COVENTRY MESSAGE BOARD

In 1939 conscription was for 21 years or over, 18 years was not until 1942. By that time we knew that U-boats was no more a great threat, most were at the bottom of the sea. So confident were we that a brewery in Cov showed a Gallery in Cov White Lion pub, (half demolished) of its future. We awaited...

Foleshill did not belong to Coventry before 1925, it belonged to Hawkesbury that stretched over to Bedworth. In the 20's and thirties the surrounding countryside of Coventry were many heaths covered sparsely with gorse bush, beautiful bright yellow spikes and dense with thorns that offered small bir...

Lady student teacher on countryside walk with class: "Stephen (school dunce), how many lambs in the field?" Stephen walks to hedgerow, comes back: "Sorry Miss, daunt know?" "Stephen, please look again?" so he did: "Sorry miss, they both keep running about so can't ...

Several kids in Coventry Market 1934:

Frank--- what yer know of this Hitler guy, Bidder
Bidder--- daunt know nuffin, but I'll tell you sommat, wants his head knocking off, but its in his hat and he's not wearing it, so I know nuffin.

Haifa was a major port on the Med in Palestine. In the early hours of the 31 march 1947 a small party of I.Z.L saboteurs cut their way through the wire perimeter fence round the oil fence round the storage tanks. By means of three explosives expertly placed by the tanks they caused a great escape of...

Early in 1914 two English Brothers from Walthamstow in London decided to join the Army. Posted to two different units, both were sent to France. Both took part in major battles miles apart in France. They wrote to each other, heading their letters: 'Brother in Arms', otherwise it was 'mates'. After ...

Dutchman Hi, Near the end of 1938 looked certain of war, so IRA got in touch with Germany: "We could do great damage to England if we had the money or weapons." Feb 1939: German Parachutist dropped in to Dublin, with 22 thousand USA Dollars and several W/transmitters. The IRA built a time-...

Kaga and the water-cooled Vickers machine-gun that was part of the legend in 1945

There was a coach and horses road from Bulkington to Foleshill through by Hawkesbury Lane and Hawkesbury Hall and Parratts Grove (16th century spelt) to Foleshill, but there was a side-road where a great castle, church and monastery stood but was destroyed in the civil wars of the Disolution by the ...

From Exhall Colliery to Broadgate over a century ago there were many heaths. These were very full of scattered gorse and dog-rose bushes. The thorns of these were ideal for small birds like linnets and warblers to nest in. This brought the Hawks to feed on the small birds learning to fly so it was c...