Birmingham Blitz - Railway Damage and Disruption
Ben Brooksbank was probably the pre-eminent researcher in the study of the impact of World War Two on the railways of England.
He sent me this article in November 2017 for possible publication - sadly he died a few months later.
It will be published without alteration as a tribute to his tireless and scholarly research.
Another of his articles covering Birmingham - Bristol LMSR in World War Two can be read at
https://sites.google.com/view/gloucestershirerailwaymemories/home/gloucestershire-railway-memories/ben-brooksbank-s-gloucestershire-railway-memories
RAILWAY DAMAGE AND DISRUPTION
IN WORLD WAR TWO:
BIRMINGHAM AND SURROUNDING AREA
B.W.L. BROOKSBANK
INTRODUCTION
The position of Birmingham in the centre of the country has made it a key hub of railway and other communications. At the time of the Second World War, the Birmingham area was one of the greatest centres of manufacturing industry in Britain, with a concentration of engineering and related factories unequalled anywhere else. The population of the area (1951 census) was about 3,200,000, of which about 1,113,000 lived in the city of Birmingham, 163,000 in Wolverhampton, 115,000 in Walsall and 258,000 in Coventry. Much of the area within 20 miles of the centre of the city of Birmingham was built up and heavily industrialized, and there were several boroughs of between 10,000 and 100,000: Brownhills, Bromsgrove, Cannock, Dudley, Kidderminster, Leamington Spa, Nuneaton, Oldbury, Redditch, Solihull, Smethwick, Stourport-on-Severn, Sutton Coldfield, Warwick, and West Bromwich. Interspersed were many other industrialized and populated districts, and except to the west and south relatively little open countryside.
Clearly, the Birmingham area as defined here gave rise to a great deal of local passenger traffic and a substantial pool of passengers for longer distance travel. More especially, as the principal occupation of the region was manufacturing industry with coal mining as a substantial second source of production, the whole area gave rise to a vast amount of originating railway freight traffic, adding to that coming in to service the industry and population of the area. In addition, much railway traffic passed through the area on each axis of direction, the freight including great flows of coal and steel from northeast to southwest.
Sixty years ago, the railway traffic was shared between two systems of trunk and feeder lines. These were centred on New Street, the LMSR hub, and on Snow Hill, the main GWR station. As they do from New Street today, trains ran from one or other of these two stations to virtually all parts of the country.
New Street Station was in two parts, the Western Division (ex-LNW) side and the Midland Division (ex-MR) side, separated by a public roadway (Queens Drive). The LNW side had three through platform lines (Nos. 1 - 3), with two through siding lines between Nos. 1 and 2; the MR side also had three through platform lines (Nos. 4 - 6) with an Up siding line between Nos. 4 and 5 and a Down siding line between Nos. 5 and 6. There were some ancillary bays and sidings, mostly on the Midland side of the station, which also had a turntable off the Down side at the west (Bristol) end.
In spite of the much restricted passenger timetable, during the war the LNW side handled in each direction on weekdays about 20 express and 65 local passenger trains, while the Midland side dealt with about eight expresses and 461 local services each way. Many of the New Street services also entailed empty stock movements, and there were about a dozen parcels trains handled each way altogether.
Traffic at New Street was controlled in the main by four large signalboxes: Nos. 1 and 2 at the east (or London/Derby) end of the station, controlling respectively the LNW and Midland lines, and Nos. 5 and 6 at the west (or Wolverhampton/Bristol) end. At the west end, No. 5 Box played a key role, as it controlled most of the lines. It was assisted by No. 4 at the end of the Midland platforms Nos. 5 and 6, which controlled these lines and the bays and sidings adjoining. There were two smaller signalboxes: No. 3 located on the footbridge on the LNW side assisted No. 1 Box, and No. 6 at the west end of Platform 1 dealt with the bays there. The principal railway offices were mainly on the north (Queens Hotel) and south sides of the station, each part of which was, as today, below street level. Protecting the LNW side was a single massive glazed arch roof, while the Midland side was covered by two smaller arch roofs of glass. During the war, all the glass was covered with a layer of Hessian and tar, in order both to avoid injury from flying glass during air raids and to make the station less obvious to enemy aircraft. However, the roof on the LNW side was made so unsafe by war damage that it was removed directly after the war; the Midland roof survived until the total rebuilding of the station in the 1960's.
The GWR's main station, being on Snow Hill, was below street level at its main entrance at the south end and above street level at the north end. It was therefore not like New Street in a big sulphurous hole, and having been completely rebuilt in 1912 was different in ambience. Snow Hill Station had a simple and convenient layout of tracks. There were four through platform lines: Nos. 1/2 and 5/6 on the Down side, Nos. 7/8 and 11 on the Up side, with dedicated Through lines in the middle on which ran most of its freight traffic. Set in at the north end were four bay platforms (Nos. 3 and 4 on the Down side, Nos. 9 and 10 on the Up side). The roofs were glazed, with a transverse arch over the main entrance buildings adjoining the Great Western Hotel at the south end, then separately across the Down and Up side platforms were ridge-and-furrow transverse-pitched roofs topped with ventilators, the Through lines being open to the sky. Traffic was controlled by one large signalbox at each end of the station, Snow Hill North and Snow Hill South; the former also controlled the Northwood Street Carriage Sidings on the Up side.
Snow Hill in wartime handled about 15 express trains and 75 - 80 local passenger trains each way every weekday, and in addition there were many empty stock workings and about five parcels trains. At the same time, over 50 freight workings were scheduled each way, taking advantage of the Through lines. The GWR's three-platform terminal station at Moor Street, just to the east of Snow Hill and beside the main line, handled another 20 local trains, mostly those on the North Warwickshire line to Stratford-on-Avon. The GW main line was four-track all the way from Lapworth to Handsworth Junction, except from Moor Street through the tunnel to Snow Hill. Additionally there were Down loops from Tyseley Junction to Bordesley North and from Hockley South to Soho & Winson Green, and Up loops from Bordesley South to Small Heath South and past Bordesley and Tyseley stations. The important Stourbridge Extension line – again almost all only double-track – diverged at Handsworth Junction.
Much of the stock and motive power for Birmingham's express passenger trains came from elsewhere further afield, notably from Wolverhampton, but within the Birmingham metropolitan area there were carriage depots at Vauxhall, Monument Lane, Saltley, and Kings Norton on the LMSR, and on the GWR at Small Heath and Queens Head (Handsworth). Locomotive depots within the city were at Aston, Monument Lane, Saltley and Bournville on the LMSR, and at Tyseley on the GWR. Outside the city of Birmingham, but within our 20 mile radius were depots at:- Bescot, Bushbury, Walsall, Nuneaton, Warwick, Coventry, Bromsgrove and Stratford-on-Avon on the LMSR; Wolverhampton Stafford Road, Oxley, Leamington Spa, Stourbridge and Kidderminster on the GWR.
Although an immense amount of freight traffic originated in the Birmingham area, relatively few long distance freight trains started from the main Goods stations2. Instead, most traffic was tripped from these depots and from the numerous sidings serving public utilities and factories (large and small), to be assembled at the various marshalling yards. On the LMSR Western Division, the principal Goods stations were Curzon Street (35,000) and Winston Street (Aston, 20,000 with its subsidiary depot at Avenue Road); lesser depots were at Monument Lane (4,000), Soho and Soho Pool. On the LMSR Midland Division, the principal Goods depot was Lawley Street (40,000), with as subsidiaries Central (8,000) -- on a branch from the West Suburban line that joined it at Church Road Junction, and Camp Hill (7,000). Hockley, with a subsidiary at Soho & Winson Green, was the main Goods station on the GWR; lesser ones were located at Handsworth, Moor Street, Bordesley, Small Heath and Tyseley, and the total tonnage handled per month at all six was about 60,000.
The major marshalling sidings on the LMSR were at Bescot (Western Division, 10 miles out of Birmingham) and at Washwood Heath (Midland Division). Other yards in Birmingham were at Stechford, Adderley Park, Banbury Street, Monument Lane, Soho, and Walter Street (Aston) on the LNW section. On the MR side, serving the goods station at Lawley Street were Lawley Street and Duddeston Sidings, and there were extensive yards subsidiary to Washwood Heath just outside the city boundary at Water Orton; in the southern part of the city were extensive sidings at Kings Norton. Exchange Sidings (ex-LNW) dealt with exchange traffic between the Midland and Western Divisions. The main GWR marshalling yard was at Bordesley. Outside Birmingham but serving its traffic, were major yards in the northern part of Wolverhampton, at Oxley on the GWR and at Bushbury on the LMSR. In addition, there were substantial goods stations in the surrounding towns, including three in Coventry area (70,000), and other yards that dispatched long-distance freight trains.
There were no dedicated Through lines on the LNW side at New Street station, and there were only running loops past certain other stations and yards on the LMS routes. Indeed, on the LNW main lines on each side of New Street the only relief running lines were a Down loop from just east of Adderley Park station past Exchange Sidings to Grand Junction, and on the Stour Valley line from Monument Lane station to Harborne Junction, then from Winson Green Junction only to Soho station (with an Up loop just from Soho to Soho Soap Works Junction). The original Grand Junction main line was four-track only between Curzon Street and Aston Junction. Likewise, the Midland side of New Street lacked independent running lines through the station, and there were no relief lines southwards on the main – i.e. West Suburban – line until Kings Norton; northwards from New Street they were provided only from Landor Street Junction, where the Camp Hill line joined from the south, out to Kingsbury – embracing the Whitacre loop from Water Orton.
Because of this dearth of relief lines, Birmingham was a traffic bottleneck on the LMSR. Thus in the Summer 1943 Working Timetable (WTT), at Washwood Heath on the Midland lines from Derby and Leicester no less than 120 freight paths3 are listed each way on a weekday, and only about a third were for local workings. Into these had to be fitted 32 regular passenger services. At Kings Norton, the passenger timetable shows 24 trains per day on weekdays in 1943 and the same WTT lists 69 freight paths4. On the Western Division at Bescot in 1943, there were also 120 goods workings each way on weekdays – most of them local, and 19 local and at least two express passenger trains. Out at Bushbury Junction, there were 60 goods workings and 20 passenger services each way.
There were very few timetable paths available for freight trains through New Street passenger station, despite the fact that Goods stations (Curzon Street, Monument Lane and Central) were sited nearby. However, the LMSR had routes that allowed almost all its enormous freight traffic, and when necessary much of the through passenger traffic, to avoid passing through New Street. The Western Division had its Stechford - Aston line to avoid New Street and the Willenhall – Bushbury line to avoid Wolverhampton. Anyway, the principal north - south traffic was passed over the Trent Valley line with its connections into the Birmingham area at Rugby, Nuneaton, Lichfield, Rugeley and Stafford. The Western Division also had the useful Handsworth (or Soho) Loop, which connected the two routes northwards out of Birmingham, from Soho (Winson Green and Soho Soap Works Junctions) on the Stour Valley line to Perry Barr (North and Station Junctions) on the original Grand Junction route north, thus with connections each way at either end. Further out was the South Staffordshire line from Walsall to Dudley, connecting with each line it crossed, including the GWR. The Midland Division had the original (1840) Birmingham & Gloucester line through Camp Hill for its through traffic, with double-line curves at each end (Grand Junction/Landor Street Junction, Kings Norton/Lifford Curve, respectively). There was also the Sutton Park line (Water Orton/Castle Bromwich - Walsall/Wolverhampton), which again served the purpose of bypassing New Street in a bi-directional manner when needed. The GWR, however, had no lines that avoided Snow Hill, other than, 12 miles to the west, the Worcester - Stourbridge Junction - Wolverhampton line and its Kingswinford Branch (Brettell Lane – Oxley).
During the war, the number of freight trains scheduled to pass over the Stechford - Aston loop was about 24 (mainly local), and on the Soho Loop about 20, per weekday each way. On the Camp Hill line, no less than 70 freight trains were scheduled each way on weekdays; in addition by 1943 there were 23 trips booked each way per day between Washwood Heath and Bordesley GW Yard, and these ran over the first 1¾ miles up from Landor Street Junction to Bordesley Junction. As most of the trips to Bordesley GW and many of the other southbound freights were assisted by banking engines attached at Saltley, countless returning banking engines had to be fitted in. Over the Sutton Park line, in the 1943 WTT about 15 freight workings were scheduled each way on weekdays. Meanwhile, even during the war, only about 15 freight trains were scheduled to pass through New Street station each way, mainly on the Midland side and mainly at night.
From Monday 27 January 1941 for the duration, to free up the Camp Hill line for the extra freight traffic and for diverted passenger trains, the local Circle passenger service from New Street via the Lifford curve was withdrawn5, with complete closure of Brighton Road and Moseley stations and of Camp Hill, King's Heath and Hazelwell to passengers6. Subsequently on 5 May 1941, presumably for similar reasons, the local passenger services7 on the Soho Loop were withdrawn, and the stations at Soho Road and Handsworth Wood at Wood Green (Old Bescot) on the Grand Junction line, were closed permanently. Later in the war, the badly damaged station at Five Ways was closed temporarily on 5 May 19448, and Newton Road was closed on 7 May 1945.
