St Michael's Baptist Church

There were several David, the one you mention was in the basement of the former St Michael Baptist Church. Cool pic by the way

From an edition of the Illustrated London News from 1856, thought you might like to see how the 'new' chapel looked before it was turned into a water tank by the Luftwaffe! For anyone not certain of the orientation, the artist would've been standing (seated?!) more-or-less outside The Establishment (old County Court) on the right, facing Hay Lane with the Golden Cross just out of view far right, and St. Michael's 'old' Cathedral just out of picture to the left. I guess Hitler really had something against St. Michael!!

This image from 1981 shows the remains of the church. It was destroyed during WWII and its basement remains were filled with water and used as a static water tank for the rest of the war. The site was then left undeveloped for several decades.

As a child, I remember going down steps into the basement to a group of stalls which were either a market or people selling for charity. I don't think that it was a regular set-up, so more likely to be the latter.

Great find that one Cliff

Not the best photo of it but one of the closest to part of the stone walls

Yes, I remember the static water tank, and another in West Orchard. Thanks to those who supplied the pictures. I had never seen the complete St Michael's Baptist Church - very interesting.

Rob, you are right, the Germans turned them into useless water basements. In 1938 in the old town, there were some very congested areas in the centre, narrow streets, old buildings mainly constructed with wood, a grave risk even in peacetime. 1938 the Gov't formed the AFS, trained by the city fire brigade - they went to work as normal but a major fire and they reported to their stations. Defence authorities of towns were offered 500 gallon static water tanks, but nowhere did I see one or hear of one in Coventry. Neither did the Rev Howard mention one when they ran out of water in the Cathedral area. Water ran out and the fire gained strength, and this happened with the hoses as well. Once the raid was over there was never going to be another fire, everything had been burned that could be burned. In the April raids fire did little damage, it was controlled without using static water, or so I was led to believe. About two hours after the raid began the brigade's phones went out of action and there was no back-up scheme in place so the central fire station was out of touch with anyone.

Just a few minutes after 7.30 pm the first incendiary bombs hit the Cathedral and the Baptist church and the centre of the city, and the fire brigade had an inferno on their hands. They called for help. Meanwhile the Cathedral staff were dealing with the fires, but two hours later they ran out of water. Fire engines and crews from Walsall and Solihull were racing to Coventry, the sky was aflame, they knew they were in for a long and arduous night. The crew of the Solihull tender pulled into Hay Lane, parked outside the Cathedral vestry door, ran out hoses around the Cathedral and down to the Baptist church - less than five minutes later the water ceased. From then onwards the fire crew and the Cathedral staff stood in the porch of the police station and watched the city burn - there was little they could do without water (where oh where were these damned static water tanks?) PS. Ten years later I worked as a factory fireman, then a city fireman and heard stories first hand.

Really evocative Kaga thanks - were the static tanks not also to supplement the damaged drainage system?

Yes, thanks Kaga. How gutted they must have felt to have run out of water. The static tanks I know about all seem to be in the bombed out shells of buildings.

NeilsYard. I can't recall them ever being used by anyone, just an eyesore and rubbish dumps to me. Helen F. Yes there was still some bitterness from old firemen some ten years later. MHW had a staff of some twenty men, trained ARP/Firemen in West Orchard, but it still burned.

A slight view of the Baptist Church in context with the size of St Michael's.

The two photos (which unfortunately aren't great quality as I took the photos through glass) show the exterior and interior of St Michael's Baptist Church (or Chapel). The photos were hanging at the back of the Quinton Park Baptist Church, Cheylesmore, as the Church was opened in 1957 to replace St Michael's Baptist Church.

Excellent Garlands, thanks for sharing. I don't think I've seen a shot of the interior before