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Tag Archives: war
Act of Remembrance for those lost in the Falklands to take place in Brownhills
This year it’s the 40th anniversary of the Falklands Conflict, which affected many towns like ours up and down the country, in that our lads went off to war in the South Atlantic – indeed, Brownhills lost a son whose … Continue reading
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Churches, Clayhanger stuff, Environment, Events, Interesting photos, Local Blogs, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Walsall community, Walsall Council, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged 40 years, Brownhills, Conflict, David Evans, Events, Falklands, Local History, RBL, Remembrance, Staffordshire, Things to do, time, Walsall, Walsall Council, Walsall Wood, war
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Brownhills war hero Edward Tunstall: can you help locate the lost photos please?
I’ve had a fascinating and very detailed enquiry come in from reader Emma Smith that I’m hoping some of the old blog hands and researchers can help with – I know that Brownhills still has a British Legion Branch (whose current appeal for the Remembrance Parade is very important) and I hope someone can hook up with them to perhaps light this enquiry up.
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Clayhanger stuff, Environment, Events, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged british Legion, Brownhills, Brownhills Library, Brownhills local history, Clayhanger, David Evans, Edward Tunstall, Emma Smith, Local History, Memories of Walsall, MP, New Photos, Parkview Centre, Plaque, RBL, Royal British Legion, Staffordshire, Things to do, unveiling, war, WVS
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A message for the Yanks in 1943: What do you know?
I’ve had another interesting enquiry in from Val Ainsworth, who last week sent in the lovely tale of her husband visiting the Station Hotel in Brownhills in the late 1940s – this time, she has a fascinating enquiry about a possible wartime American Army camp between North Birmingham and Brownhills.
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, News, planning, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community
Tagged Brownhills local history, camp, Events, Local History, Military, Mill Green, New Photos, Things to do, US, Val Ainsworth, war
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Urgent appeal: Brownhills Royal British Legion need our help!
I’m not going to beat around the bush here – this is a very important issue that I’ve been vocal about for some time, and this year it’s coming to a head.
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Clayhanger stuff, Environment, Events, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged 2017, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Clayhanger, John Bird, Local History, members, Memories of Walsall, New Photos, RBL, remembranceparade, Royal British Legion, Staffordshire, Things to do, Walsall Advertiser, war
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Come and pay your respects this Armistice Day in Brownhills
Theres a really important event taking place this Friday morning 11th November 2016), the Brownhills British Legion will hold a two minute Remembrance silence at the Cenotaph at St. James Church in Brownhills at 11:00am.
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Clayhanger stuff, Environment, Events, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged 11 November, 2016, Armistice, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Cenotaph, Clayhanger, commemoration, day, Local History, Martin Littler, New Photos, RBL, Royal British Legion, Silence, St James, Staffordshire, Things to do, war
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Great historical walk around RAF Lichfield – this afternoon
If you’re quick, there’s going to be another great event staged this afternoon by Lichfield Discovered, a side project of Kate Cardigan from the wonderful Lichfield Lore – this time, it’s a walk around the site and remains of the old RAF Lichfield base near Fradley – it’s led by the wonderful Steve Lightfoot, so is bound to be entertaining, informative and fun!
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Posted in Environment, Events, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Just plain daft, Local Blogs, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web
Tagged 2016, 3 july, aerodrome, air, Airport, base, Dave, David, Discovered, event, Events, Facebook, Fradley, free, Kate Gomez, Lichfield, local blogs, Local History, Lore, meeting, Moore, New Photos, RAF, Staffordshire, Steve Lightfoot, stories, Sunday, Talk, Things to do, tour, Twitter, walk, war
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Brownhills Somme Centenary Remembrance Service – this Friday
Theres a really important service taking place this Friday morning (1st July 2016), commemorating the centenary of the commencement of the Battle of the Somme – the service is being held by Brownhills British Legion at the Cenotaph at St. James Church in Brownhills at 11:00am.
