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Just been watching an episode of Foyle's war on the box, and it brought back memories of my much younger days in Nottingham.

I have quite distinct memories of sitting on my uncle's shoulders watching the return of the Sherwood Foresters(?) from Germany. We were standing on the pavement, along with hundreds of others, at the top of Carrington Street, between Canal Street and Listergate. There were bombed buildings behind us, that were known as the Arms Houses, which had been fenced off.

I would have been three or four perhaps, which would make it 1947-48ish, and the regiment were marching up Carrington Street towards the Square. Any historians out there who may know the date? Thanks.

Other memories of that time were of taking a short cut from Listergate to Castlegate via more bombed buildings, on our way to Sunday School at Castlegate Congregational church. Having walked up Arkwright Street and Carrington.

Alison

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Just been watching an episode of Foyle's war on the box, and it brought back memories of my much younger days in Nottingham. I have quite distinct memories of sitting on my uncle's shoulders watching

Welcome back Alison . Did you sell that hat?? I'm over in Nott'm at my mums at the moment I'll see what she has to say on the subject, (Don't hold your breath........."It's me age you know ")

Or one of these !!

Ayup Alison, long time no see, hope all is well down under!

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Yes...welcome back Alison - long time no hear from...

Most of the City military marching in a slightly later era (50's/60's) was performed by the TA.

As their Colonel was T.E. Forman-Hardy, of Evening Post fame, much newspaper picture coverage ensued.

Cheers

Robt P.

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Welcome back Alison . Did you sell that hat??

I'm over in Nott'm at my mums at the moment I'll see what she has to say on the subject, (Don't hold your breath........."It's me age you know ")

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My mum remembers the Alms Houses being there but thats about it I'm afraid (No dates, sorry)

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  • 4 weeks later...

I doubt those alms houses were bombed, there has to my knowledge never been any mention of them getting hit, they were on the fringe of the main bombers route in what became known as The Nottingham Blitz May 8/9th 1941 but most of the bombs that fell in that area were to the east, only hundreds of yards but enough to be "safe" On a map you can see that route, starting in west bridgford, missing forest's ground but hitting notts and of course the co-op bakery at the other fringe to the north east the former Suburban Railway embankment that crossed Colwick Rd near the crossings was hit and of course many houses factories etc between those 2 points notably Boots, Lace Market Factories, Snienton Houses and factories and as the raid crossed the city to the north west The Nottingham Castle pub side of the Ice Stadium, The Old Moot Hall Corner of Market Sq, The old university buildings on Shakespere Street and the registry office, The building I think to be hit with the last of the 424 bombs that dropped that night was The Masonic Hall on Goldsmith Street. Whilst not being derisory of this raid and certainly would not have wanted to be under such it did not compare to what other uk cities suffered and as for likes of Dresden etc when first the RAF bombed the city in 2 raids to be followed next day by the USAAF attack with 747 aircraft, The RAF alone dropped 200,000 incendry bombs, each lancaster carrying those could have had over 2,000 4lb bombs whilst others carried HE ones, each plane carrying around 8,000 lbs, ie 100 x 1cwt or 8 x 1,000lb blockbusters

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And did you know that for every ton of bombs the Germans dropped on England, we (and the Americans) dropped ten on them! If you think we saw destruction, drive along the Ruhr valley and count how many old buildings you see (you won't need to take your socks off)!

I am not condoning what the Germans did, but they certainly paid the price!

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I doubt those alms houses were bombed, there has to my knowledge never been any mention of them getting hit, they were on the fringe of the main bombers route in what became known as The Nottingham Blitz May 8/9th 1941 but most of the bombs that fell in that area were to the east, only hundreds of yards but enough to be "safe" On a map you can see that route, starting in west bridgford, missing forest's ground but hitting notts and of course the co-op bakery at the other fringe to the north east the former Suburban Railway embankment that crossed Colwick Rd near the crossings was hit and of course many houses factories etc between those 2 points notably Boots, Lace Market Factories, Snienton Houses and factories and as the raid crossed the city to the north west The Nottingham Castle pub side of the Ice Stadium, The Old Moot Hall Corner of Market Sq, The old university buildings on Shakespere Street and the registry office, The building I think to be hit with the last of the 424 bombs that dropped that night was The Masonic Hall on Goldsmith Street. Whilst not being derisory of this raid and certainly would not have wanted to be under such it did not compare to what other uk cities suffered and as for likes of Dresden etc when first the RAF bombed the city in 2 raids to be followed next day by the USAAF attack with 747 aircraft, The RAF alone dropped 200,000 incendry bombs, each lancaster carrying those could have had over 2,000 4lb bombs whilst others carried HE ones, each plane carrying around 8,000 lbs, ie 100 x 1cwt or 8 x 1,000lb blockbusters

The Alms Houses referred to were not the Collins Almshouses.