At Coventry, the only stretch of four-track line was just through the station, where there were Up and Down Through lines between the Platform lines. The Nuneaton – Leamington line, which carried traffic of intensity comparable to that on the main line, joined by flat junctions with the latter, from Nuneaton at No. 3 Box about 325 yards west of the station and from Leamington at No. 1 Box near its east end. Coventry handled (in 1943) each weekday seven expresses, and about 20 local trains on the main line and 20 on the Leamington9 and Nuneaton lines. Scheduled freight workings numbered about 40 each way and about another 10 traversed the Coventry Loop line (Humber Road Junction – Three Spires Junction).
On the GWR, over 25 long-distance and another 25 local freight trains passed through Snow Hill each way every weekday. However, the GWR did not lack bottlenecks. At Oxley North Junction, over a double-track line, the daily scheduled freight workings on weekdays were 38 each way, most of which were in fact long-distance trains, eight using the Kingswinford Branch to by-pass Wolverhampton as well as Birmingham; public passenger services passing Oxley numbered 19 each way.
The numbers of freight paths quoted do not include those for light engine and engine & brake workings. Moreover, into them would have to be fitted all the numerous – and varying – Special trains and the unscheduled trains running 'under Control orders'. Moreover, unlike in peacetime, during the war a large number of freight trains were run on Sundays, especially when backlogs needed to be cleared.
In normal times, interchange of freight between the railway companies was kept to a minimum. In wartime, there needed to be more integration and more flexibility. Exchange of freight traffic between the LMSR and GWR in the area, which was already considerable, grew in wartime tremendously, and exchange points became bottlenecks. The heavy traffic over the three miles between the LMSR (Midland Division) at Washwood Heath and the GWR at Bordesley was carried over a connecting line that was only single-track until under the pressure of wartime traffic it had to be doubled (July 1941). Exchange of traffic between the LMSR's LNW section and the GWR was made largely from and to the South Staffordshire line of the former – another busy line, with about 40 freight workings a day each way over some sections in wartime – by means of junctions at Wednesbury and at Dudley; these connections also became much overloaded during the war.
A great part of the wartime freight traffic in the Birmingham area was directly concerned with armaments and other military materiel. The rearmament of Britain that had begun in 1935 entailed the establishment of 'Shadow Factories, financed by the Government but built and operated by major engineering firms. Numerous other factories in the region, several of which were specially built, were engaged in armament manufacture – in the general sense – for the Ministry of Supply, and some of the largest can be cited. In the city of Birmingham, Rover Motors had large Shadow Factories at Acocks Green and at Smethwick, and Nuffield (Morris Motors of Oxford) built one at Castle Bromwich that employed 12,000 - 15,000 and was the largest in the country10. Then adjoining its great Motor Works at Longbridge, Austin built a Shadow Factory for aircraft production – partly underground – at Cofton Hackett; together, the two plants employed nearly 22,00011. Adjacent to Castle Bromwich was the great tyre factory, Fort Dunlop, employing over 8,000. At Small Heath was the large factory of BSA (Birmingham Small Arms), engaged in the manufacture of guns of all kinds, and this was supplemented by its Shadow Factories in other parts of the city. Then there was Wolseley Motors and Morris Commercial at Washwood Heath, Kynoch’s, GEC and ICI Metals at Witton, Fisher & Ludlow – with several large metal works around the city engaged in aircraft manufacture, Lucas Industries … and so on – even Cadbury's at Bournville turned out aircraft parts as well as chocolate. In and around Coventry, there was a great concentration of engineering factories – including Shadow Factories – engaged in the manufacture of military vehicles, tanks, armaments and aircraft, notably Daimler, Alvis, Humber-Hillman, Rootes, Riley, Standard, Armstrong Siddeley, Triumph, Rover, and many others.
Large freight flows derived from Government factories and depots. Although the majority of the 45 – 50 great Royal Ordnance Factories were naturally sited outside urban areas, three were not far from Birmingham: Walsall (Bescot), Featherstone (just north of Wolverhampton) and Blackpole (near Droitwich). Likewise, few of the innumerable Government depots built all over the country were close to Birmingham. These were principally for food, armaments or oil, and are too numerous to list here. Reference may be made, however, to the vast depots for armaments and stores – just outside our arbitrarily defined area – near Stratford-on-Avon: Long Marston, Burton Dassett (Kineton), and Honeybourne.
For the extra war traffic, substantial new works were undertaken at Government expense by the railways themselves. In the area discussed here, perhaps the most critical was the doubling of the connection between the LMSR and the GWR at Bordesley. Halts were built for war workers at Canley12 (between Coventry and Tile Hill) and at Ford Houses13 (between Wolverhampton and Four Ashes), while Cosford Halt (serving the major RAF aerodrome beside the GWR beyond Wolverhampton) was enhanced to be a station. New running loops were built on the LMS main line at Bushbury and at Four Ashes, and on the GWR at Oldbury and at Stourbridge Junction. Enlargements were made to the GW yards at Bordesley and Oxley, and to the sidings at Halesowen and Kidderminster. On the LMSR, in addition to the virtual reconstruction of Lawley Street Goods station, substantial enhancements were made to the goods yard facilities and sidings at Albion, Coventry, Kings Norton, Lifford, Nuneaton (Trent Valley), Redditch and Walsall (Midland). Much expenditure was also entailed in providing new or additional trunk telephone circuits to and through the area by both the GWR and the LMSR. It should be emphasized, however, that nearly all these new works were brought into use only after the Blitz, mainly in 1941-42, and that during the first two to three most difficult years of the war the railways had to manage with the facilities that they had before the war.
1 Before withdrawal of the Circle service via Camp Hill, 37afterwards.
2 In brackets are some approximate monthly tonnages handled in mid-1940.
3 These included at least 10 Block (‘Convoy’) coal trains, running to Westerleigh or Stoke Gifford Yards near Bristol or to Bath.
4 The author recollects often seeing in wartime strings of up to six freight trains lined up one behind the other waiting for a path northwards through Kings Norton.
5 The service was in fact never restored and its withdrawal was made officially permanent from 27 November 1946.
6 Lifford had been closed to passengers on 30 September 1940.
7 The Circle service round the Loop had ceased in 1937, and in the war it was used by only three New Street – Walsall trains and one express, each way.
8 Permanently in November 1950; it was reopened for the Cross-Rail electric services on 8 May 1978.
9 The Leamington line was single for 1¾ mile between Gibbet Hill and Kenilworth Junction.
10 It was run by Vickers from May 1940 onwards and was the principal source of the outstanding Supermarine Spitfire fighter aircraft, but also of many Avro Lancaster bombers.
11 Even in wartime (February 1942), 2,160 cars and 203 motor-bikes ‘commuted’ daily to these Works, whereas only 600 workers used the two special trains from Old Hill via Halesowen – a branch that lost its advertised passenger service in 1919. Most of the remainder came by tram or bus.
12 This Halt, built principally for the ‘Shadow Factory’ at Fletchamstead, was unusual in being shown in the Public Timetable. After the war, Canley was elevated to the status of a station, eventually being modernized by Centro, the West Midlands Public Transport Authority.
13 It is not at all certain that Ford Houses Halt was ever actually used! It appears in the 1944 WTT but with no trains booked to call – not even munitions workers’ trains.
THE BLITZ
The Railways and the other industrial concerns made very good preparations1 in advance for mitigating the effects of air raids, following Government advice and using public money to a great extent. The Railways had built up large stocks of engineering materials for use in emergency, and trains loaded with these were held ready for movement at short notice to points where damage had occurred. If possible, the existing staff in the Engineering Departments were employed to repair the damage, but if, as was often the case, supplementary repair gangs were needed, these had to be organized, albeit with some difficulty – and often with military assistance.
During an air raid, small gangs of Engineering Department men stationed at or near the Control Offices were sent out first to determine the relative seriousness of an incident. When it had been decided what train services could be run after a blockage, the District Controller in consultation with the District Passenger Manager made the arrangements necessary for modified passenger services, and the latter fixed up any bus services required and arranged for the advising the public by posters, blackboards and loud speakers. Freight services were re-arranged by the District Controller in collaboration with the Divisional Superintendent of Operation. At Headquarters, staff of the Chief Civil and Signal & Telegraph Engineers worked alongside the Operating staff to collate particulars of incidents as they became available. By the morning following an attack, it was usually possible to determine the order of priority of repairs necessary and arrangements were made for the concentration of men, materials and equipment.
Naturally, the Germans recognized the importance of the Birmingham area as a prime target, where the manufacture of much of Britain's armaments, aircraft and military vehicles was undertaken. They must have known that from well in advance of the outbreak of hostilities the Government, as well as building its own ROF’s, had enlisted the aid of the motor manufacturers of the West Midlands in the manufacture of armaments, armoured vehicles and especially of aircraft. However, these promising industrial targets were not at the time available to the enemy. Targeted daylight bombing was out of the question, because the Luftwaffe fighters essential as escort to the bombers did not have the range and endurance, and in any case they still had the RAF fighters to contend with. On the other hand, the Germans were optimistic that they could seriously restrict the manufacture of war materials by the night bombing of the Birmingham region. They therefore resorted to ‘Area Bombing’ by night, in the main concentrating on the central parts of Birmingham and Coventry. The other West Midlands towns were spared, although on two nights Nuneaton was bombed – one occasion being by mistake -- and one attack was directed against Wolverhampton and Walsall. A great deal of damage was done by these night raids, but the enemy’s expectations and their assessments of the effects at the time on war production – and on transport – proved in the end to be much exaggerated.
1 See Bell (1946); also the -- unpublished -- History of the London Midland & Scottish Railway during the Second World War, compiled by T.W. Royle, LMSR Chief Operating Manager, in 1946 (PRO RAIL421/9 and ZLIB/20), and for the GWR the Reports to the Board by the Chief General Manager (PRO RAIL 250/776).
Early Raids
The first bombing sorties by the Luftwaffe over the West Midlands were made on 25 and 26 June 1940, and some high explosive (HE) bombs were dropped in the Coventry area. Not until 8 August were bombs dropped on the city of Birmingham for the first time, when four people were killed. On the night of 15/16 August, damage was sustained in several districts of the city and 11 people were killed; again, on 17/18 August there were a few casualties. Concerted attacks on Birmingham, albeit still on a small scale, were suffered on four successive nights between 24 and 28 August, at the time when the Germans were targeting British aircraft factories and now navigating with remarkable accuracy using their X-Gerät equipment, but damage and casualties were very limited. Soon after midnight on 25/26 August, various parts of the city were attacked, including the Nuffield factory at Castle Bromwich. The Market Hall at the Bull Ring was burnt out and 13 people were killed, and many important factories suffered significant damage. In the early hours of 27 August, bombs were dropped near Coventry.
After that, and while the Battle of Britain reached its climax and the Germans then switched to concentrated bombing at night of London and the South Coast ports, night attacks over the Birmingham area in September and until mid-October 1940 were very sporadic — in four raids during September only sixteen people were killed. It was mid-October before any substantial Luftwaffe force came over the West Midlands. During the intervening seven weeks, there were nevertheless frequent and prolonged air raid alarms, and with the lengthening hours of darkness, working conditions became increasingly difficult. Speed restrictions during Alerts were draconian, as were the lighting restrictions. The marshalling and movement of the freight traffic at night was radically slowed down even in the absence of any damage to the system. Hundreds of freight trains were held up in lay-bys and thousands of loaded wagons accumulated at many points on the system.
October 1940 – May 1941: the Major Raids
The comparative peace in the West Midlands region ended with sharp but limited attacks on Coventry on 12/13 and 14/15 October 1940. Birmingham then began to be a main target, and over four consecutive nights commencing 15/16 October, 46 people were killed there. The enemy now began to achieve serious industrial damage, notably on one of the Fisher & Ludlow Works, the Metropolitan-Cammell Works at Saltley and Midland Tar Distillers at Oldbury, and in fact they achieved considerable disruption on the railways (see below). Relatively small-scale raids were also made on Coventry on five successive nights, 18/19 - 22/23 October, the heaviest being on 20/21 October. This resulted in damage to several war factories and public utilities, and the death of at least 32 people1.