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Clayhanger stuff, Environment, Events, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged 1 July, 2016, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Cenotaph, centenerys, ceotaph, Clayhanger, commemoration, David Evans, ervice, Local History, Martin Littler, Memories of Walsall, New Photos, RBL, Royal British Legion, Somme, Staffordshire, Things to do, war
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Why we fight
In the anger, outrage and recrimination over the plans to curtail the annual Remembrance Sunday parade in Walsall Wood which came to light last week, it’s easy to lose sight of what Remembrance is about.
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Posted in Brownhills stuff, Churches, Clayhanger stuff, Environment, Events, Followups, Interesting photos, It makes me mad!, Local History, Local media, Local politics, News, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Walsall community, Walsall Council, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged 1st World War, Brownhills local history, Details, fallen, First World War, Great War, Lichfield, list, Local History, loss, memorial, Remembrance, Roll of Honour, Royal British Legion, Spreadsheet, Sunday, Walsall Wood, war, war memorial, WW 1
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Brownhills VJ Day commemoration this Saturday
Hey people, listen up – theres a really important service taking place this Saturday morning (15th August 2015), commemorating the 70 year anniversary of VJ Day – it’s being held by Brownhills British Legion at the Cenotaph at St James in Brownhills at 11am.
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Posted in Brownhills stuff, Clayhanger stuff, Environment, Events, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged 15 August, 2015, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Cenotaph, Clayhanger, commemoration, David Evans, Local History, Martin Littler, Memories of Walsall, New Photos, RBL, Royal British Legion, Staffordshire, Things to do, VJ, war
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The forgotten Coventry bombing that blew a Walsall Wood bricklayer off his feet
An additional piece followed the original article I featured by John and Paul Anslow last week, on the subject of Walsall Wood and Pelsall wartime air raids – this one is about an IRA attack in Coventry right before the war that appears to have been all but forgotten.
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Events, Followups, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Walsall community, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged air raid., Air raids, Anslow, atrocity, bomb, bomb damage, bomb dmamag, bombing, bomobing, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Canal, Coventry, crater, Events, Hermann, Highbridge, Highbridge Colliery, IRA, john, Lichfield, Local History, memories, North Common, Norton Junction, Paul, Pelsall, Second World War, Shunting, Staffordshire, terrorist, unexploded, Walsall Wood, war, WW2, yard
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Avoiding the Red Caps with the permission of Captain Palmer
It’s always a joy to feature articles here by the wonderful Anslow brothers; over the years John and Paul have contributed so much to our local history knowledge, from everyday but special weddings, to sneaking into fetes and even recalling lost Pelsallian ice ream vendors.
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Events, Followups, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Walsall community, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged air raid., Air raids, Anslow, bomb, bomb damage, bomb dmamag, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Canal, crater, Events, Hermann, Highbridge, Highbridge Colliery, john, Lichfield, Local History, memories, North Common, Norton Junction, Paul, Pelsall, Second World War, Shunting, Staffordshire, unexploded, Walsall Wood, war, WW2, yard
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Explosive stuff
There’s a discussion currently ongoing in the background between contributors the the Brownhills blog about our area during wartime, and the kind of effect the Second World War had on Brownhills and the wider area as a whole – we’re interested primarily in what people remember, or stories they were told about air raids in the locality.
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Posted in Brownhills stuff, Cannock Chase, Chasewater, Clayhanger stuff, Environment, Events, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Local Blogs, Local History, Local media, News, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Walsall community, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged air raid., Aldridge, Blackout, bomb, bombs, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Canal, Chasewater, Clayhanger, David Evans, Events, incendiary, Lichfield, local blogs, Local History, Norton Canes, Pelsall, Shire Oak, shrapnel, Staffordshire, Things to do, Walsall, Walsall Wood, war
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Brownhills VE Day commemoration this Friday
In all the fuss and bother of the election, it would be easy to overlook this essential Brownhills British Legion VE Day Commemoration taking place this Friday, 8th May at the Cenotaph in Brownhills.
