Miscellaneous

Birmingham Small Arms (BSA) and Singer Motors: misc_bsa&singer339

A view from the main gate showing the damage at the BSA works after a major air raid in the Second World War. This is believed to have been taken in April 1941, but the most destructive air-raid on the BSA occurred on the night of 19th November 1940. That night 440 German planes carried out a widespread air raid across the city dropping 400 tons of High Explosive bombs, including 18 Parachute Mines (4 failed to explode), 677 High Explosive bombs (42 delayed action) and 29,000 incendiary bombs (resulting in 243 reported incendiary incidents). This air raid caused extensive damage to the City Centre as well as industrial areas and infrastructure.

At the BSA Small Heath works, 52 workers were reported killed and a further 89 injured. Most were night shift workers who had continued to work at their machines when the warning sirens sounded, finally taking refuge in the basement when bombs started to fall in the vicinity. Two direct hits with high explosive bombs caused part of the reinforced concrete factory building to collapse on top of the basement trapping hundreds of workers. Two electricians (Alf Stevens and Alf Goodwin) were awarded medals for their bravery in the subsequent rescue, but those that died were believed crushed under the weight of the structure and many of the bodies were not recovered for weeks.

Robert Ferris

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