There was a small square of houses situated somewhere between the old Ice Stadium and the old Boots factory, I remember now, they were called the Plumptre Almshouses and situated in Plumptre Square. In the early 1970's when I worked for the local Diocesian architects, the Church Comissioners instigated a repair scheme for the properties. I actually went down there myself, surveyed them and drew up the plans and elevations. As I recall, they were quite ornate. Victorian buildings, lived in by old people and owned and run by the Southwell Diocese.

They must have been right at the end of the line of bombs that fell on Meadow Lane, High Level Station forecourt and covered the Boots factory wall in bomb splinters.

I've just looked the place up on Google and see it's been renovated, as the former Plumptre Hospital. While it lookes to be the same building, I am absolutely certain that it formed a square with a courtyard in the middle, mind you, it was 35 years ago when I worked on it, similarly, it looks as if the place was run by a trust and not the Church Diocese.

It would be interesting to see if there are any bomb splinter marks in the walls.

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oops! was going to say was that shelter under the factory the one on Dakeyne St? was told it ran under park there and they never made any recovery attempt, just filled it in, the two "new" council houses next door to library further up carlton rd replace a direct hit one, maybe a vicarage?

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A friend of my mum's was killed the next morning as she was walking to work - and unexploded bomb went off!

As a kid we used to go and play near the railway sidings at Toton - lots of craters in the area between the sidings and the Erewash Canal. I suspect they were trying to bomb the sidings and maybe Chilwell Depot.

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  • 6 months later...

Re The Alms Houses, I am assuming the posting originator meant the ones that were near woolworths at start of carrington st? nothing to do with plumtre square, lynmee seems to have right ones? but doubt demolished in 1956? pretty sure I "explored" such when I was at work so post 1962. Whether the following is true I'm not sure of but my mam said when shopping once "was pulled into woolworths" as a plane was "machine gunning Lister Gate" My Dad worked at the gun factory in the meadows and (assume same day) said plane machine gunned factory roof "yer cud see the oles" and dropped a bomb between 2 of the factory's air raid shelters which just left a hole in the soft muddy ground. A different source told me of a church (still there) in the meadows that has bullet damage still to be seen but can't recall which church! Dad also worked at Newport Gun Factory in Wales which at that time was "dry" on a sunday, I have a letter from him detailing the bristol biltz when him and mates had caught train to there for a drink and they were stuck all night in cellars under Templemead Railway Station. Letter says Nottingham's big raid was nothing compared to that, "whole streets blazing and armed troops on patrol to prevent "looting/rioting/panic"

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Lenton Parish Church (On Church st funilly enough) was bombed by one of a whole stick of bombs which failed to explode!! . You can still see the different patterns in the floor tiles where it came to rest . The Krauts were aiming for 'The Raleigh' which was also producing munitions. Another hit the railway line at the bottom of Cycle road (Where my mum was , in the cellar!!)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Good old Meadow lane

That one was off the same 'Stick' that killed all those bakery workers.

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I reckon it's the Kop End, are you sure it wasn't taken after that infamous Man Utd match in the 1970's, I think it's the only time I've ever left a match before it finished.

Up at my mothers house, stuck in a scrapbook are several articles cut from the Evening Post about the bombing, including a map showing where all the individual bombs fell. I promise to find it and scan it in here the next time I go up there which should be in a couple of weeks time.

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I always thought it was the 'Lane end' but looking at it again I think you're right it's the 'Kop end'

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  • 1 month later...

I found the map showing all the bombs dropped on Nottingham during WW2, it's quite interesting, but tragic when you study it:-

scan0059.jpg

I didn't realise how close they got to the Council House, after Vic station I reckon.

They must have got confused and thought that Notts would be the football power post war.