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Posted in Brownhills stuff, Clayhanger stuff, Environment, Events, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged 2015, 8 may, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Cenotaph, Clayhanger, commemoration, David Evans, Local History, Martin Littler, Memories of Walsall, New Photos, RBL, Royal British Legion, Staffordshire, Things to do, VE Day, war
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The Pride of Brownhills, restored
A couple of days ago I belatedly flagged up the wonderful installation and unveiling ceremony for the once misplaced, but now found British Legion memorial plague to the dead of two wars, located after local historian and top chap Bill Mayo asked for help with a photo here on the Brownhills Blog.
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Clayhanger stuff, Environment, Events, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged 2014, 22nd November, Brownhills, Brownhills Library, Brownhills local history, Clayhanger, David Evans, Local History, Melrose, Memories of Walsall, MP, Mrs Parsley, New Photos, Parkview Centre, Plaque, RBL, Richard Shepherd, Royal British Legion, Staffordshire, Things to do, unveiling, war, WVS
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The pride of Brownhills unveiled this Saturday!
I’m a wee bit late with this (for which I apologise, things are a bit hectic of late) but here’s some great news from reader and longtime friend of the blog Martin, who writes concerning the Royal British Legion plaque that resurfaced following a photo article here on the blog last year.
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Posted in Brownhills stuff, Clayhanger stuff, Environment, Events, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged 2014, 22nd November, Brownhills, Brownhills Library, Brownhills local history, Clayhanger, David Evans, Local History, Melrose, Memories of Walsall, MP, Mrs Parsley, New Photos, Parkview Centre, Plaque, RBL, Richard Shepherd, Royal British Legion, Staffordshire, Things to do, unveiling, war, WVS
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Paging local historians…
Here’s a quick but very interesting enquiry from reader Michael Williams, whose enquiry reaches me via Facebook.
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Posted in Brownhills stuff, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Walsall community, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged Brownhills, Brownhills local history, David Stokes, Facebook, Lichfield, Local History, Michael Williams, New Photos, Regiment, Shire Oak, soldiers, Staffordshire, Things to do, uniform, Walsall Wood, war
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Brownhills British Legion First World War commemorative event this morning
Friend of the blog and top bloke Martin Littler pointed out on Facebook yesterday, that this morning (Monday, 4th August 2014) there will be a First World War commemorative event in Brownhills.
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Churches, Clayhanger stuff, Events, Followups, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, Local politics, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged 4 August 2014, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Conflict, Events, first, Great, Local History, Martin Littler, memorial, Moday, Remembrance, Royal, Royal British Legion, Walsall, Walsall Council, Walsall Wood, war, world
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World War One Centenary events in Walsall this Monday
As you will no doubt be aware, it’s the centenary of our entry into World War One on Monday, 4th August 2014, and Walsall Council and other organisations in the borough have arranged some interesting, respectful and well considered events to mark the 100 years.
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Posted in Brownhills stuff, Cannock Chase, Churches, Clayhanger stuff, Environment, Events, Followups, It makes me mad!, Local History, Local media, Local politics, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community, Walsall Council, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged 4 August 2014, Brownhills local history, Cecil Burton, Conflict, David Evans, Events, first, folly, Great, Harry Patch, Levi Cooper, Local History, memorial, Moday, Peter Cutler, Remembrance, Royal British Legion, Walsall, Walsall Council, Walsall Wood, war, world
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Flight paths
This Thursday evening (12th June 2014 at 7:30pm), there’s going to be another great event staged by Lichfield Discovered, a side project of Kate Cardigan from the wonderful Lichfield Lore – this time, it’s a walk around the site and remains of the old RAF Lichfield base near Fradley.