There was then little respite. Now assisted by a Pathfinder force, a considerable effort was made by the Luftwaffe against Birmingham during the nights 24/25 – 26/27, 28/29 and 29/30 October. The commercial district in the city centre was mainly affected, where a large number of fires were started. Total deaths over these five nights were 199. The worst of these nights were 25/26 and 26/27 October, when 121 people died and several public utilities and important factories (Key Points2) were seriously damaged. Two factories engaged in ‘high-tech’ military work were gutted, the major electrical substation at Shaftmoor Lane was destroyed and Windsor Street Gas Works was set on fire. Indeed, so many fires were started that fire-pumps had to be called from Manchester and Nottingham. Coventry was also attacked to a limited extent on 26/27 and 29/30 October
During the first two weeks of November 1940, scattered bombing occurred in the area almost every night, before the notorious raid on Coventry for 10 hours on the night of 14/15 November. During this catastrophic attack, 449 bombers dropped some 500 tons of HE and 30,000 incendiaries (IB’s), destroying much of the heart of the city and killing 568 people. It was some days before public services were restored. The damage was massive: one-third of the factories were either completely demolished or so damaged as to be out of commission for several months and another third heavily damaged. The heaviest damage was done at the Alvis factory, Daimler at Radford and its No. 2 Shadow Factory at Allesley, Mechanization & Aero Ltd at Gosford Green, Humber-Hillman, Standard Motors aero engine factory at Fletchampstead, Armstrong Siddeley, Rootes (Humber), and Sterling Metals. Some aircraft attacked Birmingham on the same night, also Leamington, and a further 12 people were killed.
On the night of 18/19 November, a very small enemy force (10 aircraft) attacked Birmingham, killing 15 people. Then on the following night, Luftwaffe bombers really blitzed Birmingham, with 439 aircraft dispatched. It was a clear night and in spite of our jamming 'Knickebein' and misleading their Pathfinders, 351 planes attacked the city, in a raid lasting from 19.25 until 04.25. They dropped 403 tons of HE, including a large number (44) of land mines3, and over 29,000 IB's. Nevertheless, the Ministry of Home Security judged the raid as not nearly as severe as the recent one on Coventry. Targets struck included many Key Points, including the new BSA gun factory at Small Heath and the GEC plant at Witton. In all, there were 800 bomb incidents, with 338 serious fires and civilian casualties included 450 killed, but war production was stated to be “not seriously affected”. London was also attacked that night as a secondary target, a limited number of bombs fell on Coventry again, and there were sporadic sorties over much of the rest of the country.
The raiders returned to Birmingham the next night, albeit on a smaller scale, with only 116 planes in scattered sorties, but two nights later (22/23 November), the city was again attacked heavily. Over a period of 10 hours, 204 planes started 45 large fires and eventually the conflagration was visible from over the South Coast, enabling the German pilots following on to locate Birmingham easily. The attack became concentrated on the city centre, where great damage was done; 113 people were killed, but also many of the serious fires were in the eastern part of the city – where most of the railway yards were located. On the night of 19 November, the extensive conflagrations were mainly due to the widespread fracture of water mains, and now on this later night the water in the Warwick Canal ran dangerously low. Industrial damage was not extensive, but again part of Fisher & Ludlow’s complex was heavily damaged, and the BSA factory at Small Heath was completely evacuated although eventually saved from destruction. The main water supply from the Elan Valley in Wales was cut and the water situation became so critical that a company of Royal Engineers were made ready to blow up rows of buildings in the city centre to make a firebreak in the event of another raid on the following night. This, however, did not materialize. It was just as well for Birmingham that the Germans did not follow up the attack of 22/23 November for nearly two weeks. Instead, they attacked Bristol, Southampton, Plymouth and Merseyside.
The Luftwaffe was back over Birmingham on the night of 3/4 December but with a smaller force of 51 aircraft, and only 25 people were killed. Damage done was moderate, but the Metropolitan-Cammell Works and parts of those of Fisher & Ludlow were gutted. Another relatively light attack was made the next night, confined to the northeast parts of the city, with 62 planes reaching the target area. The next major raid on Birmingham came on the night of 11/12 December, in two phases over no less than 13 hours from 18.05. The 278 aircraft that reached Birmingham caused 12 large fires and did moderate industrial damage, including to the Fisher & Ludlow and W&T Avery Works, with 95 people being killed. The dropping of parachute mines was a feature, but only seven out of 18 exploded, and the mines that did not explode caused much more disruption – nearly 3,000 people having to be evacuated in Smethwick.
For the next four months, the Birmingham area was spared all but the most minor air raids. Instead, as much as the weather would allow, the Germans pursued their Blitz over other cities and towns of Britain, and especially in March, they carried out heavy raids on many centres, including London, Portsmouth, Plymouth, Bristol, Cardiff, Swansea, Hull, Merseyside, and Clydeside.
It was not until April 1941 that the West Midlands region was attacked again in force. On the night of 8/9 April, there was a major raid on Coventry by 237 bombers, attacking in two phases between about 22.00 and 04.00, killing no less than 281 people and starting 40 large fires. Industrial damage was great, with Daimler’s Radford factory and Courtaulds at Foleshill Road being virtually destroyed and severe damage done at Alvis – where 14 people were killed in a shelter. Two nights later, during the second of two raids on Birmingham, a number of the bombers meant for Birmingham bombed Coventry instead, possibly because of the effectiveness of the smoke screen over the Bromford area of Birmingham. Another 84 people were killed and substantial further damage was done, including the gutting of the main Post Office and the large GEC Telephone & Radio factory and serious damage to the Humber and the Mechanization & Aero factories.
On 9/10 and 10/11 April, there were two heavy raids in succession on Birmingham, by 237 and 206 bombers respectively, 403 people being killed during the two nights. Again, the city suffered a grave fire situation, with 38 serious fires aggravated by a shortage of water. Damage was heavy in the city centre, and a great conflagration at the junction of New Street and High Street, i.e. near the east end of New Street Station, became completely out of control and – as in November – the Royal Engineers stood by to blow up surrounding buildings to make a fire-break. Another conflagration engulfed the east side of the Bull Ring, almost over the New Street Tunnel. There was extensive damage in the Nechells area – where the Gas Works was wrecked, and in the Aston, Stechford, Small Heath and King's Heath areas; at the Austin Motor Works many people died when trapped in a tunnel shelter. On the second night, the Morris Commercial factory at Adderley Park was largely destroyed, and serious damage was done at the Great Barr and Small Heath factories of BSA and at the Wolseley Motors, Dunlop Rubber, Steel Construction and Parkinson’s Stove factories.
Before they proceeded under Hitler to seal their own fate – as it turned out – by throwing their military might against Russia on 22 June 1941, the Nazi Germans brought their night Blitz on British cities to a climax early in May – an abrupt end that was largely unexpected in Britain. In the first two weeks of the month, few Luftwaffe planes were sent over Birmingham, but the final raid in 1941, in the early hours of 17 May, was quite heavy, with 111 aircraft attacking. Only 32 people were killed, however, and industrial damage was not serious. In fact, most of the enemy planes hit Nuneaton instead, in error; there the town was extensively wrecked and 83 people were killed.
Later Attacks
After the middle of May 1941, bombing by the Luftwaffe was mainly restricted to small, sharp attacks from time to time on coastal targets in the East and South, to the revenge attacks in 1942 on historic cities, occasional attacks of modest intensity on some industrial targets and the 'Little Blitz' on London early in 1944. Finally, there was the V-weapon offensive, from which the West Midlands were spared.
Included in the rare attacks on industrial centres in 1942 was a brief one on Nuneaton on the night of 24/25 June, when 17 people were killed. On 27 July, 10 people were killed at Solihull4. In the early hours of 28 and of 30 July, about 60 enemy aircraft each time converged from east and west on Birmingham. In all, some 136 people were killed and there were some serious fires, but damage was scattered although three factories were badly affected. An attack, mainly a fire raid, was made on Wolverhampton and Walsall on the night of 30/31 July, with isolated HE incidents at other places in the vicinity of Birmingham. Serious industrial fires occurred and in all 15 people were killed.
After that for the rest of the war, the Luftwaffe very rarely came so far inland and the last damage done at Birmingham was on 23 April 1943, when a few bombs on Bordesley Green seriously injured eight people, but did not affect the railway.
1 For every person killed, a roughly equal number were seriously injured on each occasion.
2 Factories and other installations designated by the Government as of special significance to the war effort and closely watched and reported upon.
3 From this time, the parachuting of land mines became a prominent feature of Luftwaffe attacks. As they did not penetrate the ground before bursting, their blast effects were particularly deadly.
4 It is interesting to note that, simultaneously, the enemy managed to cause extensive damage at the ROF at Hereford, killing 15 and seriously injuring six; also other aircraft managed to hit the Rolls-Royce Works at Derby.
DAMAGE AND DISRUPTION ON THE RAILWAYS
The effects of the enemy air raids on the railways in the Birmingham area will now be described1. The events of the major raids are presented in some detail, with abbreviated notes2 of the many incidents that occurred on other occasions.
August, September and early October 1940
15 - 16/8:- LMS: Stechford 00.35: IB's burnt Inspector's Office roof and empty cattle-wagon and fire damaged another wagon and carriage-truck. 21.35 Euston - Birmingham express held three hours at Marston Green.
23 - 24/8:- LMS: Castle Bromwich 03.30: HE on Down Goods line, cutting it until 09.45, also Up Goods until 08.15. Telecom cut at Bromford Bridge until 12.30. HE exploded 07.18 in Dunlop Sidings, severely damaging wagons and throwing debris across running lines. Normal at 05.00 25/8.
25 - 26/8:- LMS: Aston Loco Shed 02.15: HE through the roof damaged Nos. 3 and 4 roads. Five locomotives blocked in, one being derailed and damaged. Water-main burst. Locomotives moved in and out at north end. Windsor Street Branch 02.15: Crater between lines near Aston No. 1 Box. Lines repaired by 07.00.
New Street 02.55: HE fell at west end of station, but traffic not affected.
26 - 27/8:- GW: Small Heath South Box: HE damaged box and telecom, also power lines cut. Unexploded bomb (UXB) feared. Bordesley Junction: IB's burnt out goods shed, and HE fell nearby. 0-6-2T 6696 damaged. LMS reported all trips from Washwood Heath stopped. Temporary repairs allowed traffic from 10.00 27/8.
LMS: Aston Junction 18.20: UXB found opposite loco shed. Trains cautioned. Bomb removed 11.00 28/8. 23.37: Four UXB's reported either on sidings or other LMS property. Brighton Road - Camp Hill: Bomb crater in 6-foot, putting both lines out of alignment. Circle service terminated at Brighton Road. Stechford, also Marston Green 00.30: UXB's 10 yards from line. Castle Bromwich - Bromford Bridge 00.53: Four UXB's reported. Camp Hill 02.55: One wagon of 18.58 Bristol - Birmingham freight derailed by a UXB. Both lines blocked. All mineral trains cancelled; other freight diverted via New Street and passenger trains via Kings Heath. Gosford Green Box 00.14: HE fell 60 yards from Coventry Loop. Line blocked 12 hours. Webster's Siding (Foleshill) 02.06: Down line and access to Daimler's Siding blocked.
27 - 28/8:- LMS: Penns - Sutton Park 08.30: UXB exploded, but no damage done to line.
28 - 29/8:- LMS: Whateley Siding (Kingsbury - Wilnecote) 22.45: HE blocked both lines and rails blown between wagons of 21.30 Birmingham - Nottingham freight, which came to a stand at edge of crater.
30 - 31/8:- GW: Bilston - Priestfield Junction 22.15: HE and IB's cut telecom. Time Interval Working (TIW) until 23.20. Normal on 31/8. Evesham – Littleton & Badsey: Two craters blown in the Up line and one in the Down. Into the latter fell 2-8-0 No. 2815, heading the 18.35 freight from Oxford. Tender reported straddling crater – in which a UXB believed lying. Normal working restored 13.30 on 31/8.
31/8 – 1/9:- GW: North of Stourbridge Junction 23.00: HE fell on embankment near Loco Box, causing subsidence. Traffic suspended until 05.37 1/9, then trains passed at five mph, until normal from 11.00.
4/9:- LMS: Near Penns 02.30: HE caused a loose sleeper to bring down telegraph wires. At 03.35, engine of 21.28 Gloucester - Crewe pigeon special3 became entangled until 04.05.
As the Blitz came seriously to affect railway operations, the lists sent to the Railway Executive Council (REC) of General Restrictions and Embargoes on the Acceptance and Movement of Goods Traffic grew inexorably longer and more extensive. By the end of December 1940, they give the impression of covering most of the main routes across the country – certainly to and through the principal industrial areas. Restrictions and Embargoes changed daily, but during the winter of 1940/41 some were in force over prolonged periods. In spite of a mid-winter hiatus in bombing raids, they were eased only a little during January and February 1941, because the disruption of movement due to enemy damage was compounded by the weather4 and by staff sickness. In mid-February, the Military had to be called in, and 150 Servicemen were drafted to work at Curzon Street, Lawley Street and Aston Goods depots. Engineering production at many Black Country factories was severely impeded by the restrictions imposed by the railways on the movement of crude iron and steel from the major steelworks in Scotland, the North East, the Scunthorpe area and South Wales. The Restrictions were fully resumed in March – May 1941 when the Luftwaffe renewed its onslaught, but the recovery in the summer after the end of the Blitz was rapid.
