Montgomery lookalike at St John's Church
St John's Church in Ladywood was host to a VE Day exhibition put together by Norman Bartlam and Eileen Doyle. This gentleman was part of a theatrical group who were there on the day. He is a Viscount ...
Oratory Magazine October 1940
A snippet from the Oratory Church magazine from the Second World War. It reads: "Our beautiful green copper dome has "gone with the wind" of fashion, and has painted her face; in other words she is camouflaged, ...
Pitsford Street in the blitz
Pitsford Street runs off Clissold Street and near to Warstone Lane and Key Hill Cemetery. Then as now it was home to small industrial premises and the area here was an obvious target for the Luftwaffe. ...
Rear of Brookfields School
Another image of Brookfields school taken after it was hit during an air raid in 1941. this appears to show what is left of one of the upstairs classrooms; a plaque is clearly visible on one of the walls. ...
Rear of Brookfields School in the blitz
This image of Brookfields school was taken after it was hit during an air raid in 1941. The school is also known as Ellen Street School as it stood on the corner of Ellen and Pitsford Street. The school ...
Released to Balsall Heath
Sapper 2144260 F. Whitehouse (born 1917) is released on 30th June 1946. He served with the Royal Engineers. Inside the record of war credits, Fred's Release Book shows he collected War Credits from Gooch ...
Removing the railings
Another view of the removal of the railings at St Philip's Cathedral during the Second World War. This was part of a national scheme towards the creation of munitions for the war effort.
Removing the railings at St Philips
Around the country during the Second World War iron was removed from public places to go towards the manufacture of weapons for the war effort. This picture shows the removal of the railings around the ...
Selwyn and Gillot Road
Junction of Selwyn ang Gillot Road during the Blitz. It would seem likely that this was a mistaken target or one of the cases where bombs were offloaded on the return flight home.
Selwyn Road in the blitz
The sign says "road under repair". It is hard to tell which section of Selwyn Road this is but it may be the turn off into Wheatsheaf Road or Hannafore Road.
Servicemen's Club on Easy Row
Easy Row now only exists in name near to the Copthorne Hotel. This article from 1945 covers the opening of the Servicemen's Club - able to sleep 46 and bed and breakfast costing only 1s 3d.
Terrace in Bell Barn Road after an air raid
The damage was from an air raid of 9th April 1941, the picture being taken three days later. The family smiling for the camera are possibly a surprise to modern day viewers of this photograph. The determination ...
The Bartley Family: Our Balsall Heath
This is a picture of Jimmy Bartley of Dublin, taken in Johannesburg South Africa, during the Second World War (circa 1941) where he was convalescing after being wounded. When Jimmy (Sonny, to family ...
The Council House decorated for the VE Day 60th anniversary
The Council House side entrance
Unusual view for those who see it often - here it is sandbagged as it probably was during the war.
The grave at Key Hill Cemetery of Alfred Smith, aircraftman second class
Alfred Smith lived in Ladywood with his wife Florence. He was number 1164124 and served with 218 Squadron of the Royal Airforce Volunteer Reserve.He was 30 years old when he was killed on 17th June 1941. ...
Victory bus and tram
This is the illuminated bus which toured Birmingham as part of the celebrations for the end of the war. The bus toured for six evenings across the city on different routes. There was also a tram which ...
Warship Week
Advert from the Birmingham Post for the city's "Warship Week" in 1941. Ten million was trying to be raised for HMS King George V to be adopted by the city for the war.
HMS King George V launched on ...