IRA Broadgate Bomb 1939

Thanks dutchman Am updating the article about the bombing and had a feeling it was somewhere around there. Mr O'Sullivan, the bomber, claimed to be targetting the police station but looks like he cycled past the turn off for it on his way to Broadgate.

Dutchman, just googled it, no one was injured 1st July 39. This helps. In 1950, this is what I was after, back in the 50's one could not put this altogether then, a lot of small explosions, not doing any real damage or injury, not attracting too much attention, had to be training agents for a bigger show, not easy to carry bombs to targets, a lot of sweating, nerves, back in those days it was new ground, and what security looked for, and there was a time when it nearly cost me my life. But it never reached any newspaper, person, security wound it up so tight no one knew it happened.

Okay, thanks for that Kaga

1939 At twelve years of age the bomb had little interest to me, but what my uncle described became more imprinted on my mind. He was working close to the Hippodrome when there was a huge bang he went to look, people were screaming, crying, dazed, complete chaos, the busy shopping centre was torn, bodies lying torn. Over the last seventy years there has been hundreds of books, documents, etc of the war and the blitz, but little of the first devastating IRA bomb. The war and the blitz became a universal hatred in Coventry, against a known foe. That bomb became a hatred between friends and neighbours. First thoughts was it was a fascist bomb, then a German spy bomb, but word soon spread, that it was IRA, tempers flared, the crowd getting more agitated. Irish people were punched and kicked. Police arrested people as the police made their way through the crowd, it turned ugly, the police had a difficult time trying to protect them, both police and an arrested person received blows. My uncle came home (lived next door). The rumours reached the outskirts of the city groups of people began to talk. One must remember the outbreak of war was imminent, young men all tension. Many went into town to the Central Police Station, only to be told the people had been released, they were not Irish and had nothing to do with the bombings, huge rumours spread of happenings to protesters. Off topic a young man we knew was often invited to stay the night at Bayley Lane he called it the 'Dungeon' the one up the 'Wolf' he called it the 'Dog Kennel'. 1946 Talking to survivors of the David Hotel (Jerusalem) my mind went back six years. 1949 I started asking questions, I thought there had been a big cover up to the incidents. Relatives by chance told me there had been a bomb seven weeks prior to Coventry's in Leicester railway station, July 3rd, it was not beyond my pocket so I visited, talked to people. I thought someway there was a link between the two explosions. But all one could do was look at back dated papers, no one had written a list of all the incidents that had happened before 1939 and I was getting brushed aside with my questions so I gave up. But the thirties and forties was my era.

Wonderful Story Kaga, you truly bring the circumstances home with the local colour you relate. You have the advantage of me in years, I was only four at the time, but I understand that I was in town that afternoon, probably out with my mother and her sister who used to meet for tea and cakes. I know they favoured the Geisha cafe, after the war (I think they went for the kunzle cakes), but I`ve no idea where they would have been prewar.

There is a list of the many events of the IRA sabotage campaign prior to 1939 here.

Mcsporran. You have jumped the gun a little, there's more to come. In the thirties Coventry was a warm and peaceful city, people left doors open, kids like me could roam the streets, fields and woods on the outskirts, the fear of being molested never heard of. We tend to impute modern attitudes and responses to our grandfather's day because they are only a couple of generations away, we sometimes forget how different their mentality and life could be. Arrests were made and duly punished, but little mention of the public unrest, pictures of the devastation, cameras about I failed to find one picture of the unrest, so I ask this forum, what can you find? At one time I was minded not to write this. Back in 1950 there was no such list, had there have been it would have been locked away under the secrets act, and that's what my questions were about had any documents come to life? Now a couple of months ago I came across an old paper, also the internet and this forum. The paper gave me a few answers. There were more - WHY COVENTRY? for starters, I hoped this forum may find me more. Mcsporran, I've looked at that list a number of times. 139 incidents, and only one man died. Dynamite, gelignite and god knows what and only small damage, but a five pound parcel in Coventry? Lives, devestation. That list and this forum missed the Leicester bomb of 3rd of July, I asked a couple of questions, got very strange and adverse answers, 'do you believe everything you read in the papers' but anyone under my age have no choice. Where did you get your information. Well of course the daily papers of that time, forum missed that too. Bit hazy about this but during the mid-thirties the Mosley group (pacifists) were threatening the security of this country and with the war looming the Gov't issued a lot of restrlctions the newspapers played a critical role in carrying out the gov't wishes in control of morale, they also helped at times by printing propaganda, all this was well known long before the fifties, so yes, those answers seemed a bit naive to me. Within three days of the explosion all names and addresses was published, and it all got swallowed up by the war. But I still wanted to know what and if things were swept under the carpet. but I now know that one man in Coventry on that fateful night was detained, placed in a cell, for inciting the public as he thought, let out the next morning without the police even asking his name. During the thirties many small explosions occurred around the country, so why only one so devastating, I found the answer that I do believe from an historian. The IRA was in league with the Nazis, the IRA needed funds and allies, to show this, they staged a show right in the heart of the country. As for the bomb itself only an explosive expert can tell us that, and there were very few of them in 1939 any questions?

