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Wartime

The  Sabotage Campaign was a campaign of bombing and sabotage against the civil, economic, and military infrastructure of the United Kingdom from 1939 to 1940, conducted by members of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). The campaign resulted in 300 explosions, seven deaths and 96 injuries.

On 17th January 1939 a bomb exploded in Great Barr at an electricity pylon, but it remained standing on one strut.

Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-Plan

 

 

A prisoner of war camp was built in the 1940's and at various times had Italian and German prisoners. It was located near the Spouthouse Lane and Hamstead Road junction.

 

A list of the Fallen of Great Barr can be searched for on the Birmingham Mail website, Go to WW1 Search Tool and enter       Great Barr,        in theTown or City field

In St. Margarets Churchyard there is a memorial to those of the parish who lost their lives.

Memorial at St Margarets

The Great Barr Memorial Hall has a panel listing the fallen.

Those who died in World War II from Great Barr are remembered on the gates of St. Margarets Church and on a memorial in the church yard. The original plaques here were stolen and new ones have been now installed. There were some errors on the original details and they were corrected in the new plaques.

Original Plaques (1952)


Memorial Gates - LeftMemorial Gate - Right

The Gates were erected in 1952.

The left pillar had a plaque:-

TO THE
GLORY OF GOD
AND IN HONOURED
MEMORY OF THOSE
FROM THIS CHURCH
AND PARISH WHO
GAVE THEIR LIVES
IN THE SECOND
WORLD WAR
1939-1945

THESE GATES ARE
ERECTED 1952

The right hand pillar listed the fallen:
  • J.A. Arlington
  • G. Binsley
  • E.Brookes
  • T. Charles
  • T. Clarke
  • H.J. Cockayne
  • K.J. Cook
  • G. Cure
  • L.Danks
  • G.M. Davies
  • V. Drew
  • J.B. Evans
  • E.W.  Foster
  • G.T.Foster
  • A.C. Fowler
  • W. Foxhall
  • M.A. Francis
  • J.H. Franks
  • J.R. Gittings
  • H.N. Gossage
  • T.P.G. Griffin
  • E. Hammond
  • N.H. Hatton
  • J. Jones
  • L. Lamborne
  • P. Lutwyche
  • R.C. Luxon
  • A. Noakes
  • F.K. Platt
  • A.F. Richardson
  • A. Russon
  • E.A. Shirley
  • L. Tector
  • A. Terry
  • S. Thomas
  • D. Turley
  • F. White
  • S. White
New Plaques

Pictures to be uploaded soon

These pages bring together the information relating to Great Barr at war.

It will include such things as:
  • Memorials to those who died - St Margarets Church
  • Prisoners of War
  • Homeguard preprations for invasion
  • Public bomb shelters
  • Bomb damage

Copyright 2020 Great Barr Past and Present, Anthony Lewis

Administrator