Coventry & Warwickshire in WWII

Norman Conquest. Hi Norman, people discussed things with their mates, was not suitable for women and kids. Norman, one can only synpathise with you, the loss of a father must have been the cruellest blow one can suffer. THE STEEL GRAVEYARD Norman, the British holed up the French ships in Toulon, they gave them a time limit to 'scuttle' themselves (you must know all this), they then opened fire and killed/drowned scores of French sailors, British sailors were visibly sick at their orders, how do I know this? Around 1945 there were millions of men had to come home from the east, not enough ships, to speed things up we built a large transit camp in Toulon, shipped them to there, then by train from the south of France to Dover and visa versa. In 1946 I was in that transit camp for about 5 days, there was still a hostile feeling from the French and rightly so, I got the story first hand. In that town I bought a book, 'Lady Chatterly's Lover', it was a banned book here. I also visited a couple of 'houses' that were also banned, and a few more like it later, but I was on the right side of the law. The book made me a fan of D.H. Lawrence, and I followed his footsteps through Italy in the fifties. Mods please place this wherever.

Hi Kaga. My father was signaller on destroyer HMS Wrestler. Churchill gave the French several options. Take the fleet to deep water and scuttle the ships. Sail to a neutral port and partly dismantle the ships or join forces with the Royal Navy. The French admiral would not comply so Churchill ordered the Royal Navy to open fire. It would have been a disaster if the ships had gone to the enemy. Well over 1000 French died and many injured. After that the whole world looked at Britain with different light. Roosevelt said that if Britain would do this to her friends what will they do to the enemy.

Have just talked to my mother about her memory of barrage balloons and she recalls that the balloon or balloons moored on Proffitt Avenue would be brought down to a much lower level in windy weather. They still moved a lot, to the point of almost touching the neighbouring houses in strong gusts (Proffitt Avenue wasn't yet fully built on). She too agrees that their usual height was no more than a mile high.

Quite agree Primrose. I remember that site and did your mother tell you that the site gunner shot down the balloon but it was soon replaced.

Norman C why would he do that, and at what height?

Britain wasn't involve in the 'scuttling' of the French Navy at Toulon. That was a battle between the Germans/Italians and French and took place when Germany decided to occupy all of France and thus remove the 'independent' Vichy regime. When it was clear this was going to happen, the French admiralty's existing orders to scuttle the fleet were actioned. (1942) Britain did destroy French warships in Algeria when they refused to comply with orders and a lot of French sailors died (HMS Wrestler was involved). What has been forgotten is that France at this point was 'pro-German' so the British had to prevent the fleet from falling into enemy hands. (1940)

Kaga. I really don't know. I didn't ask. I was told that it was hit accidentally by an over enthusiastic AA gunner. Except for the fact that the holed balloon lay on waste ground near Dudley St in shreds I know nothing else about it.

Thanks Norman Conquest, never heard about that incident. Saw a couple go on fire during the raids.

I said it was in shreds because local housewives nicked the balloon material. For what purpose I have no idea.

NormanC, I reckon the balloon would go up for him, or there would be a lot of hot air, or may be they put him in the glasshouse to see what damage he could do there.

Kaga and all. What use balloon material was I have no idea. But. Beyond where you lived Kaga and the village of Shilton a German came to earth by parachute. Quickly arrested and his parachute confiscated. My mother for many weeks later was making shirts from parachute material. How it got to Coventry I have no idea. No doubt got the material in exchange for horse meat that she claimed to be beef.

Norman Conquest, you do keep surprising me, you tracing my life, LOL As I posted earlier I and my brother were evacuated to Ansty/Shilton went to Shilton school beginning of the war, I went to a Junkers 88 that crashed between Shilton and Wolvey 42/43 time, were I and the friend I went with found a thumb, the engines were buried about 4ft. My brother returned there in 45 married a Shilton girl, owned the Shilton Garage, (now his son's) retired, wrote a book called the 'Shilton man' and the history of the village, in 1949 I was a member of the Wolvey young farmers club for twelve months, played football for the village. Lots of girls made knickers out of parachute material, mainly the WAAF's who packed them. Parachutes were made in very small parts, stitched together to prevent large tears. During the war a number of the Parachute Regt made a film. They were taught and made to pack their own chutes. 'yak' Please don't tell me you know about the pretty young girls of Bell Green I was with in those shop doorways during the blackout?

Of course I do Kaga. One was named Jean.

But this is not off topic as one might think, the bus stop was right by the doorway and regularly she would hold on to me and make me miss the last bus. As I walked the girl down Pearson Ave (I can see her face now) the sirens sounded, the girl went in home and I made a beeline for home. As I neared the Manor House shops all hell was let loose, the guns were blazing away, a dozen or more searchlights stabbed the sky, the drone of the engines came closer. I think they were hitting the Morris about a mile away. Someone screamed and swore at me to get under cover, I scrambled down the bank of the stream and cowered by the brook bridge, orange glows started to spread across the sky, there was thuds and crumps as I tried to bury deeper to the wall, I was terrified, then there was a lull and I shot out of there like a hare, raced home, near home when the second wave started and I collapsed when I gained our back-garden shelter and my family hands were around me. I was 14, You could say courting in those days went off with a bang.