Books on Coventry

Trevor Harkin's latest book came out just before the 70th Anniversary of the devastating air raid of 14/15 November 1940. This is a review from an Earlsdon perspective. It should also be available at Waterstones and W H Smith in the city centre ... The Blitz of 14/15 November 1940 is very well documented. Some excellent books have been published such as Moonlight Sonata by Tim Lewis but up until now none has focused mainly on the victims. Local author Trevor Harkin has put this right. This book details the casualties of the Blitz and equally importantly details are given of the victims who died in air raids prior to the Blitz - people who are often overlooked. Add to this eyewitness accounts from over 40 survivors and it all adds up to a very welcome addition to the collection of Coventry Blitz literature. The book opens with a small section on air raid precautions and details the procedures for burials and mass burials. The instructions for burials / mass burials came from the government - Circular 1779 - issued in February 1939. Amendments were made and it was sent to the Coventry Corporation (Council) in April 1940. So although people think the Corporation came up with the idea of mass burials in communal graves at London Road cemetery it seems they were following instructions laid down by the government. This is something I wasn't aware of and Trevor has done well to highlight this. The next section lists the casualties of air raids prior to the 14/15 November. The street / location is provided followed by brief details of the victims. For example, four people died at 3 Dalton Road on 21 October 1940 and on 28 October 1940, Albert Baldock died at his home - 97 Broomfield Road. The last entry for this section is dated 5 November 1940 and remembers Violet Grensill who died aged 22 at Foleshill Road. We then come to the main part of the book detailing the victims of the infamous air raid which began at 7:10pm on 14 November 1940. Trevor has split the accounts into the different areas of the city affected - City Centre, Coventry North East, Coventry South East, Coventry South West, Coventry North West and Coventry North. The descriptions are more detailed and accompanied where possible with photographs. This section also contains the survivors accounts of that terrible night. Of particular interest to Earlsdon residents is the section on Coventry North West. Here we read about Frederick Yeomans who died at 8 Palmerston Road. Ann Yardley who died at 25 Bristol Road. Sarah Ann Toney who died at 26 Kensington Road. Harold Harrison who died at 8 Kenilworth Road. Albert & Ada Lockett who died at 224 Earlsdon Avenue. Herbert Marley and his daughters Iris and Olive Lily perished at 111 Broomfield Road. Five members of the Witcomb family were killed at 111 Beechwood Avenue. Simon William Heynes, aged just 3, died at 167 Beechwood Avenue. Sergeant Lionel Scott of the Home Guard was injured at Albany Road and died in hospital two days later. At 147 Albany Road, Anne Elizabeth Wright was injured and died the next day. Beatrice Mansfield and John Jones died at 158 Albany Road. At 53 Mickleton Road Frances and Peter Robinson lost their lives. A number of eye witness accounts are included. Richard Aldridge (who was 9) and Tony Duffy (who was 8) both lived in Coniston Road and share their memories of that night. The sections on each district conclude with details of the number of injuries recorded and where they were treated. For example, one person from 89 Berkeley Road and one from 10 Stoneleigh Avenue were detained in Warwick Hospital. Four people from 2 Newcombe Road were treated at a first aid post. Next comes a section called 'Citations and Awards' which gives a good insight into the bravery and courage shown that night. This is followed by a few pages concerning newspaper headlines about the raid, minutes from a Council meeting, some reports from newspapers after the raid and a reproduction and translation of a German propaganda booklet called "Bombs on Coventry". The book runs to 266 pages and easily succeeds in its main objective - humanising the cold statistics of almost 600 killed and nearly 1000 injured. One of the people Trevor thanks in the acknowledgements is Jane Hewitt. Her website includes The Coventry Blitz Resource Centre which no doubt provided Trevor with a lot of information. We should be grateful to both of them for all the hard work and research they have put into ensuring the victims are not forgotten. Antiques of Earlsdon are selling the book for £12.95. It is also available from a number of City Centre outlets including the Tourist Information Centre in the old Cathedral tower. It should also be available via Trevor's War Memorial Park website.

I have just bought a copy of this book and it's worth every penny. I have a personal interest in this publication because my great uncle and his wife lost their lives in the bomb that destroyed the West End Club in Spon Street. The book also solves the mystery of why there was a gap in the row of houses near my grand-parents home in Stoke Aldermoor. It turns out that five houses were destroyed resulting in the death of one person.

Following on from his "Coventry 14th/15th November 1940 Casualties, Awards and Accounts" book, local Author Trevor Harkin has just published this new book to mark the 70th anniversary of the ferocious air raids on Coventry during 'Holy Week' of 1941. The book provides details of all those who died in the raids and also includes details of all those who died in raids after 15 November 1940 until the end of the war. So combined with the first book he has managed to record all known victims of air raids on Coventry in print.

I have now received a copy of the book and one thing that strikes me in the casualty lists is the number of people who were not originally from Coventry. I suppose this reflects the fact that during the great depression of the 1930's Coventry got off fairly lightly compared to the North of England and Wales. So people flocked to Coventry to work in the new "high-tech" industries such as the motor industry, electronics and aviation.

If you haven't already seen one, I suggest you try to get hold of a copy of "Coventry Past and Passing" compiled by A E Feltham. It was published by Caldicote and Feltham in 1927. My dad had just started his apprenticeship there as a book binder and he bound at least some of them. I lost touch with his original copy, but I managed to buy one on ebay for a reasonable sum. There aren't too many copies about because it was issued to subscribers only.

Does it have lots of pictures which haven't been published elsewhere as that is a major factor as to whether I purchase a book sight unseen?

Hi Dutchman I don't think I've seen any before. There are lots of line drawings from before the days of photography, including the (Samuel) Lines collection. A lot of the Photos are by Joseph Wingrove and some are from Poole's History of Coventry. Other pictures were lent privately and one or two from the (1927) City Library Collection. I am familiar with it since my early childhood.

I have had a signed Alton Douglas book given to me titled COVENTRY A Century of News. I suppose I should have gone into the book reviews but I am sure not everyone goes into that very often. However, it is well worth a look for those who have not yet read it. No doubt some of you may have. Some of the pictures are mind boggling. A real keepsake.

Agreed. The best feature is the photos of the 'new' Coventry being built alongside the 'old' one.

My personal favourite. Not to be confused with another book with almost the same title but a completely different author.

I just love those two reviews of Coventry through time, MR - hilarious!!! Best laugh I've had for a while!

Found a book about Coventry by Helen Humphries. Not in the Bibliography, I think? Only 65 pence, so I ordered it.

I think you'll like it Keith, it's a lovely story. Although I do have that book, I haven't listed in my bibliography because it's only a fictional novel and I only wanted to list books that are useable for factual information. But even so, the writer has kept quite true to the sort of things that happened that on the night of the blitz - she has a very nice descriptive style of writing.

Tried to read 'Coventry' by Helen Humphries but it seemed to me to be written by someone who did not know the city, and locations and descriptions were taken from something read not visited.

I have acquired a book called "The Christchurch Fusee Chain Gang" by Sue Newman - the history of watch fusee chain making (which was centred in Christchurch, Hampshire). One of the sources of information for it is Coventry City Archives. Looks a very interesting and well produced book, lots of photographs and drawings, and a bargain - should be £17, on sale for £4.97, from Amberley Publishers. It is relevant to the Workhouse topic as well as Coventry watchmaking (they must have used miles of fusee chain!) So if you didn't know what you wanted for Christmas, you do now!! This is a fusee chain in a Coventry made, (scrap) early 19th century movement: