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80 years ago this weekend the Birmingham Blitz began. It was to continue until 1943. Overnight, on 8-9 August 1940, a German bomber dropped bombs on Enstone Road, Erdington, killing 1 person and injuring 6 others.
In the following weeks, the Luftwaffe focussed on the Midlands factories producing Britain’s aircraft, military vehicles and weapons. On 13 August the Castle Bromwich factory producing Spitfires was attacked, killing 7 people and injuring 41.
There was always collateral damage: the loss of life, the injured, the homeless (20,000 in total) and the destruction of other buildings. In the last week of October, the Art Gallery, Town Hall and St Philip’s Cathedral were all damaged.
It was in the October raids that The REP was severely affected when its Hinkley Street workshop was hit by incendiary bombs. All the sets, props and costumes accumulated since the theatre’s 1913 opening were lost.
On 19 November, a few days after the devastating attack on Coventry, 440 bombers attacked the city, killing or injuring around 1,000 people and damaging, amongst other key factories, that of the Birmingham Small Arms Company. It was the worst raid so far.
All suburbs of Birmingham were affected by the raids, which increased in intensity as the campaign progressed. Terrifyingly, they could last for hours: the longest raid was on 6 December when it was 13 hours before the all-clear sounded.
In April 1941 the city centre was targeted. New Street and the Bull Ring, including St Martin’s Church, were badly damaged. The Midland Arcade was completely destroyed as was the Prince of Wales Theatre which stood on Broad Street where Symphony Hall is now.
The last bomb fell on Bordesley Green on 24 April 1943 and it was another two years before the war was finally over. Only London and Liverpool suffered more bombs than Birmingham.