12 - 31 October 1940
The LMSR reported at 20.40 on 12 October that incendiaries had fallen on or near the railway and started fires in the goods yard, but little damage was done. Then the main line and the Coventry Loop were blocked by HE that fell at Humber Road Junction at 21.45, and at Foleshill a UXB was found at 21.56. The UXB exploded at 04.40, blocking the Nuneaton lines for two days, so necessitating bus substitution from Longford & Exhall to Coventry until 11.10 on 15 October.
During the Birmingham raids of 15/16 - 18/19 October, the railways were singularly unlucky. On the LMSR on 15 October at 22.35, the Lichfield lines were blocked for 15 hours beyond Wylde Green by one HE beside an overbridge and another near Sutton Coldfield station. Then at 23.25, fires were started by many IB’s in the goods sheds and yard at Curzon Street. In Top Yard, the fire at the warehouse had to be left to burn out and it was completely gutted; cartage work stopped owing to the extensive damage in the large dray parking area. The use of Curzon Street depot was afterwards much restricted by this and subsequent damage, and a semblance of normal working was not restored until about July 1941. Also on 15 October, the Camp Hill line was cratered near Brighton Road, the Up line being cut for nine hours and the Down for sixteen. Another bomb at 00.15 made a crater in the bank beside the reception sidings at Washwood Heath and suspended movements for some six hours.
On the GWR at 23.05, bombs destroyed the cattle pens at Bordesley North, injuring one member of staff; damage was done to the arches of the old Duddeston Viaduct5, and for an hour or so all lines were strewn with debris. Then at 23.30, the glass at Moor Street Box was shattered by HE. Wagons were damaged in the 'B' Goods Shed, also Pannier tank No. 9727 was quite badly damaged and one man was injured.
On 16/17 October, the big No. 5 Box at New Street was very severely damaged by an almost direct hit6 and a large crater blocked the North Tunnel, affecting also the Midland lines. Traffic was interrupted for 12 hours, and one signalman and three other railwaymen were severely injured.
On 17/18 October on the GWR, HE blocked all lines at Small Heath at 20.30, and a man dealing with IB’s was injured. The Main lines were quickly cleared, but the Goods and Relief lines not until well into the next day. The North Warwickshire line was also blocked for 15 hours after a bomb damaged the bank at Hall Green at 21.00.
On the LMSR, at 23.00 a bomb penetrated the Duddeston Mill Road Bridge south of Saltley station and exploded in the roadway. This resulted in temporary severance of all six running lines at this critical place, and the derailment of an engine (unidentified). Damage was also reported to sidings, the wharf and rolling stock in Lawley Street Coal Yard. As nearly 40 passenger and 100 goods workings were scheduled to cross this bridge each way on weekdays, and although the Goods lines were very soon reopened the congestion caused by this incident must have been frightful. All traffic had to be passed over the Down Camp Hill line for nearly five days until the Up Main was available at 15.00 on 22 October; the Down Main was not restored until 23 October and the Up Camp Hill line on 27 October. Meanwhile at 20.40, a bomb in Robinson's Sidings had blocked the Aston - Stechford line and another at Emlyn Street in Camp Hill blocked the Camp Hill lines briefly. The report of 06.00 on 18 October stated that it was necessary to work north-to-west passenger trains via Wichnor Junction, Lichfield, Walsall, New Street and Camp Hill, and west-to-north via Walsall and Water Orton. “Freight trains are being routed via Olney and Bedford”7. Moreover, at 08.25 that morning, an unexploded oil-bomb was discovered between St Andrews Junction and Camp Hill.
On 18/19 October, the railways were further disrupted. At 21.00 the Up main London line was damaged by HE beside Exchange Sidings at Grand Junction, and half an hour later HE fell on the sidings at Lawley Street, damaging several wagons; at Curzon Street again, there was a big fire at the Grain Shed. At 22.10, a bomb exploded at the entrance to Camp Hill Yard and blocked it, and then at 22.45 another fell near Aston No. 2 Box and exploded 10 minutes later, causing further disruption.
The GWR suffered disruption at Small Heath again, when at 21.45 a bomb fell on the Down side and blocked the exit from Bordesley Junction Yard. The wires to Snow Hill were cut until the next day and normal working was not resumed until 28 October.
Three nights later (21/22 October), a UXB was found in the embankment at Witton, but it exploded at 01.45 (22 October), blocking the Up and Down lines until 18.45 on 23 October. Midland Division8 trains were being diverted via Wichnor Junction, Lichfield and Sutton Coldfield.
At Coventry on the night of 21/22 October, the Loop line was blocked again for 12 hours after a bomb fell near the signalbox at Bell Green. Again, on 22 October at 21.06, HE fell in the goods yard at Coventry and one at 22.50 burst a water main by the main line. However, trains were allowed to pass – at caution.
On 24 October, Snow Hill and New Street were both hit. At 20.05, many IB’s fell in and around Snow Hill station. Fires were started in the booking office and in the roof, but were soon extinguished and damage was slight. The North Box was damaged by debris but remained workable. On the other hand, numerous incendiaries that fell on New Street station between 19.45 and 20.40 caused havoc. Two platforms were put out of use by fires and a bomb made a crater in No. 1 platform line, heavily damaging a train to Liverpool and destroying a loaded parcels van. A fireman and a Parcels Inspector were killed, and two passengers and three staff were injured. The roof glazing was made unsafe, and, although traffic resumed on the Midland side in five hours, it was 18 hours before trains could be run through the LNW side of the station.
During the raid of 25/26 October, the railways were not too seriously affected. Between Grand Junction and Adderley Park at 19.55, a suspected UXB necessitated temporary closure of the main line, and in the meantime a large shower of incendiaries stopped all traffic between New Street and Grand Junction until 22.50. An HE fell in Camp Hill Yard at 20.00 and damaged a siding and several wagons, and an hour later bombs fell on Nos. 16 and 17 stables at Lawley Street, killing a carter, a stableman and two horses. Further bombs at the north end of the depot damaged a railway motor van and a Police hut, also demolishing the Time Office; yet another bomb that fell on the corner of the Old Grain House blew wagons off the line and destroyed the river culvert. At Curzon Street, the staff were evacuated for an hour after a UXB was found in the yard at 03.00. That night also, at Harvington – a little outside the area under study – at 21.10, the 19.30 local from New Street to Ashchurch was struck by six wagons blown onto it by HE. Three coaches were damaged, and twelve passengers and two railway staff were injured. Buses had to be provided on to Ashchurch until the single line was restored at 06.10 next morning.
On 26/27 October, on the GWR both lines were blocked at Hall Green at 22.30, normal traffic being restored at 09.40 the next morning. Later, at 23.45, fires were started in the arches of Bordesley Viaduct and a large crater was blasted in the Up Main. Most lines were repaired during the night, but normal working was not restored until 16.35 the next day and in the meantime diversions were necessary. The situation was made worse by the fact that a freight train on the Down Relief had been hit by HE, the line being blocked by debris. At Snow Hill at 23.35, a man was injured when incendiaries set fire to the booking hall, also the top storey of the old hotel in Livery Street. This incident affected the GWR stables, but the horses were saved.
On the LMSR, there were a number of incidents. New Street reported that at 21.50 many IB's and some HE's had fallen on the station, and as a result it had to be closed for 24 hours9; three passengers and three staff were injured. Bombs had exploded on No. 1 and the "Gloucester platforms" – presumably No. 6, on the station buildings and on trains in the bay platforms; the Queens Drive walls and the Midland side Parcels Office were damaged. At 22.55, fires in buildings adjacent to the railway blocked with debris the Up and Down Stour Valley lines at Sheepcote Lane for 11 hours, and at Monument Lane Shed there was damage to water columns, wires and windows. On the Midland Division, Central Goods station was set on fire at 20.37. The fire virtually destroyed the working shed and warehouse above, so that the depot ceased to be used for goods until the autumn of 1941, and then only on a temporary basis. Also, a bomb that fell on the bank at Somerset Road threw debris onto the West Suburban line and on the Camp Hill line debris blocked the lines at Kings Heath.
Some bombs were dropped at Coventry also that night, and the signalbox at Bell Green was reported at 03.00 to be burnt out.
On 28/29 October, the only incidents reported by the GWR were that at 22.30 a man had been injured in Bordesley Yard, and that at 23.50 two passenger trains departing at the same time from Snow Hill had come into sidelong collision, derailing both engines and blocking Nos. 1 and 3 – 6 Platform lines. One locomotive damaged the powerhouse supplying the local signalboxes, so traffic was “disorganized”.
New Street was struck again. At 20.34, a report stated that the station had been bombed and set on fire, that all lines were blocked and there were fires all over the station but these had been extinguished by 21.10. However, soon after, at 21.50 the conflagration was stated now to require the attention of the LMS Fire Train from Crewe as well as the City Fire Brigade, and it was not finally extinguished until 00.10 (29 October). By that time, heavy damage had been done by fire and water to the offices of the District Manager and the Cashier, to the booking office and refreshment room on No. 6 platform, and to the Parcels Offices on both Nos. 3 and 6 platforms. Most seriously, the Western District Control Office on the top floor of the buildings alongside No. 6 platform were almost completely destroyed, and the Control staff had to spend the next year in cramped emergency accommodation; four staff were injured. In spite of all this, traffic at New Street was interrupted for only 3½ hours on the LNW side, six hours on the Midland side.
At Soho Soap Works Junction at 20.05, a bomb near the signalbox briefly blocked all lines, and a UXB that fell on the Woodbridge Road Bridge at Moseley at 22.00 exploded harmlessly shortly afterwards. However, the bomb-disposal squad found another UXB there, which they believed would severely damage the bridge if it did explode. Consequently, passenger trains were suspended on the Camp Hill line, but it was evidently felt that goods trains could take the risk and continue to pass. Up the line at Saltley Locomotive Depot, a bomb struck No. 2 Shed and injured two men, but in spite of the damage working continued.
Meanwhile at 20.13, a blow had fallen on the WCML a mile or so south of Nuneaton, when HE struck a bridge over the Coventry Canal at Marston Jabbett near Bulkington. The damage was serious, for the LMSR report at 06.00 on 29 October stated that "it was not possible to open any line other than the Down Fast until about Sunday next (3 November)". That meant that WCML traffic would have to be largely diverted at Rugby – but was this possible? In fact, the bridge was rebuilt and normal services resumed on 2 November!
On the night of 29/30 October, at 19.58 at Bedworth on the Nuneaton - Coventry line, HE blocked the lines near Newdigates Box and cut the Block Telegraph (BT) to Hawkesbury Lane. At 23.50, HE partially demolished the signalbox at Hockley South on the GWR, blocking all lines and cutting all telecommunications. However, it was possible to pass traffic over the Relief line within an hour, although the Main lines were not clear until 09.25 the following morning. At 02.08, Curzon Street Goods was struck yet again; HE penetrated the roof of the goods shed and exploded in the Bonded Store beneath.
Occasionally, an intrepid enemy raider did still penetrate far inland in daylight. On 31 October at 14.45, one or two machine-gunned the Castle Bromwich factory and dropped bombs in the sidings at Washwood Heath – but with little effect. That night (31 October/1 November), there was severe disruption for a while after a UXB was found at 03.32 on the main line viaduct between Proof House Junction and Vauxhall; for three hours, trains on all lines east/northwards out of New Street were suspended. All west-to-north trains were sent over the Camp Hill line, and local trains towards Derby and Leicester were started at Saltley. The Birmingham passengers on the overnight 01.30 Bristol - Bradford express were detrained at Kings Norton and transferred to buses, with the train continuing by the Camp Hill line. The bomb was dismantled presently, but a hole in the viaduct kept the Grand Junction line closed for a few more hours, the Up Fast and Down Slow being made available by 12.00 on 1 November. Later at 05.05, further bombs extensively damaged the station at Vauxhall, blocking all lines. The Goods lines were restored in three hours, but passenger traffic was not resumed until next day (2 November), when movement over the Down Fast was allowed at 10 mph from 13.00.
Incidents in early November 1940
4 – 5/11: - GW: Kidderminster 16.30: HE damaged windows in Goods Office.
LMS: Coventry No. 1 Box and Humber Road Junction 01.10: HE smashed windows in both boxes, and BT was interrupted between them.
Camp Hill 03.00: Van burnt out by IB’s.
7 – 8/11:- GW: 13.25 Henley-in-Arden – Moor Street local passenger machine-gunned. Minimal damage and no casualties.
8 – 9/11:- GW: Snow Hill 19.20: 13.45 from Paddington, running nearly two hours late, ran into shunt spur at North Box and collided with a light engine. Both engines derailed and signal post knocked down, fouling the Down Main and Up Relief lines. Normal working restored 17.30 9/11.
