The Blitz - 14th November 1940

Hi, My name is Emma Halligan and I'm currently studying Radio Production at the University of Westminster, but from Coventry originally! I'm making a documentary for my final year about the night of the 14th November 1940 and people's memories. I could do with some help - does anybody know anyone who remembers the night of the Blitz and would be willing to chat to me about their memories? It's really important to me that I get to chat to some people who were there and this seemed like the best place to come! If anyone would like any more information or student credentials let me know, and if you want to email me its emmalisahalligan@gmail.com. Thank you so much, Emma

Hi Emma, and welcome. I wasn't personally there (I'm not that old!), but I heard about it from my father many times. His family used to live at 96 Broomfield Rd in Earlsdon. He, his sister, mum and dad, younger brother (on leave from the RAF at the time) and family dog were huddled under the stairs when a bomb directly hit and demolished the rear of the house. After the all clear, they managed to clamber out unscathed, apart from being covered in plaster dust. Many of their neighbours were less fortunate, being killed under tons of rubble. The family, inc. dog, piled their stuff into my dad's first car, and they ended up living in a farmhouse at Honiley, near the Boot Inn. The family cat had disappeared several hours before the first bombers arrived, and they presumed it dead. Wrong: the following day, the cat appeared, meowing, at the family home/pile of rubble, and the next door neighbour took it in. Cats know how to survive!

Hi, for anyone interested in receiving the Coventry Bomb Map, I have received a quote from the NA of £180.90. Regards Sewall Lad

I'm sure I'm not the only one who'd be willing to share the cost in return for a copy, but I suspect that is not permitted. Do you know the size of the map?

Re: Bomb Map, I'm sure there's a copy for sale at the History Centre, I paid £10 for one.

Unfortunately not as yet, I suspect they will send a series of "downloads " if my last research from them is anything to go by. Regards Sewall Lad

I have just come from History Centre, they have a Luftwaffe target map of Coventry for £10.00 and they also have a Bomb Map of Coventry City Centre for £25.00. The NA bomb map covers I think the whole of Coventry. Regards Sewall Lad

Where would this shot of Fords Hospital damage have been taken from? The Corn Exchange perhaps?

Lower down, the Telegraph offices I think?

Just a little more info on that bomb map of Coventry from the NA. There are 18 pages of A3 which apparently covers Coventry and also takes in Stoneleigh, Walsgrave on Sowe, Shilton etc . Whether you choose 18 pages as digital images or 18 pages "paper colour" the cost is the same. Regards Sewall Lad

Sewall lad. What information does it give, like dates, or is it just the 14th?

Good point! I just checked and it says circa 1941-1945. Regards Sewall Lad

I would think Shilton bombing would mean very little to most people, but to me it posed a great theory. In 1939/40 the rail traffic was enormous, troops, guns, tanks etc. The canal ran alongside, also carried goods, both prime targets, both worth knocking out. I knew little of the land south of Brinklow, but between Brinklow and Coventry there was only one spot that a stick of four bombs could knock out both targets, problem was it only had about a 'three yard' wide flight path. The Dornier was a light load bomb carrier, made for low flying, believed to be capable of outrunning any English fighter and capable of doing the job if they could get it right. The bomber crossed the channel had an easy flight bypassing English towns, he veered west a little round Rugby, then came low over the corner of Ansty Airfield and across the bottom of our garden on his bomb run, then released the stick. The first bomb overshot the target, the canal, by about one yard, the second and third wasted, the fourth was two yards short of the railway track. Two months later the water began to seep from the canal bank, it had to be repaired. They then turned their attention to the canal again, again flying low, once again a stick of four bombs, again the first missed a t-junction by about three yards, 2/3 wasted, the fourth bang on the canal, draining the canal from Sutton Stop to Tusses Bridge, depriving the power station of water for the cooling towers. Comments, please.

Near that location today is this field with three circles in, could they possibly be craters? Or these?

Hi McSporran Looked at the two different locations you referred to. The three circles in the first field are due to telegraph poles. In the second field, they are circles around individual trees which I presume had to be left after a hedgerow was grubbed out.