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Posted in Environment, Events, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Just plain daft, Local Blogs, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web
Tagged 12th June, 2014, aerodrome, air, Airport, base, Dave, David, Discovered, event, Events, Facebook, Fradley, free, Kate Gomez, Lichfield, local blogs, Local History, Lore, meeting, Moore, New Photos, RAF, Staffordshire, Steve Lightfoot, stories, Talk, Things to do, Thursday, tour, Twitter, walk, war
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Outdoor cookery with Mrs. Parsley
An email finds me from David Evans, containing a rather wonderful image he’s spotted in an Alton Douglas book that he’s like to know more about – it surely is a cracker and I’d love to know more about these ladies and what they were up to.
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Posted in Brownhills stuff, Clayhanger stuff, Environment, Events, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged 1943, Alton DOuglas, British Restaurant, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Clayhanger, David Evans, Local History, Memories of Walsall, Mrs Parsley, Nancy Bradbury, New Photos, Outdoor Cookery, Staffordshire, Things to do, Walsall Wood, war, WRVS, WVS
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The darkness of those days
Mindful of the day and occasion, regular contributor and blog stalwart Peter ‘Pedro’ Cutler wrote to me with an interesting couple of things to check out relating to the Second World War and Birmingham – I wasn’t aware of either, and they’ve been eye-openers, to be quite honest. 
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Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Events, Followups, Interesting photos, It makes me mad!, Local Blogs, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Spotted whilst browsing the web
Tagged air raid., All the days of my life, Aston, Birmingham, Blitz, Brian David Williams, Brownhills local history, Events, Kynoch, local blogs, Local History, New Photos, Pedro, Peter Cutler, Second World War, Things to do, war, Witton
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The lights that shone bright in the Blackout
On the continuing theme of wartime Brownhills, air raids and the social upheaval that went with all that, I dug into the newspaper archives for examples of people fined for breaking the lights-out rules.
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Posted in Brownhills stuff, cycling, Environment, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local music, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged 1940, air raid., bicycle light, bike, Blackout, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Cycle rides, cycling, David Oakley, Lichfield, Lichfield Mercury, Local History, offences, petty sessions, Staffordshire, summons, Walsall Wood, war
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Bombs Over Brownhills
Now, this is a great article for a lazy Sunday, and one which I suspect may raise some comment within the local history community, where I know there to be still much debate about the war and exactly how Brownhills was hit by enemy air attacks.
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Posted in Brownhills stuff, Churches, Clayhanger stuff, Environment, Followups, Interesting photos, Local Blogs, Local History, Local media, News, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged 32Nd (Aldridge) Battalion, air raid., Aldridge Home Guard, Bill Challis, bombs, Brownhills, Brownhills Fire Brigade, Brownhills Fire Station, Brownhills local history, Canal, fields, Greg Challis, Horse, incendiary, Kynock, local blogs, Local History, Memories of Brownhills Past, Methodist Church, New Photos, Selwyn Smith, South Staffordshire Home Guard, Staffordshire, Walsall Wood, war
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A corner of a foreign field
In the approach to Remembrance Sunday, I asked reader and contributor David Evans if he would like to write a piece on his experience of the war cemeteries he visits in northern Europe. David kindly obliged.
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Events, Followups, Interesting photos, Local History, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged Battle, Belgium, Brownhills local history, David Evans, Events, France, Gate, Great War, Local History, Menin, New Photos, Paschendale, Remembrance, Walsall Wood, war, Wijtschate, WW 1, Ypres
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The Fallen of Walsall Wood: a project
Since it’s Remembrance weekend, I thought I’d share with you a project that top reader and contributor David Evans has been working on. David has gone through the roll of honour for the First World War on the Walsall Wood memorial, and listed the entries, and what he can find out about them, in spreadsheet format.
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Posted in Brownhills stuff, Churches, Environment, Events, Features, Followups, Interesting photos, Local Blogs, Local History, Local media, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged 1st World War, Brownhills local history, Details, fallen, First World War, Great War, list, Local History, loss, memorial, Remembrance, Roll of Honour, Royal British Legion, Spreadsheet, Sunday, Walsall Wood, war, war memorial, WW 1
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