LMS: Stechford – Marston Green 00.28: RAF plane crashed on the line, blocking all lines. Five aircrew killed. Bescot breakdown crane arrived 02.20, and Up line clear 05.20, Down line 09.25. 00.25 Birmingham - Euston Mail diverted via Nuneaton.
10 – 11/11:- GW: Himley (Wombourn line) 20.46: HE fell at closed station10.
12 - 13/11:- LMS: Barnt Green - Halesowen Junction 16.4511: HE blocked all main lines; one railwayman injured. Up Slow line clear 20.40, Down Slow 11.00 13/11, Up and Down Fast 17.45 14/11. Coventry 21.20: HE fell near Leamington line, damaging a locomotive at the Shed.
1 The railway particulars are derived principally from the Daily - actually twice-daily – Situation Reports by the REC to the Ministry of (War) Transport (see PRO AN2/1103-1113 for May 1940 – August 1942), supplemented by detail from other contemporary reports such as those of the Mo(W)T itself (PRO AN2/501-503). The broader story of the effects of the air raids is derived mainly from contemporary Ministry of Home Security records (PRO HO192/3/8, 201-203). HO203 is the most informative file, comprising the twice-daily reports of the Intelligence Section. The researcher will find that other sources, even the ‘official’ ones, base their information on these contemporary records.
2 The period covered is the 24 hours from 06.00 on the first date to 06.00 on the second. Where the duration of a blockage is not given, this is usually because it was reported as less than six hours – or else not reported.
3 Evidently, no wartime emergency could stop the pigeon race traffic!
4 During the heavy snowstorms in February 1941, deliveries and collections by road were often gravely affected by snowdrifts.
5 The remains of the planned link between the GWR at Bordesley and the LNWR at Curzon Street, abandoned in 1852 before it was even completed.
6 PRO RAIL421/89. It is fully described by Richard Foster in Volume 3 (pp. 51-2) of his excellent series Birmingham New Street, published by Wild Swan Publications in 1997.
7 It is not at all clear what was meant by this.
8 A UXB had fallen at 04.00 – not recorded by the REC — at Whitacre station and the station was damaged when the Military exploded the bomb at 10.00, so this may have been why Midland Division trains were stopped, although on the face of it main line traffic could it seems have continued over the Kingsbury – Water Orton direct line.
9 Train working was reported as interrupted for 19½ hours on the LNW side and for only five hours on the Midland.
10 Open only from May 1925 until October 1932.
11 During a rare daytime raid by a small flight on the Austin Works, which did little damage but killed six people.
November 1940: Major Raids.
During the Coventry raid of 14/15 November, some 30-odd HE bombs fell on or very near the railways, but the damage done was not as severe as might have been anticipated. By 23.00, Coventry station was badly damaged, with the roof blown onto the lines, all of which were blocked, but the only casualties to railway staff were two men injured at the station – one by an IB. The damage was mainly confined to glass and roof coverings, although serious structural damage was done at the east end of the Up platform and to retaining walls on both sides. A bomb had made a mess of the tracks by No. 1 Box, affecting the Up Main and the Leamington lines, and there was a UXB in the booking-hall. Therefore, the station had to be closed, with the Up side out of commission. A number of bombs had fallen in the main Warwick Road Goods yard, including a land mine that had blown a crater 70 feet wide in six roads, which was filled in by the Military.
The Down line to Birmingham was blocked at Canley Gates at 23.00. Then at 23.10 at Brandon Ballast Pit Box a bomb struck the 19.05 Rugby - Birmingham parcels train standing in the Down loop, and the Up and Down Main lines were blocked by two vehicles that were blown across them – a mess that apparently took 13 hours to clear up. The main line was blocked again at 18.00 on 16 November to passenger trains after another UXB was discovered at Brandon & Wolston. Meanwhile, Rugby - Birmingham local trains as well as some WCML trains -- see below -- were diverted via Leamington, but at 02.40 on 19 November the lines between Kenilworth and Kenilworth Junction were blocked for five hours before single-line working (SLW) was applied for a further six hours.
The Up line through Coventry was clear by the morning of 16 November and the Down line that afternoon, but the Up platform was repaired only at 17.00 on 17 November (Sunday), with the connections into the locomotive yard also being restored that day. However, no passenger trains were run in or out of Coventry and the only access was by local buses until early on 17 November, when some services were restored. Even then, only the Down platform was used, because of the UXB's endangering the Up side. The first traffic to be worked during the morning of 16 November was perishables into Coventry Goods Yard from the south only, but freight trains began to run through the station that evening.
The Coventry - Nuneaton line was blocked first at 20.00 at Three Spires Junction, where the signalbox was damaged. Then at 23.10, a bomb fell between Webster’s Siding and Foleshill, and this later caused the collapse of two arches of an underline bridge. At this point, however, it was found possible to run traffic by SLW over the Down line while a temporary steel trestle bridge was erected to carry the Up line; the latter was ready at 17.00 on 27 November1.
On the Coventry - Leamington line, all traffic was suspended after a UX land mine was reported at 23.55 between Coventry No. 1 and Gibbet Hill Boxes, then at 01.50 two road over-bridges were made unsafe by HE. However, it was possible to reopen one line from 12.00 on 16 November, with SLW for 25 hours.
No less than 31 HE fell on or near a ¾-mile stretch of the Coventry Loop, and several craters left the rails hanging in the air on embankments; also a reinforced concrete over-bridge was shattered. Closure of the Loop was reinforced later by the discovery of a UX land mine near Bell Green. However, repair gangs working with a ballast train from each end of the Loop were able to restore traffic along it by 10.00 on 22 November.
Disruption on 15 November on the Western Division of the LMSR resulting from the Coventry raid was, however, much worse than was occasioned by the isolation of Coventry and the severance of the Rugby – Birmingham main line. Traffic on the WCML itself was affected by HE that fell at Nuneaton (Trent Valley) at 01.50 (15 November) on the Up loop, derailing several wagons, killing two railwaymen and injuring two other people. The Down Fast between Rugby and Nuneaton remained available for all trains, but the Up Fast was cleared only for parcels and freight. In any case, all WCML lines were blocked at Hillmorton Box, two miles east of Rugby, after a UXB fell 20 yards from the railway. Traffic on both the direct WCML through Kilsby Tunnel and that over the Northampton Loop was stopped, although very soon parcels and freight was allowed over the Up Northampton line. The Kilsby Tunnel lines were reopened at 03.15, but normal working was not resumed until 17.15 on 16 November. In the meantime, all WCML passenger traffic, including as well that to the Birmingham area, had to be diverted via Northampton, Market Harborough and the Midland route by the Wigston Loop and Nuneaton Abbey Street, or else diverted at Weedon through Daventry and Leamington. A stop was imposed on all Western Division freight from London, which in turn caused congestion at Willesden with traffic from the SR being stopped back. Through WCML passenger trains were also diverted via Stechford and Bushbury Junction, to avoid congestion at Birmingham New Street2 and Wolverhampton. The diversions continued for at least two days,
On the night of the Coventry Blitz, the GWR was affected little. A bomb that fell at Bordesley at 01.40 blocked all the GW lines except the Down Relief between the South Box and the station; two locomotives (2-6-0 No. 6309 and 0-6-0T No. 8797) were badly damaged and 2-6-2T No. 5113 slightly. Clearance took about 12 hours. At Leamington, a bomb fell in the goods yard but this did not interfere with through running.
On 19 November in the major raid, not surprisingly there was much damage done on the railways at Birmingham. The first report was of HE falling at 19.15 at the Windsor Street and Avenue Road Goods depots at Aston; a large crater was formed and the yards were blocked. Next, at 19.56 the main lines were blocked between Adderley Park and Stechford, and here it was 21½ hours before the lines were clear. Incendiaries showered down at Exchange Sidings at 20.00 and all lines at Grand Junction were blocked, but damage there was limited and the lines were soon cleared. At 21.00, the Top Yard at Curzon Street and the sidings at Banbury Street were on fire and blocked.
Those bombs that fell in Smethwick at Spon Lane, however, caused a conflagration at the Grain Shed that overwhelmed the local fire fighters and the Fire Train had to be ordered from Crewe. The Stour Valley lines were blocked, several wagons were blown into the canal and one man was injured. Then at 20.25 bombs straddled the lines at Spon Lane Basin, and a train ran into a crater3. It was not until 14 January that even SLW was possible at Spon Lane, and then only in daylight and for freight – at 10 mph, and it was 20 July 1941 before the Up line was restored. Therefore, the important Stour Valley line remained blocked completely for two months, and passenger trains northwards from New Street had to go by the Soho Loop and/or the Grand Junction route for a prolonged period.
At New Street itself, at 21.25 all traffic came to a stand when No. 4 Box was practically demolished and No. 5 Box again received some damage. Four passengers and two staff (one in the Queens Hotel) were hurt. The station was again completely isolated for 18½ hours by the damage there and elsewhere, and it was 17.00 next day when the Western Division side was reported fit for working – from the east end only. Through trains on the Midland Division were diverted to run via Camp Hill, stopping at Saltley and Kings Norton for Birmingham passengers to be transferred to buses. The whole station was again closed entirely at 08.10 the next morning, after a UXB was found in Queens Drive, and the Midland Down side was not reopened until 10.20 on 21 November. All goods and mineral trains were cancelled – and this was mid-week!
Meanwhile, at 21.45 all lines were blocked between Curzon Street and Vauxhall, and although the Fast lines were cleared by 14.00 next day the Goods lines took much longer to repair and normality on that route was not restored until 8 December – nearly three weeks later. (This was partly no doubt due to the further damage done at Vauxhall on 22/23 November). All four lines were also blocked at Winson Green, and the lines were cleared progressively in the next 7½ - 18 hours. At 00.30 (20 November), overhead power lines were brought down between Aston No. 2 Box and Gravelly Hill and the railway was blocked until 17.00, while from 00.50 a UXB was also blocking the Soho Pool Branch. Both Monument Lane and Aston Sheds had been struck about 22.15, the timekeeper at the former being seriously injured by an exploding IB. HE had isolated the turntable at Aston, and the line to Stechford was closed for 15½ hours. In addition, out at Wednesbury, the South Staffordshire line had been cut at 19.40 between Wednesbury No. 2 and Mestycroft Boxes. Indeed, over much of the Midlands, various lines were reported as blocked, and over a wide area that night little traffic can have moved.
On the Midland Division, numerous incendiaries did damage at Saltley Loco, in Washwood Heath Yard and at Lawley Street, where an engine was blown off No. 5 road in the yard. Five men were injured, three of them while tackling IB’s. At 21.55, it was reported that the fire at Lawley Street4 was engulfing the Bell Goods Shed, also that no less than 15 HE’s had fallen between Castle Bromwich and Bromford Bridge – but there was no mention of damage done. At Washwood Heath at 23.05, HE fell on a shunting engine in No. 4 coal siding, injuring one of the crew. In addition, a crater was blocking the Up line and there was widespread debris; then at 02.15 a crater was blown in No. 3 Up Reception road. At 00.42, HE blocked the Aston - Stechford lines, and these were not cleared until the afternoon of 21 November. On the Camp Hill line, with fires all round the BT was cut between Camp Hill and Bordesley Junction. Later, the Down line was closed between Hazelwell and Lifford at 03.55 and SLW was necessary until 16.10 on 24 November. The GWR reported, “LMS doing no work and therefore cannot accept freight trains from GW”.
1 This information was provided in the reports of the Ministry of Home Security ‘Social and Economic Survey’ after the Blitz (PRO HO192/1189). The (unpublished) LMSR ‘History of the War’ paints a much worse picture, recording blockages of the Up and Down lines north of Foleshill for 10 days and south of it for three days, also at Coundon Road for nearly 13 days.
2 In any case, a suspected UXB caused interruption of traffic at New Street at 01.45 for an hour.
3 This incident and the mayhem that evening were graphically described — with no date given — by D. Grogan, who was a Monument Lane fireman on the engine (0-6-0T No. 7363), in Steam Days for February/March 1991 (No. 22, pp. 36-38).
4 It had been badly damaged by a fire in May 1937 and extensively rebuilt afterwards – mainly during the war. The New Goods Shed was opened officially on 29 October 1945, but the renovation of all the Lawley Street facilities was not completed until the early 1950’s.
