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Wartime and the Blitz

Coventry & Warwickshire in WWII

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TEKMELF
HAWKESBURY
31 of 222  Mon 9th Mar 2015 9:31am  

On 6th Mar 2015 10:48am, Norman Conquest said: If I remember correctly my identity number was QEAP212-5. I was born 1932 but that number has been in my memory all my life. Does that look like the correct format for an ID number?
QDPR 72/4 1933. The 4 represented that you were the fourth member of the family resident at the address
Wartime and the Blitz - Coventry & Warwickshire in WWII
Kaga simpson
Peacehaven, East Sussex
32 of 222  Wed 11th Mar 2015 7:10pm  

Primrose, there was another side to the bombing. A middle aged couple lived a few doors away from us, they had an only child, a lad same age as my older brother, they became great mates, but like all teenagers in those days they wanted to join the forces, they joined the Navy, but sadly quite soon after joining, the lad fell down a stairway (on board I believe his first ship) and was killed, his parents quite openly told us, they wanted 'Jerry' to drop a bomb on their house while they were asleep. It was some months before my mother could write and tell my brother the sad news.
Wartime and the Blitz - Coventry & Warwickshire in WWII
morgana
the secret garden
33 of 222  Sun 22nd Mar 2015 3:02pm  

On 21st Mar 2015 11:13pm, AD said: ....for any other nation to fly military planes as far as central airspace over Britain without permission would be a massive international incident and all over the news
AD if they dont come over our inland airspace then how did they know where to find Coventry to bomb our munition works in ww2. Try reading the telegraph about the other day.
Wartime and the Blitz - Coventry & Warwickshire in WWII
Mike H
London Ontario, Canada
34 of 222  Sun 22nd Mar 2015 4:52pm  

The Germans used maps, industrial espionage and basic radio signal navigation most likely..
Wartime and the Blitz - Coventry & Warwickshire in WWII
morgana
the secret garden
35 of 222  Sun 22nd Mar 2015 5:15pm  

You had better tell Yesterday channel on tv they have all their history programme wrong then about the photo footage taken from German aeroplanes prior to bombing Coventry.
Wartime and the Blitz - Coventry & Warwickshire in WWII
Mike H
London Ontario, Canada
36 of 222  Sun 22nd Mar 2015 5:25pm  

They probably had maps too. The photos taken over Coventry would have given info on specific drop sites, not necessarily how to get there. With detection systems being as good as they are, it would be unwise in peace time to fly into what would be restricted airspace. That's not to say that it never happens..
Wartime and the Blitz - Coventry & Warwickshire in WWII
Rob Orland
Historic Coventry
Thread starter
37 of 222  Sun 22nd Mar 2015 6:03pm  

On 22nd Mar 2015 5:15pm, morgana said: You had better tell Yesterday channel on tv they have all their history programme wrong then about the photo footage taken from German aeroplanes prior to bombing Coventry.
The TV programme definitely isn't wrong about the photos - the Germans had more information about us than we dare imagine. They took before and after reconnaissance photos to work out how effective their bombing was (a bit like my "Now and Then" but from higher up! Wink ), and those photos had all our factories clearly marked. They also had street maps of all UK cities, so they had no trouble at all locating anywhere they liked. We must also remember, of course, that until shortly before the war began (we'd like to think!) we were doing lots of business with Germany, and we shared far more with them than we ought to have. Britain's near-sightedness was quite astonishing at times, for instance ignoring the potential advantage to our country of Frank Whittle's patent for the jet engine, therefore allowing it to be published worldwide in a magazine that was subsequently used by the Germans, who then beat us to it by building the Messerschmitt 262. Blush
Wartime and the Blitz - Coventry & Warwickshire in WWII
Kaga simpson
Peacehaven, East Sussex
38 of 222  Sun 22nd Mar 2015 6:44pm  

Rob, you got it in one, absolutely spot on, we had air-races, motor races and shared everything, in those days. Coventry was the leading light in engines, I seem to remember they copied our designs, won the Schneider trophy, we then copied them and built the Spitfire, something like that, (quite vague now). Also some of our money people were hand in glove with them, they knew everything they needed to know, that was my impression.
Wartime and the Blitz - Coventry & Warwickshire in WWII
Mike H
London Ontario, Canada
39 of 222  Sun 22nd Mar 2015 7:22pm  

Germany was good too and still is. If it wasn't for captured material, the rest of us might still be floundering around. The USA probably benefitted most, the USSR not too far behind. Between them, we were kicked into touch, but the Germans never give up and are still leaders in some fields.

It's annoying when Britain backs down so easily, and Canada is a chip off the old block, bowing to the USA at almost every opportunity. We just don't appear to learn quickly. Angry

Wartime and the Blitz - Coventry & Warwickshire in WWII
Wimero
Nr Rugby
40 of 222  Sun 22nd Mar 2015 7:36pm  

I've been reading a book on the blitz and it said that only ONE bomber was destroyed on that night. Unbelievable.
Wartime and the Blitz - Coventry & Warwickshire in WWII
Kaga simpson
Peacehaven, East Sussex
41 of 222  Tue 24th Mar 2015 4:10pm  

I recall reading a story of an airman baling out from his burning plane, either no chute, or damaged one (forget) and plummeting to the earth, he landed on a haystack in a field, and lived. A soldier was charged with taking away and driving an underground train, "said he was in a hurry to get home" or words to that effect.
Wartime and the Blitz - Coventry & Warwickshire in WWII
morgana
the secret garden
42 of 222  Thu 25th Jun 2015 10:08am  

75th anniversary first air raid Coventry
Wartime and the Blitz - Coventry & Warwickshire in WWII
Kaga simpson
Peacehaven, East Sussex
43 of 222  Fri 26th Jun 2015 8:18am  

Ansty bombs bring back vivid memories for me. I was 12-13, my kid brother was 9-10 years old, because we lived close to the power station my parents sent us to a friends house 1 mile past the village of Ansty for safety. We heard planes, and had a frightening night, but next morning went to school, we crossed the canal bridge where the canal and railway came close, to cross the field diagonal to go to Shilton School. There were two craters. But dead and dying cattle were strewn across the field, torn to shreds, eyes bulging, a lone leg lay across the path, a cow that was badly injured see-sawed across a barb-wired fence. Years later we were told because we were so distressed, the school phoned the police, the police contacted our parents, my father came spent a couple of hours consoling us, gathered together all our things, spoke to the first narrow boat that was heading for Sutton Stop and we hitched a lift to Tusses Bridge and home. Later we heard that the farmer was also badly distressed. I doubt any reporter or people, other than the knackers yard man and the farmer and us, saw this ghastly sight. Today I learn the field and the house as been turned into a golf course, and no one but I have any memory of the episode. P.S. both my brother and I had nightmares for some weeks after.
Wartime and the Blitz - Coventry & Warwickshire in WWII
morgana
the secret garden
44 of 222  Sat 18th Jul 2015 11:00pm  

Air Raid civil defence field day Binley 1943
Wartime and the Blitz - Coventry & Warwickshire in WWII
Dreamtime
Perth Western Australia
45 of 222  Sun 19th Jul 2015 3:12am  

Hi Kaga, Just read yours and that is why I am always grateful I was too young to take in that side of the war. The trauma of it all must have been unbearable in those times.
Wartime and the Blitz - Coventry & Warwickshire in WWII

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