The Birmingham Blitz - We Should Never Forget

I spent the morning with an old acquaintance of mine Doug Smith. In recent years Doug has organised at Swanshurst School an event with Steve McCabe MP for those who lived through the last war, explaining to young students at the school what life was like.
At The Veterans Day, there have been a March Past, normally taken by a high flying official, The Lord Lieutenant or Lord Mayor or someone like that, followed by displays, lunch for the older people and then questions after questions from pupils. In the past it has been a very well organised and worthy event.
But this morning was something else. Now I know Birmingham was bombed, as a little one I played on 'bomb pecks' had great times, until they stared to be converted to multiple garage parking sites.
In The Council House, Doug at the request of The Lord Mayor had arranged a fantastic display with people, many of them retired, from The Fire Service, Ambulance Service and Industry showing what went on during the Blitz. Additionally we had people representing The Royal Warwickshire Regiment, Bomb Disposal numerous weapons experts, documents, newspapers and equipment used throughout the war years. At the front of the building was a display of numerous motorcycles built in Birmingham during the war.
Being of an age, as I am, I remember talking to some of the older residents, finding out what they went through. We shouldn't forget Birmingham had German air attacks they destroyed 12,391 homes, 302 factories, 34 churches, halls and cinemas, and more than 200 other buildings. The human cost of the "Birmingham Blitz" was a total of 9,000 casualties, of whom 2,241 were killed. This is second only to the damage inflicted on London during the war.
Coventry was bad, there is no doubt about that, but Birmingham’s was worse and more prolonged as they attempted to destroy the aircraft plants in Erdington, Solihull, Acocks Green and Longbridge as well as Morris Works in Washwood Heath, Lucas's in Hockley and Tyseley, BSA at Small Heath, Cadbury's in Bournville, with GEC and IMI in Witton.