Over on the GWR, havoc befell Snow Hill at 22.20 from the blast of a nearby land mine. The Divisional and District Offices and Hotel were severely damaged, the glass of the roof and concourse smashed and the ventilating shaft of Snow Hill Tunnel blocked. The lines were also hit at the Moor Street end of the tunnel and a passenger train was struck. In spite of all this, it appears that casualties were confined to five staff cut by glass. All train services at Snow Hill were suspended, but only until 03.50. All lines were blocked at Small Heath at 22.00, but the Main lines there were clear by midnight and the Relief lines by midday next day. All lines were also blocked at Olton at 21.30, but there the Up Relief was cleared by midnight and the rest by 04.35. At Soho & Winson Green the Up and Down Relief lines were blocked from 22.10 until 16.45 the next afternoon, with trains running on the Main lines in the meantime. By 21 November, all GW running lines were normal, except that the Up Goods line between Small Heath and Tyseley was being used only for stabling until a crater was filled in. Damage outside the city was limited. The North Warwickshire lines were blocked by HE at Yardley Wood at 22.30, and at 22.35 the Stourbridge lines were cut at Smethwick Junction; SLW was instituted at these places in 2½ and 12½ hours respectively.
On the night of 20/21 November, the GW main line was hit again, the Relief lines being cut for some 18 hours between Hockley North and Soho & Winson Green, and at two points between Bordesley South and Tyseley North; also at Hall Green the Up line was damaged by the explosion of a UXB. As a result, the important link between the two systems at Bordesley was cut for some 24 hours.
On the LMSR, many IB’s fell at 19.32 (20 November) on the lines at Bromford Bridge, putting the BT out of action; again, one man was injured trying to extinguish the incendiaries. The problems of the LMSR were compounded by the UXB at New Street mentioned above, by a bomb that damaged the rear coach of a train south of Lea Hall station and caused closure of the main line again briefly, and by a bomb at Aston at 23.55 that blew off the roof of the booking hall.
The damage and disruption to the railways on the night of 22/23 November was extensive. The GWR began with the severe handicap of a crater on the Down Main at Olton, augmented by a slip on the Up due to earlier bombing; telecommunications were severed and trains could only be moved by TIW. Both Relief lines between Moor Street and Tyseley were blocked, and at Snow Hill both Main lines were blown out at the north end, with the retaining wall and the South Box damaged. A bomb in the adjacent street damaged the stock of the 16.20 from Hereford, also Pannier tank No. 5700 in the sidings next to No. 12 platform; No. 2 (Up) platform also was damaged. At the south end of Snow Hill Tunnel, the Main lines were blocked by a direct hit on the 19.40 local train to Stratford. As well, HE caused damage in Moor Street Goods station and the debris from this – as well as a UXB – interfered with working. Once again, the North Warwickshire line was almost put out of action, by a bomb in the embankment at Yardley Wood that cut the wires and necessitated the introduction of TIW again. Added to all this, at Hockley South at 03.00 the lines were blocked on account of two UXB’s, one in the Grain Shed and one in the Round Yard. The Up Main was however brought back into use at 10.00, so the working of some passenger trains into Snow Hill from the north (and west) then became possible.
Because of all this, all working from Snow Hill southwards was suspended for nearly 48 hours, until 16.30 on 24 November. Paddington - Birmingham trains were diverted at Leamington to Stratford, to reach Birmingham from the north via Worcester and Stourbridge Junction. On 23 November, all freight traffic southwards from Birmingham was suspended, and main line and North Warwickshire passenger services from that direction ran only to Moor Street – itself damaged. The next day – a Sunday, it was reported that there was normal working from 11.55 on all lines northwards from Snow Hill. Despite the fact that only the Up Goods line was available between Bordesley South and Snow Hill, some traffic was also moving southwards. This was possible because the telecommunications had already been restored between Snow Hill South and Moor Street Boxes -- it was fortunate that this was a Sunday.
On the LMSR on 22 November, the first incident boded badly, for at 19.25, an empty stock train was set on fire between Vauxhall and Proof House Junction. Then at 19.50, many incendiaries came through the roofs at New Street Station, starting several fires. All lines were affected and all traffic had to cease, but movements were partially resumed at 00.25. However, at 01.10 the Fazeley Street Bridge between New Street and Proof House Junction was damaged and all lines were blocked. Meanwhile at 19.55, the main lines between Lea Hall and Marston Green were blocked by HE for a short time; also the lines were buckled at Stechford Junction and not repaired until 11.00 next day. Then in the early hours (03.00) a UXB was found at Marston Green, so all traffic in the Rugby direction was stopped back at Coventry for many hours. On the Stour Valley line at 05.10, debris falling from an adjacent factory blocked the lines between Winson Green and Harborne Junction. However, the lines were declared clear within an hour, as was the Walsall line at Aston after an obstruction near there.
At 05.40 all lines were reported blocked at Vauxhall once again, where three station staff were injured, but the lines were repaired sufficiently by 15.00 that afternoon to allow passage of freight trains. The station at Aston was also damaged along with a number of wagons in the yard, and at 07.40 it was reported that further bombs had blocked all lines between Curzon Street and Vauxhall. The route was reopened for freight on the Monday (25 November), but as the LNW lines at Fazeley Street were not cleared until midnight on 2 December, only then could normal running of passenger services resume on the lines to Sutton Coldfield and Walsall – 10 days after the raid. In spite of all this, casualties on the night of 22/23 November were remarkably light, just one railwayman being injured at New Street and another at Curzon Street.
On 22 November on the Midland Division, at 20.00 the Goods station at Lawley Street was set on fire once again, and the Fire Train again had to be ordered. On this occasion, the General Offices were practically demolished1, and full working at Lawley Street was not restored until November 1941. At 20.30, HE fell between Washwood Heath Junction and Washwood Heath No. 1 Boxes and a fire was started in the Down Sidings. Later, at 01.30 at Saltley, craters were formed in the Up Main and Down Camp Hill Goods lines, the platforms were damaged and all traffic had to stop. Normality was, however, restored at Saltley by 15.00 that afternoon. Roofs and 20 wagons were damaged at Camp Hill Goods, and on the Camp Hill line no less than four UXB’s were reported at Brighton Road. At Dad's Lane Bridge near Kings Heath, a retaining wall was damaged, a water main burst and the lines were blocked by water-borne debris; this mess was cleared up by 16.15 on 24 November. At the height of the raid, the west end of Holliday Street Tunnel at New Street was breached, and then at 01.50 HE blocked the lines and damaged a coach at Selly Oak. All traffic towards Bristol was therefore blocked, but it was resumed from 15.15 that afternoon. Meanwhile at Coleshill at 02.50, the station house was demolished and the lines strewn with live overhead cables; these were cleared by 10.30 the same day.
The situation at 06.00 on 23 November therefore was that, with New Street largely cut off and anyway probably unsafe and inoperable, main line trains on the Midland Division were being diverted right back at Derby, via Stoke, Stafford, Bushbury and the GWR through Worcester! It can only be imagined how many hours’ delay this caused, by a route about 25 miles longer and entailing goodness knows how many engine and crew changes. On the Western Division no trains were running that day between Wolverhampton and Coventry through Birmingham, but passenger services between New Street and Wolverhampton were resumed via Winson Green and the Soho Loop at 12.25, from Leicester into New Street at 14.10, and Midland Division through working at 17.15 after the Midland lines were clear at Fazeley Street. The Stechford - Aston by-pass line was still being employed at 08.00 on 24 November for through passenger trains, with stops at each for Birmingham passengers, but these were dealt with at New Street later that day. All freight traffic in the region had ceased.
1 The LMSR Accountants had to write off £12,162 in lost revenue because of the loss in the fire of all the papers concerning disputed items and outstanding accounts.
December 1940
There was a respite from air raids for nearly two weeks, but in the meantime the GWR through Snow Hill Tunnel was blocked throughout the night of 29 November. This was caused by a collision between two locomotives (one was 'Saint' No. 2902), and once again through traffic had to be diverted via Worcester for several hours.
Extensive disruption was caused on the railways by the raid of 3/4 December. On the GWR, the Down Goods line was blocked at Bordesley and the BT cut, also a passenger train was damaged by blast – but with no casualties; the BT was restored the next day and the Goods line by 15.00 on 5 December. At Snow Hill all traffic was suspended from 19.15 on 3 December, because debris from burning buildings was partially blocking the Up line just south of Snow Hill Tunnel, also between Snow Hill North and Hockley. Nevertheless, from 01.00, goods, parcels and empty stock trains were being allowed through. However, there was no BT between Small Heath and Bordesley until the following day, and the Up line had been damaged at 21.00 between Shirley and Hall Green. SLW was operated on that stretch from 04.35 until 09.00, but local trains were terminated at Moor Street until 10.00. All day on 4 December passenger trains from Paddington were diverted via Stratford and Worcester to Wolverhampton1, and only from 23.00 that night were passenger trains run into Snow Hill from the north.
On the LMSR on 3 December, the District Passenger Manager’s office at New Street was set on fire, and the station had to be closed at 20.00 because of blockages to its approaches. A retaining wall near Grand Junction beside the Midland lines had collapsed at 19.00. The collapse damaged the passing 17.43 local train from Walsall via Penns, and the passengers were detrained and had to walk into New Street. An hour later, all the Western and Midland Division lines in both directions were blocked once again towards Proof House Junction, by debris from burning buildings adjacent to the retaining walls. Most Midland trains were sent via Walsall, Dudley GW and Worcester. Western Division trains were diverted via Stechford and Aston, but that evening at 19.40 this avoiding line also was blocked, for 18 hours.
Moreover, at 19.30 on 3 December, part of Curzon Street Goods was – again – on fire and one man was injured. Then at Banbury Street at 20.08, HE fell in the cattle dock, killing many pigs. Debris was strewn over the main lines in both incidents. The Midland lines were cleared at Grand Junction by 10.55 next morning and the LNW lines by 16.00 on 5 December, but the retaining walls collapsed again – without provocation – at 15.55 on 7 December, although this time they were secured in half an hour. However, bombs had also fallen on the track and the embankment at Adderley Park, so only freight traffic into Curzon Street could run next evening (4 December). The Sutton Coldfield line was closed at 21.50 on 3 December when a UXB fell by the line between Aston and Gravelly Hill, and this was not cleared until 17.00 next day.
On the Midland Division on 3 December, the New Metal Shed at Central Goods was hit by HE at 22.20, the stables being demolished and three horses killed. Then at 22.30, Bournville station was badly damaged on the Up side, along with the adjacent aqueduct on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal over Bournville Lane, so the West Suburban lines were closed in case they became flooded. Although Moseley station was damaged, through passenger trains were at first diverted over the Camp Hill line, but at 22.12 at Bordesley the diverted 15.08 York - Bristol express was set on fire by IB's, the front two coaches being destroyed – after the passengers had moved to the rear. After that, north-to-west trains were diverted at Water Orton via Walsall, Dudley and the GWR. At Washwood Heath, HE fell at 22.30 on the Down side coal bank, damaging several roads and wagons. The Camp Hill line was clear at 05.20 on 4 December, and the West Suburban line at Bournville partially at 08.45 but not fully until 15.20 that afternoon.
That night (4 December) the tram depot at Witton was destroyed together with 24 trams, but there were few incidents reported on the railways. At Witton, the Grand Junction lines were blocked at 19.40 for 17 hours after a UXB fell 150 yards away. Over at Nuneaton Abbey Street on the line to Leicester, traffic was stopped briefly from 20.10 owing to a UXB.
During the raid of 11/12 December, there was again considerable railway disruption, although the main stations were spared. Unexploded land mines, near enough (800 yards or less) to the main lines to be judged a menace, were reported by the GWR near Bordesley Viaduct, and at Bordesley South, Hockley (Lodge Road), and Handsworth (Queens Road). An Admiralty Disposal Squad was sent down from Paddington and cleared them all by 16.15 next day (12 December). Meanwhile, no passengers were being booked at Bordesley, Moor Street or Snow Hill2. Not that they could go far, because the North Warwickshire lines were blocked out at Spring Road, and at 20.12 all lines were reported blocked between Tyseley and Acocks Green by a bomb that smashed up the signalbox at the latter. From 00.20, TIW had to be used to Solihull until normality was restored at 14.40 next day. Fires were started in both Up and Down Yards at Bordesley, and at Small Heath all lines except the Up Main were blocked by the debris of eight wagons that were blown up; here the mess was cleared up within 24 hours.
At Hockley at 23.35, No. 1 platform was hit and the roofs of Nos. 2 and 3 platforms brought down. In addition, the Bonded Stores and Goods shed were badly damaged by a land mine that exploded off the premises; two railway staff were injured and clerical work was not resumed until 18 December. Then at Handsworth at 00.17, a land mine exploded. The goods shed was badly damaged, as were the stables, where three horses were killed and "three ARP on duty at the time have not reported3"; nevertheless, normal working was resumed on 14 December. All traffic through Snow Hill was suspended between Soho & Winson Green and Small Heath. This time there were no extra buses made available and passengers had to walk from these stations into the city, but trains were run again into Snow Hill from the north from 15.20 and through to the south at 16.30 on 12 December.
