/40 on Bham Newton Rd sparkhill Where my wife lost 3 children cousins called the Claytors.
 
Is it their ages you need ?

Hilda Clayton age 36 - Mother
Kathleen age 10 - Daug
David Arthur age 6 - Son
Audrey Hilda -age 3 - Daug

All died in air raid.

Their Father Arthur Henry Mowbray Clayton was a Lance Corapral with Royal Army Ordance Corp.

Is there any further help you need ?

Bo
 
Thanks Bo it is Claytor, His daughter will be at Barra tomorrow.any other info would be appreciated. Found their grave at Yardley cemetery.
 
Dear everyone,
I administer the Air Raid site at www.swanshurst.org/barra We have added some fire records to the site as well as the records of those who were injured in the raids in Birmingham. We have also added the police records of the raids so that if you search a name you will get this coming up under comment. We will add the Fire Book records, housed in the Central Library. These are fascinating but will take time to enter. If you want to add memories of people killed or a raid please let me know at Swanshurst on 0121 464 2400. Doug Smith
 
Doug, Welcome to the forum, I often use your site and have been giving links to it on here since it started.
I'm sure that we have members who would be prepared to share their experiences with you and that you will share them with us.

Colin
 
I echo Colin's welcome, Doug.

The Swanshurst/BARRA site is a wonderful resource and those of us interested in Birmingham's history are extremely lucky to have it available.

Chris
 
Welcome Doug I love the Swanhurst/ BARRA site and use it often like Chris. I have also been lucky enough to meet Barbara and other members at Key Hill Cemetery and at the Birmingham lives fair. The new content is great keep up the good work.
 
Thanks everybody for the kind comments we are very proud of the site. When I last looked it had about 450,000 hits. We did it for my dear friends in Barra who are a privilege to know. The fire books are great but its hard to get it going because we are doing another big project at the moment. if you check the August 9th air raid you can see the sort of detail we will be adding to it. Also we have interviewed members of Barra and also veterans from the Second World War and beyond. These can also be found on our main page at www.swanshurst.org and look for the oral history logo. It's next to the Barra logo.
 
Hi Doug,

I am sure we met at the 70[SUP]th[/SUP] Anniversary of the Blitz at Birmingham council house last year.
You are welcome to use story of my relatives Alfred & Mabel Wakeling who are is in this months issue of Carl Chinn’s Brummagem magazine .

Bo
 
I am looking for details for individual houses that suffered bomb damage on Oldknow Road, Small Heath.

Is there a site that would help with this one?
 
I know that Birmingham Air Raid Remembrance Ass:( BARRA ) have a map where bombs fell in Birmingham. The roads /streets are marked with red dots. Most likely Birmingham Library Archives have this map too. I am not aware of a website where homes were damaged. Swanhurst BARRA website lists those killed in the Blitz including a search by location.
 
Thanks Bo,
I do remember meeting you and I will inlcude their details. Rather than take from Carl could you possibly give me a paragraph on each or both?
Best wishes,
Doug
 
Hi Neville,
The fire book in Birmingham Central Library has this information. I have photographed the first volume to work on and that takes me up December 1940. Colin has been very helpful as always. If you go on our site as Colin suggested search for Oldknow Road under the where injured list. This will give you a list of dates. If you let me have these dates I search my photographs (I've only printed out the first 15 pages so far as it takes time to print and causes a queue) and let you have the information I have from August 1940 to December 1940. I need to go to the Library again before Christmas as some of the photographs are too blurred to read and so if any of the dates are after this I'll find out and report back. Eventually this type of information will be on our site. The plan is to type out the essentials onto a word document and then transfer these to the individual dates.
Best wishes,
Doug
 
xxd.jpeg

I do not know where this photo was taken but it certainly reminds me of our back garden when the shelter was still there after the war ended and we were allowed to play in the garden. The men and women are so much like my mom and dad that they seem familiar, but of course they are'nt.
 
Love the mut with the gas mask on! This was like we all had in thoes days. John Crump OldBrit Parker. Colorado USA
 
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