It was a Tuesday, and on that day, or more accurately the night, Germany launched a raid on the Birmingham Small Arms factory in Tyseley. Two nights previously they bombed Coventry so this was the context of continual raids which lasted for 6 months or so.

This was also the night that my Father Herbert was caught in the blast of an exploding phosphorus bomb which, being an Air Raid Precaution man, he had been sent to deal with carrying a bucket of water and a stirrup pump.

I have mentioned before of the family meeting up during and after the conflict and of them yarning into the night about it. Tales of humour, fortitude, and pathos and… death. I moderate on a Facebook group about Brum and this was posted as below which reminded me of those chats which probably only Pat remembers, or more probably forgotten. I have copied the various comments that readers have sent in.

Each part of the family had their own war – the Whorwood’s in Olton, the Otton’s in Acocks Green with Arthur away at Dunkirk, the Raybould’s in Sparkhill with Fred about to be married, and the Short’s in Aston or Handsworth. The Hills esconced in Little Bromwich. The Espin’s weren’t on the scene until post-war.

“On 19 November 1940 there was a devastating air raid on the BSA factory in Armoury Road, Small Heath that caused many deaths. On the same night, my grandad was bombed out of his house in Thornhill Road, Sparkhill which is about a mile away from the BSA. Fortunately, he and his family were unhurt …. but 2 other Thornhill Road residents were less lucky.

Attached is a German Luftwaffe aerial photo dated 8 June 1939 that identifies the BSA (and also covers Thornhill Road). Maybe this map was used as part of the planning and/or execution of the raid that night?

These real memories recently retold by descendants give a picture of war time life during this and subsequent raids..

“I Really interesting Geoff. I have a leaflet that I found in a second hand book. It is called “After the Raid” and it tells people what to do about the injured, emergency housing, emergency canteens and so on. Published by the Ministry of Home Security in December1940. I will try to work out how I can share it.

“My Dad’s Family lived in Armory Road and their house was bombed that night! My Granddad and my Mother worked at the BSA.

“I was 4 weeks old when this raid happened, we lived the other side of the railway tracks from the BSA.

“My dad lived in Bolton Road and would have been 18. He told me he spent the night in their Anderson shelter and that the Luftwafe used the railway lines behind the house from town to find their target. The BSA was a flatted factory, one floor on top of another making armourments. A direct hit meant the floors collapsed into the cellar. Dad told me they couldn’t recover all the bodies and eventually the area was concreted over.

“Garry Knox My Dad was a Fire Warden when he was on leave from the Army in the Birchfield Area. I wasn’t born till after the war ended. Just didn’t realise what that could have been like when he told me at sometime in my teens I think. Just wishing now I’d taken more interest. Best wishes to you 🎄🎄🎄🎄

“My Nan worked at BSA (Armoury Road) throughout the war. On 19th November, a colleague asked to swap a shift with her so that she could work the night shift and have the following day off. My Nan’s workstation was destroyed by the bombing on the 19th and her colleague lost her life in the attack. It affected my Nan a lot. It was definitely a ‘sliding doors’ moment for her.

“Trevor Moore The same happened with my nan, the lady who swapped also died that night. So sad.

“Taken from a ‘civilian’ aircraft? Wonder if we were doing similar? The Luftwaffe certainly were ahead of us early in the war as far as bombing accuracy was concerned. The Knickebein system was being used a long time before we had ‘Oboe’ and ‘Gee’ as a way of bombing a particular target. In the photo is the house in St Benedicts Road where I was born in 1962. If I’m right the Coventry Rd is the main road running left to right under the compass arrow so ‘St Ben’ is the third road along from base of the arrow?

“I’ve always been led to believe that my Granddad was on days that week, otherwise he’d have been caught up in that raid. He, my gran and my Mum (aged 5) lived in Glovers Road, not far away!

“My grandfather, Andrew Bruce, was killed in the raid on the factory. The same night the family home was hit and my grandmother and her five daughters had to sleep in the school hall, not knowing that they had lost Andrew.

“I Didn’t they hit the cinema which was full as well ?

“My Father worked at the BSA at that Time My Mother was pregnant still carrying me. We had been bombed out in Percy Rd a few days before. The Anderson Shelter destroyed by a Land Mine exploding immediately above the shelter Somehow we all survived I was born some 2 weeks later in Handsworth homeless after a relative took us in.

“Mom got bombed out several times. Ended up living on Barrows Road. Had a bit of damage there but was repairable. She met dad somewhere on the Stratford Road near the Dolphin on VE night. Dad always said as one ear ended another began. He served in the 8th Royal Tank Regiment. He was living on Stoney Lane then. Sadly both no longer with us.

“I was born at home during a raid on Birmingham, I was taken straight down into the air raid shelter. I’ve been claustrophobic ever since.😩lol.

“We lived near the ICI factory where they made bombs , my Dad told me that on the maps it was shown as a lake to deter the Germans. I don’t think it ever got a hit!

“There was a family story. My dad worked at BSA and they lived in Starbank Road. On the night of the bombing my mam ran to the BSA to see if he was okay. He had heard that the houses had also been bombed (some were damaged) and he headed home to see that the family were okay. They are said to have met half way. I think it was just mam being romantic but I am not sure”.