Land mines were likewise a major problem for the LMSR. One exploded at 23.55 on the Handsworth Junction side of Perry Barr North Junction Box, badly damaging it; the signalman was killed and two other staff on an engine were injured. This meant that the lines towards Bescot and towards Soho were blocked, but TIW was introduced at 04.15. Traffic out of the east end of New Street was stopped at 02.30 by the UX land mine near Bordesley Viaduct – referred to above, which fell in the Digbeth district 200 yards away from the LMSR tunnel. At the same time, the Camp Hill line was blocked when another UX land mine landed 75 yards from Camp Hill station; this stoppage was lifted at midday. The single-line, goods-only Harborne branch4 was closed on account of three UXB's: at 01.05 one between Portland Road and Hagley Road station, another at the same time at Harborne and a third at 03.15 in Mitchell & Butler's Siding.
On the following morning (12 December) at 08.45, a 30-foot crater cutting all lines was found at Salford Priors, north of Evesham on the Barnt Green – Ashchurch line. This blockage, on a line much in use as a diversion from the Lickey Bank, was repaired in five hours. The report of 06.00 12 December stated – without further elaboration – that there was "extensive damage to telecommunications", and that "Bristol - Derby expresses are being diverted via Walsall and Water Orton, and trains to/from the South are running via Aston and Stechford, calling at each"; this was due to the blockage east of New Street mentioned above.
With major railway damage having been incurred that week also in the raids on Bristol, the Restriction lists were now longer than ever, and affected especially all freight traffic through and from Birmingham to and through Bristol, and on 16 December there was an Embargo on all traffic at Lawley Street, Aston and Camp Hill Goods stations. These Restrictions seem to have remained in effect until just after Christmas.
Following these heavy raids on Birmingham, a renewed scheme of evacuation of school children from the city was put into effect. Between 26 November and 10 December, 10 trains of evacuees were run on the GWR and 22 on the LMSR. Birmingham was now, however, spared, although at 23.35 on 21 December, during a major raid on Liverpool, incendiaries fell on the sidings at Water Orton, but merely set three wagons on fire; they were quickly cleared, one railwayman had been severely injured.
1 Birmingham passengers could not even get there by changing onto the LMS at Worcester.
2 Following the initial raids on Birmingham in November, the Chief Booking Clerk at Snow Hill reported that there was a large exodus early each evening of passengers from the city area to places considered safe, especially to stations to the south, with the passengers returning by early services each morning. He also pointed out that after the big raid of 19/20 November there was also a marked increase in the number of single tickets issued at Snow Hill!
3 Later reports stated that the three men were on Home Guard duty and were killed.
4 Scheduled trains on this branch were three a day.
1941
Throughout the first three months of 1941, there was no direct interference by the enemy on the railways of the region. They were left with just the difficulties of wartime working under winter conditions. The blizzards of February 1941 that caused such havoc further north were indeed felt, and several branches in South Staffordshire were briefly snowbound. However, in April the Luftwaffe bombers were back over the region in strength, and damage incurred on the railways was once again considerable.
April and May 1941
On 8 April, at Coventry station HE's fell at 22.30 on the Up Platform line and Up Main line. One of them damaged No. 3 Box and the junctions there, blocking the routes to the goods yard and to Birmingham, and injuring a signalman; the lines were not cleared until 19.30 the following evening. By 23.00, HE's and IB's had done extensive damage in the goods yard, where the Goods, the No. 3 and the London Exchange Sheds were burnt out, as well as many wagons. The lines were cut at Coventry No. 2 Box, and as well at Coundon Road, Webster’s Siding, Bell Green and Gibbet Lane. Thus, the lines to Nuneaton and to Leamington and the Coventry Loop line were all blocked, as in November. Through traffic was diverted via Leamington and Berkswell, with special services from Coventry – using the Down platform – to Rugby, and soon to Leamington. Normal working through Coventry station was restored the following evening, and the line through Foleshill to Nuneaton was clear by 16.40 on 10 April. On 8 April, bombs also fell at Leamington at 21.40, damaging the GWR South Box and the viaduct, but traffic was not seriously affected.
On the night of 10/11 April, no less than 14 HE’s were reported in the Coventry station area alone. No. 3 Box was again damaged and Signalman White was killed – although he was in his steel shelter. The Up Loop connection was again damaged and again there was considerable damage in the goods yard. The connection from the Down Platform line was blown out at No. 2 Box, but the platform was "usable as far as the crater". All roads were blocked in the carriage sidings and "will take two days to clear". The line to Stechford was blocked there, as was the line to Nuneaton at Albany Road Bridge, Coundon Road. Consequently, with the Rugby line cut also near Brandon Ballast Pit and at Rugby, shuttle services were put on from Leamington to Coventry and to Stechford, and between Coundon Road and Nuneaton. The Up platform at Coventry was cleared by 13.00 on 11 April, notwithstanding. However, at 22.55 (10 April) at Rugby, bombs had fallen on the railway near No. 7 Box and near the Down Leicester line by No. 5 Box. The Birmingham, Leicester and Leamington lines were all blocked, but the Birmingham line was cleared quickly and the rest by 15.40 on 11 April.
On the GWR at 21.00 on 9 April, Snow Hill was badly damaged by HE that fell on No. 5 platform. It destroyed the cloakrooms above, blew out the windows of the South Box and blocked Nos. 5 and 1 platforms with debris; the Middle roads were also damaged. Then at 01.00, another HE fell on the carriage drive off Livery Street on the Down side and 20 feet of retaining wall was blown out. A third HE fell on the Up side, penetrating the Parcels Office and obstructing Nos. 11 and 12 roads. Traffic was then blocked back from both directions, and at one time only No. 6 platform was available – by means of the scissors crossing, once the Down Middle road was repaired. The Parcels, Control and Telegraph Offices were damaged by blast and debris, but the next day the extensive S&T damage was repaired. By 08.10 (10 April), Nos. 11 and 12 roads were restored, and could be accessed also from the south by reversal off the Middle roads; No. 1 platform was reopened by 11.45 and No. 5 by 13.00.
At Moor Street, the Goods Office and warehouse were demolished and at Bordesley South several tracks and the shunting spur were blocked, but the Main lines remained clear. At Small Heath and at Tyseley the signalboxes were damaged. There was therefore severe disruption of traffic it was reported that several trains had been diverted onto the LMSR at Bordesley. However, another report indicated that, owing to blockages south of New Street, some LMS trains were being diverted onto the GWR. Thus, it is not clear quite which trains were involved or what routes were being followed.
At 22.40 on 9 April, the sidings at Washwood Heath were showered with incendiaries. The LMSR reported – laconically -- that wagons containing ammunition had been set on fire, but did not state what was the result. However, the Citations for Gallantry1 describe how a disaster was averted by the courage of the men who managed to isolate the burning wagons. There were several casualties: at 00.10 one man was injured on an engine at Lawley Street Yard and another at Saltley Shed; at 01.10 at Washwood Heath, one man was killed and two were injured in an ARP shelter in the Up Sidings, and another was injured at Washwood Heath Junction.
The LMSR suffered several complete blockages that night. At Adderley Park at 23.58, the lines were blocked by HE, and at Newton Junction (Bescot) at 00.35 HE burst a water main in the adjacent West Bromwich Road and the tracks were flooded to 18 inches. Between Stechford and Washwood Heath at 00.55, an HE blocked both lines and blew the last wagon and the brake-van of the 20.45 Walsall - Stechford freight off the bridge onto the Midland lines, injuring the guard; damage was done to the bridge and to gas and water mains. At Grand Junction at 00.54, HE damaged the signalbox and all lines were blocked. At Vauxhall, HE fell on the station, damaged the bridge and gas and water mains, also incendiaries set alight one coach of the 22.00 Lichfield - New Street but the fire was extinguished by the staff and no one was hurt. Meanwhile, at Erdington a block was imposed at 00.05 because of a UXB. Normal working was restored at Vauxhall by 11.00 on 11 April.
Five HE were dropped at New Street, and at the south end of the South (Holliday Street) Tunnel all lines were blocked by debris from buildings burning above the railway; one railwayman was killed and four at the station and one in a signalbox were injured. At Five Ways, both West Suburban lines were blown out at 02.35 by HE that fell in Bath Row. At Harborne Junction, the signalling equipment in the Box was disabled after a near miss, but it was quickly restored. Lastly, at 04.35 a UXB stopped all traffic on the London line between Hampton-in-Arden and Marston Green.
At 06.00 on 10 April, the situation was that, although the flooding had subsided at Newton, all lines were still blocked at Adderley Park, Erdington, Gravelly Hill and Grand Junction, and between Stechford and Washwood Heath. No trains could run south via Selly Oak or via Camp Hill, and another UXB was blocking the Lickey Bank between Blackwell and Bromsgrove. In addition, working was still seriously affected at Coventry. The service was restored between Aston and Sutton Coldfield at 10.00 on 10 April, and access was made available at Vauxhall to Curzon Street Goods next day at 11.00, although normal access to the latter was not restored until 16 April.
Fresh incidents on the LMSR on 10/11 April were limited, fortunately. Fires in the goods yard at Erdington at 01.00 severed telecommunications, and at 01.40 a UXB fell 50 yards on the Witton side of Aston No. 2 Box, necessitating blockage of all lines. At Winson Green at 02.45, a fresh UXB had been found, so the lines to Soho and to Soho Road had to be blocked; the Soho Loop lines and the Up Main were reopened at 09.00, but the Down Main not until 16.00 on 15 April. Finally, a crater was discovered at 01.50 in the Up line between Stockingford and Nuneaton Abbey Street, necessitating SLW.
The GWR however, merely stated with respect to Birmingham at 06.00 on 11 April that "damage, and diversion of trains from the LMS is retarding working". It reported no new incidents, but -- not surprisingly -- after the second raid all freight through Birmingham on both the LMSR and GWR was reported at a standstill.
On 12 April, Five Ways station was opened at 17.00 for parcels trains only. With SLW in force on the Down line, Down Midland passenger trains were run into New Street over Western Division lines and reversed there to continue south, while Up stopping trains were terminated at Kings Norton and passengers taken on by bus. The lines into Central Goods were now open, and the Up Main was clear at Lawley Street at 15.40, but this provided no relief to passenger train working as Grand Junction was still blocked, nor was there access at first to Lawley Street Goods. It was not reported when normality was restored, but not until 18.00 on 16 April – four days later – were the lines between New Street and Stechford declared "open". The region was spared over the ensuing four weeks, and no doubt normal working gradually returned.
Next, at 00.45 on 10 May, the Rugby - Leamington line was cut by HE near Dunchurch. This necessitated running a shuttle service between Warwick and Dunchurch, with buses on to Rugby. The same night, the Midland main line avoiding Worcester was blocked at Stoke Works by HE that damaged the goods shed and by a UXB near the junction, but it was possible to divert trains over the GWR line through Worcester until normal working resumed on 11 May.
In the raid on Nuneaton on the night of 16/17 May, considerable damage was done at Trent Valley station and to the Control Office, and at 02.05 the locomotive of the 22.50 Euston - Whitehaven express was derailed in a crater just to the south, blocking all lines. Furthermore, a freight train on the Down Coventry line suffered a direct hit and ten derailed wagons damaged the track for 100 yards, also obstructing the main line. The Up Slow was restored at 10.00 that morning but the Fast lines not until 17.00; the Coventry lines were not reopened until 23.30. There was also damage at Nuneaton No. 1 Box and the Leicester line was not reopened until 13.45, with one line between the Midland and the Trent Valley lines still blocked at 18.00.
Some railway installations were also struck in Birmingham. A report at 02.00 stated that once again all lines were blocked at Grand Junction and no trains could reach New Street from the Derby or London directions. However, the Western Division lines and the Up Midland line were cleared by 09.40 and the Down Midland by 13.15 on the same day. Only then could WCML traffic that had been stopped by the disruption at Nuneaton be passed through Birmingham.
Lastly, at 02.30 on 17 May, HE fell on the Down Goods loop at Budbrook on the GWR main line between Warwick and Hatton; 2-8-2T No. 7238 on the 22.00 Banbury – Cardiff freight fell into the crater, injuring the driver and fireman. A bridge carrying the railway over a stream had collapsed, so the main lines were blocked as well. Traffic was diverted via Stratford until SLW was introduced over the Up line at 07.30, albeit with the BT interrupted between Shirley and Hall Green. Normal working was restored from 18.30 that evening.
1 PRO files AN2/507, 515.
Subsequent incidents in the Birmingham area can be abbreviated, as follows.
Railway Incidents after mid-May 1941
4 – 5/7/41:- LMS: Brandon & Wolston 02.30: HE cut wires and BT out. All traffic diverted via Leamington until daylight, TIW until 12.00.
Tile Hill – Berkswell 03.40: Signalling damaged, but traffic continued at caution.
12 - 13/8/41:- GW: Hart’s Hill (near Blowers Green) 01.10: HE1 fell between Up and Down lines, damaging a bridge. Freight train partly derailed and enginemen injured. SLW from 09.55; both lines open 13.30 (5 mph restriction). Traffic diverted via Handsworth Junction and Old Hill, with auto-train shuttle Old Hill - Dudley.