The list does include the Leicester bomb, but the incident is mis-identified as Birmingham!? Wikipedia is not renowned for its accuracy, so if anyone has a logon for it they may like to correct the mistake.

Brother Joybert, I don't wish to taint this wonderful forum with bad feeling, and I'm too damn old anyway, I thought you of all people would help me, but we are about sixty years apart from the way we look at this bomb outrage and life. In 1982 my name hit the local paper, the story was right but alongside my name was the photo of the runner up. For 9 years I lived and was in fear of explosives. There is a lot of people out there read these articles but don't see the depth in them, there was unrest out there. From relatives we heard a story that one of the men was enraged at the bomb, scuffled with the police was detained overnight but not charged, and released next morning. But next day was told to leave his job, he had been involved with the police, his references were no longer good, he would not be able to find employment, there were no benefits, the 'dole' would give them a little food, no shoes, no new frocks for the girls, etc It was a different life back then. It's a theory I have, I believe it was a big statement, not that anyone would admit it. National security was at stake, headline news but top secret Arrests were made, calmed things down, the panic was over, the matter was resolved, yesterdays news, except for the relatives. If I remember correctly the police station was behind the Council House, you went in the front door, the front desk was on the right under the window, the duty officer at the desk looking out on to the street, part of his job, to open the door when needed. there was offices behind him, for senior police, a stone stairway leading down, a naked bulb above. Now I believe it was an old and narrow street, and the Black Maria took up the width of the street, little room for a 'bike' if so anyone tried to leave a cycle and the duty officer would have been out in a flash, with police going back and forth, it would be a very, very brave man to enter that street with explosives, this was one of the questions I thought you may have helped me with.

It's hard to tell what happened after all this time, though it's not unlikely that the initial article was just wrong. Explosions can be weird and perhaps parts of the bomb shot off and hit the clock before falling to the ground. Before the experts had had a chance to work out the exact chain of events some people may have jumped to conclusions. Alternatively, things are sometimes kept from the public. Most people have heard of the Warrington bomb but most will have now forgotten that it was the second event in a short space of time. What very few people know and has never been published was that there was at least one other target in the area but the plan was foiled by alert staff at the potential site and no bomb was placed. There was a car chase and management had to search the plant for suspect packages because the police wouldn't have known what was supposed to be there or not. It sounds like something out of a novel. Maybe there were more similar events at other sites? Terrorists have sometimes planted second bombs to catch people running from an initial incident. The 'second bomb' may have been a plan to blow up those investigating the first 1939 bomb? The important thing is not the bomb of yesteryear but the next one. It's important to keep our eyes open, particularly at the moment.

Helen, hello, agree with everything you say. I was only querying the reporters story in the first place, seemed strange to me all, those people about, and the police still sifting about among the rubble.You say the plan may have been to blow up those investigating. Damn right, two of my colleagues were hung in an olive grove, the bodies booby trapped for those who cut them down. But historian David O'Donogue got it right for me, so I bow out of this topic.

Here's that "old and narrow street", Kaga - St Mary Street

Midland Red, correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't there some tall part of the Cathedral where the lamp standard stands now.

Don't think so, Kaga - the photo was taken standing on Earl Street, and the Old Cathedral is at the far end of St Mary Street, with the fl

This is the boy that got injured by the bomb, the policeman directing him to get treatment.