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There are a lot missing off of there, Radford / Lenton were hit (Aiming for 'The Raleigh' which was making munitions at the time)

Facinating piece of newspaper though

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What an interesting map,all is much clearer now!

During the WW 2 bombing some of the women of the Blue Bell Hill Rd. area would meet in the shop of the local milkman(guess they all knew him) who had a shop on BBHill at the junction with Crown St. for support and company.(guess they all figured that if they were going to go it may as well be with their friends).

I can so clearly remember the terror in that shop on the faces of the women as the bombs fell.

There was an air raid shelter at the entrance to the Blue Bell Hill school opposite our house on Elm grove, but folks were a little wary of it.

All the streets off Carlton Road up to Cooper and Roe suffered damage of some sort. the air raid shelter is underneath, quite a lot of people were killed in the shelter.

.After the large loss of life in the air raid shelter people lost confidence in them. So they took to the sand caves, under Nottingham.

Looking at the map I now realise how close it came.

From the map it can be seen that the area aroud St. Annes ,particularly Alfred St took quite a few hits. The bottom of Carlton Rd. where my Gran lived was well shattered also.

I remember the area around St. Alban`s church was a waste land.

Evidence of shrapnel on Alfred st could be seen after the war.

I suppose it was as nothing compared to the blitz,little wonder that `Bomber Harris 'was so ruthless in his attacks on Germany.

All though I was too young to realise the significance of what was happening,it makes one realise what others have suffered at the hands of random bombings in all wars since the plane was invented.

I must try to download the map to send to others I still write to.What an excellent find.

"Despite the Germans dropping more than 500 tonnes of bombs on Nottingham last month (May, 1941) only 200 people lost their lives, it has been revealed.

Most of the people in the city were able to stay safely sheltered in the underground cave system, which is now being used as air raid shelters.

There are 86 caves beneath the city - some natural and some that have recently been dug deep into the rock to provide shelter during enemy bombing raids.

Any sand dug out in the process of making new caves has been used in sandbags, which are being used to protect buildings above ground and the entrances to the caves.

Some of the underground air raid shelters have brick blast walls to offer even further protection from explosions. The shelters are well equipped with emergency lighting and toilets.

The largest cave being used as an air raid shelter is beneath the Player's factory at Radford which has space for 9,000 people. Other caves of various sizes can be found all over the city."

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Stan, I take it the latter part of your post was a quote of some official blurb? If so very surprised they named places? and as far as I knew all Nottingham's caves are man made? My Dad worked at the gun factory and one afternoon a fighter bomber machine gunned part of the factory roof and dropped a bomb which he said landed between 2 shelters, the explosion covering them with mud etc, think same lone raider who attacked a church in the meadows, (no idea which but bullet marks said to be still there) and shot up awkright street. The big raid on Nottingham was on his birthday and next day went "sight seeing" in town and whilst still there, quote " Boots went up, a time bomb having been dropped there" assume he meant where until a few years ago there was a big empty space on Station Street? According to German Broadcasts to UK what was the most heavily bombed place in UK, with raids every night and the place devasted?

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This map obviously doesn't tell the whole story as Beefsteak says, looking on the back, it's from a copy of the Nottingham Guardian, judging by the amount of articles refering to the war, it's from a paper published either at the end of, or just after the war.

This is from one of fathers scrapbooks, I have so much fascinating stuff to sort through, some of the newspapers date back to the 1920's, but they are very fragile.

This was in the same page as the bombing map:-

scan0060.jpg

Yes a genuine Luftwaffe cloth badge, perhaps it belonged to one of the aircrew that took part on one of the Nottingham raids, as the old man was in charge of German prisoners in the Hamburg area at the end of the war, and his exploits with them were epic, I'm sure he would have found someone of significance to chat to, he always held the German Military in high regard and dealt with them with the greatest respect, I know that they reciprocated his feelings, but thats many other stories for another day.

Prior to and after the war he worked for Walter Black and Co Printers on Addison Street? No doubt he called in to see his mates while on leave and it would appear that they printed propoganda leafleats to drop on German towns, here are a couple of examples, the first one is a complicated sliding affair:-

scan0061.jpg

scan0062.jpg

scan0063.jpg

scan0064.jpg

scan0065-1.jpg

scan0066.jpg

I have other examples, including some in French and one that no doubt came from the other side, the Germans trying to set us up against the Soviets, how true it was to prove, I'll scan it if you are interested.

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