24 - 25/6/42:- LMS: Nuneaton (Trent Valley) 01.15: Station and grain warehouse damaged by HE’s and IB’s, and one railwayman injured. About 70 wagons damaged in North Sidings. Main lines blocked by debris for 30 minutes. Stockingford- Nuneaton (Abbey Street): Line blocked by suspected UXB until 09.40, when SLW was introduced until 13.30. UXB then "discredited".
27 - 28/7/42:- GW: Milcote 06.36: Station damaged by machine-gun fire.
Birmingham raids: -
GW: Moor Street Goods: Serious fire. Hockley: UXB on Down side between tunnels, but screened by wagons and trains allowed past. Snow Hill 04.30: Divisional and District Offices damaged by blast. Control circuit to Shrewsbury cut and signalling interrupted at Moor Street, but traffic continued to move.
LMS: Curzon Street Goods: Top Yard badly damaged by HE's and IB's. Vauxhall 02.20: IB’s set fire to carriage sheds and three coaches badly damaged. Staff managed to put out fires and sidings clear by 03.30. Harborne Branch: Closed until 11.30, after over-bridge damaged near Rotten Park Road. New Street 02.00: IB’s set fire to roof over No. 6 platform, refreshment room on No. 4 platform, loaded parcels van and hut. All fires put out by staff, but all lines closed until 03.30. Harborne Junction 02.25: HE set fire to adjacent factory and smashed windows in signalbox. Down lines closed until 03.10. Exchange Sidings 02.30: Signalbox windows smashed and wires cut, but only brief interruption of traffic. Lea Hall 03.10: Driver of 23.15 Peterborough - Curzon Street freight reported striking object -- a contractor's trolley. Stechford Inspector went out on a light engine and found several two-foot holes in embankment, betraying UXB’s, so all lines closed.
29 - 30/7/42:- GW: Small Heath: Serious fire burnt out Goods shed and offices; two staff killed and several seriously injured – one of whom died later. Snow Hill: Roofs damaged by fire from IB’s. Bordesley Junction: Engine Shops and some wagons2 burnt out.
LMS: Bordesley Junction - St Andrews Junction 02.15: IB’s set fire to two wagons of 21.45 Gloucester - Crewe freight, half of which comprised loads of explosives. Camp Hill line blocked until 05.30, when damaged train had been removed3 – but at 09.20 a UXB did explode beside the line, which was then closed for several hours. Vauxhall 02.50: Station and gas mains set on fire, and UXB suspected; one man injured. UXB later ‘discredited’, and from 16.00 trains allowed to pass at caution, but station remained closed. Aston: Damaged retaining wall in danger of falling on line, so all lines closed. UXB suspected near No. 1 Box's Outer Home, reinforcing decision to stop all traffic – until 15.30. Perry Barr 03.10: Two UXB's on Down side. All lines blocked until bombs removed 12.45. Darlaston: UXB's and BT failures. Both lines affected by subsidence until 10.15. Curzon Street Goods 03.40: Considerable damage caused and three men were injured when HE struck over-bridge. Several wagons set on fire in 21.30 freight from Bushbury. All lines blocked, including shunting neck. Clear 09.00 – but with retaining wall in danger of falling on line.
30 - 31/7/42:- GW: Wolverhampton: Three wagons set on fire. Interference with traffic slight.
LMS: Walsall, Ryecroft Junction - Lichfield Road Junction 02.45: Blocked by HE, also UXB at 03.25. Normal 15.30. Shuttle rail service New St. - Aldridge. Buses substituted Walsall - Aldridge. Wolverhampton No. 4 Box 02.50: UXB suspected near Bonemill Junction. Up and Down lines blocked. Wolverhampton No. 4 Box - Bushbury No. 2 Box 02.50: Lines to Bushbury No. 2 Box blocked briefly by a crater from HE also a UXB. Wolverhampton No. 1 Box - Monmore Green 03.10: Fires near line, debris on line, but soon cleared. Ryecroft Junction – Bloxwich/Lichfield Road Junction 03.15: Block bells and instruments failed. Up and Down Cannock and Up and Down Midland lines blocked. Wolverhampton No. 1 Box - Heath Town 03.40: Lines blocked six hours. Darlaston – Portobello Junction 03.45: BT failure, affecting both lines for six hours. Wolverhampton No. 1 Box 03.50: Suspected UXB on Down Main and telegraph pole across lines. Ettingshall Road 04.10: Bomb burning and sinking into Down Main. Both lines blocked until 09.55. Deepfields 04.25: Suspected UXB in sidings. Normal 11.00.
1 Enemy planes were apparently attracted by an accidental fire at Dudley.
2 Stated in one report as “with explosives”!
3 The details of the incident are graphically described in the Citations of Gallantry of seven men involved who received Awards.
CONCLUSIONS
The effect of the Blitz on British war production was much less than the enemy hoped, but it was not insignificant. Aircraft production – very relevant to the Birmingham area – was seriously impaired by damage to factories and by the disruption caused by enforced dispersal of plant, such that not until February 1941 did it regain the level attained in September 1940.
In all, the Luftwaffe was over Birmingham on about 50 nights, but on only 11 occasions were more than 50 tons of HE dropped. During the Night Blitz period (September 1940 – May 1941), heavy raids – by more than 100 bombers dropping more than 100 tons – were made on Birmingham itself on eight nights, during which 1,822 tons of HE struck the city; another 200 tons fell on other occasions. The total number of incendiary bombs that fell on the city was estimated to be in excess of 219,500.
The effects sound startling, nevertheless, for in Birmingham during the Blitz period there were 367 air raid Alerts. Out of a population of over a million, 2,241 people were killed and another 3,000 or so seriously injured. In the two major raids on Coventry, a ‘mere’ 818 tons of HE and 57,300 IB’s had been dropped on a population of about 220,000, and the total death toll in all raids was about 1,030. However, the industrial damage at Coventry was rated as somewhat more severe than it had been in Birmingham.
The disruption of transport by the German Blitz was also puny compared with that achieved by the Allied bombing offensive. In Britain, during the nine months between September 1940 and May 1941, the damage to rail communications was serious at times, but with few exceptions it was transient because repairs were made so quickly. The great speed with which most lines were repaired and stations and yards brought back into operation is indicated by the incident accounts.
The most pernicious disruption was caused by the UXB’s. Of the 5,129 HE bombs dropped on the city of Birmingham during the war, 930 failed to explode, a figure underlining the magnitude of the problem presented by UXB's. It was not possible to tell which were ‘duds’ and which were genuine Delayed Action Bombs and in the first hours there was a real danger of their being set off by the vibration of trains in the vicinity. Fires at stations, especially the large ones, were also a big problem, but the staff were often able to handle them without outside help – provided the water supply did not fail. The LMSR had prepared itself from July 1940 with fully equipped Fire Trains, based at Derby, Crewe and Horwich, but only after May 1941 were the 83 Ransomes & Rapier water-pumps on order delivered to locomotive depots across the system. These would be sent out with a Light Engine and trained men, to act as a rail-mounted Fire Engine, carrying its own water.
A feature of the night raids during the main Blitz period that contributed to disruption on the railways was the length of time – often many hours – during which the Alerts were in force and enemy aircraft were around. During an Alert, the very restricted external lighting allowed the railways in stations and yards had to be extinguished. That made shunting after dark almost impossible, although the ‘Purple’ warning, instituted in July 1940, allowed some lighting in yards until a ‘Red’ – ‘Imminent Danger’ – warning was received from the RAF or from roof-spotters. As well, during Alerts passenger trains were restricted to just 15 mph and goods trains to 10 mph, relaxed to 25/15 mph in November 1940, and in February 1941 to 30 mph and only at night. Alerts therefore caused frightful delays in the movement of traffic, and in turn there was gross accumulation of loaded wagons. For various reasons, unloading was slowed more than was loading and this further exaggerated the impediments on free flow.
Damage and disruption, both on and off the railways, during the Blitz resulted in substantial but temporary losses of ‘production’. Between September and December 1940, the rate of exchange of wagons between the LMSR and the GWR at Bordesley fell from 950 per day to 680. This 40% reduction in ‘productivity’ really seems rather small, everything considered, and it was brought up to normal and beyond in 1941. In terms of throughput tonnage as well, there was a 30 – 50% loss at many of the principal goods stations in Birmingham and Coventry. In spite of lasting damage at some depots (Lawley Street, Curzon Street, Central), this was largely reversed to the pre-Blitz levels by the end of 1941.
Nevertheless, any account of the air raids on Britain seems trivial and parochial when considered in the light of the utter devastation that occurred in other countries – Germany, Russia, China, Japan and so on. However, in 1940 heavy air raids were a dreadful novelty, especially for the British people – and why not be parochial? The subject is interesting because it is close to home.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bell, R.: History of the British Railways during the War 1939-45 (The Railway Gazette, London 1946).
Bryan, T.: The Great Western at War 1939-1945 (Patrick Stephens, Sparkford 1995).
Christiansen, R.: A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain: Volume 7, the West Midlands (David & Charles, Newton Abbot 1973).
Clinker, C.R.: Railways of the West Midlands, a Chronology 1808-1954 (The Stephenson Locomotive Society, London 1954).
Collier, B.: History of the Second World War. The Defence of the United Kingdom (HMSO, London 1957).
Collins, P.: Britain’s Rail Super-Centres: Birmingham (Ian Allan Publishing, Shepperton 1992).
Cooke, R.A.: Atlas of the Great Western Railway as at 1947 (Wild Swan Publications, Didcot 1997).
Foster, R.: Birmingham New Street: the Story of a Great Station including Curzon Street, Volume 3: LMS Days 1923-1947 (Wild Swan Publications, Didcot 1997).
Ramsey, Winston G. (Ed.) The Blitz Then and Now, Volume 2: September 1940 – May 1941 (Battle of Britain Prints International, London 1988).
Ray, J.: The Night Blitz 1940-1941 (Arms & Armour Press, London 1996)
Savage, C.I.: History of the Second World War. Inland Transport (HMSO, London 1957).
Sutcliffe, A. and Smith, R.: Birmingham 1939 – 1970 (Oxford University Press 1974)
Webb, E. and Duncan, J.: Blitz over Britain (Spellmount, Tunbridge Wells 1990).
PHOTOGRAPHS
No photographs are included with this article, but here is a list compiled by Ben Brooksbank of relevant photos available in the Public Records Office, Kew.
1. Curzon Street Goods Station: inside Top Yard Warehouse; view east after the raid in the night of 15/16 October 1940. It at least shows how hard it is to burn rolls of paper.
2. New Street Station, 18 October 1940: destruction at Platform 3; crater and corridor brake-van No. 30478.
3. Birmingham Central Goods Station, 26 October 1940: devastation at Covered Loading Sidings.
4. Birmingham Central Goods Station, 26 October 1940: general scene.
5. New Street Station: scene at Platform 1, after raid on night of 28/29 October 1940.
6. Bulkington: urgent repairs in hand at Bridge No. 36, carrying the West Coast Main Line over the Coventry Canal, after a bomb struck on the night of 28/29 October 1940. The view is southwards towards Rugby and shows men working on the Up Main line. The missing span is that of the Up Slow line.
7. Vauxhall station: a view from the Down Main platform towards New Street after bombs had struck early on 1 November 1940.
8. Coventry Station, after the raid of 14 November 1940: wreckage in the Carriage Sidings adjacent to the Leamington line. Behind is the Locomotive Shed, showing some damage. The locomotive on the left is a Fowler 2-6-2T (not identified), and a 0-8-0 can be glimpsed behind the wrecked coach in the foreground strewn over the carriage cleaners’ platform.
9. Hockley after the raid on the night of 11/12 December 1940: severe damage to the Goods Offices.
10. Handsworth & Smethwick after the raid on the night of 11/12 December 1940: devastated Goods Shed
11. Birmingham Snow Hill on the morning of 10 April 1941 after the raid in the night: the scene from the steps northwards along Down Platform 5/6. Many railway staff and Civil Defence workers are busy clearing up the mess from the destroyed bookstall and waiting room, and restoring the platform and track, while others look on and supervise; the surviving poster advertises how to keep your hands clean.
12. Birmingham Snow Hill, 10 April 1941: in the night, a bomb on the Down (Livery Street) side has blown a gap in the cab road leading to the fish dock. Everyone smiles for the camera, showing their fortitude.
13. Birmingham Snow Hill, 10 April 1941: the mess on Platform 1 at the south end after the night raid, looking along to Platform 2. Structural damage that night had in fact encompassed the high-level cloakroom, the Control, Parcels, and Up side Telegraph offices and the South signalbox.
All photographs British Rail Records Centre (Refs. PRO RAIL421/71, 72; RAIL253/641, 642).