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Bristol's Blitz (Merged)


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It's been a really poignant, insightful series, we have so much as a generation to be thankful for about this period of history. People's ability to be resilient, never know when you're beaten attitude, the stiff upper lip English spirit. Also an insight into how people's personal thinking, emotions and character have been shaped by the experiences they've gone through.

Looking forward to the Bristol episode.

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My grandad was moved to Coventry during the war.. He worked as a fireman. My nan married him in part due to his thick eyebrows! He pretty much lost them all as the only survivor from his team of fire fighters as Coventry cathedral went up.

 

I remember his stories, he seemed to to think even though Bristol got hit hard, other cities got hit harder.

 

I can't imagine the life of a fireman In  the blitz. I just know I felt incredibly proud he was my grandad.

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5 hours ago, TRL said:

My grandad was moved to Coventry during the war.. He worked as a fireman. My nan married him in part due to his thick eyebrows! He pretty much lost them all as the only survivor from his team of fire fighters as Coventry cathedral went up.

 

I remember his stories, he seemed to to think even though Bristol got hit hard, other cities got hit harder.

 

I can't imagine the life of a fireman In  the blitz. I just know I felt incredibly proud he was my grandad.

Most heavily bombed place for it`s size was Peterhead, in NE Scotland. My granny used to fire watch at Crosse and Blackwell factory there.

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17 hours ago, TRL said:

My grandad was moved to Coventry during the war.. He worked as a fireman. My nan married him in part due to his thick eyebrows! He pretty much lost them all as the only survivor from his team of fire fighters as Coventry cathedral went up.

 

I remember his stories, he seemed to to think even though Bristol got hit hard, other cities got hit harder.

 

I can't imagine the life of a fireman In  the blitz. I just know I felt incredibly proud he was my grandad.

I knew a guy who had been a fireman in Bristol during the war. When all of Wine Street went up, he and just two others were sent there to do what they could. HQ then seemingly forgot about them and the only break they got was when the Salvation Army took them a cup of tea.

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My great grandfather fought in WW1 where his ship ,HMS Goliath , got sunk - he was one of the few survivors. In WW2 he was a fireman in Bedminster - while his oldest son served in the Royal Navy . Hard men , hard times.We really can't imagine how tough it must have been. Both never spoke about their experience despite my Grandfather serving on North Atlantic convoys , fighting in Norway and serving on the Russian convoys. They were both Bedminster lads through and through and both worked at Wills.

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2 minutes ago, harry may said:

My great grandfather fought in WW1 where his ship ,HMS Goliath , got sunk - he was one of the few survivors. In WW2 he was a fireman in Bedminster - while his oldest son served in the Royal Navy . Hard men , hard times.We really can't imagine how tough it must have been. Both never spoke about their experience despite my Grandfather serving on North Atlantic convoys , fighting in Norway and serving on the Russian convoys. They were both Bedminster lads through and through and both worked at Wills.

Sunk at the Dardanelles, 1915.

My grandad was an infantryman...1914-18. Was a copper during WW2.

 

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Interesting programme. 

Amazing how built up it was around the Castle Park area - you wouldn’t think it was ever the main hub. 

Interesting that ‘health & safety’ was still used as an excuse to oppress the general public back then too. We think that’s a more modern phenomenon, but the authorities were a-holes back then as well! 

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10 minutes ago, Harry said:

Interesting programme. 

Amazing how built up it was around the Castle Park area - you wouldn’t think it was ever the main hub. 

Interesting that ‘health & safety’ was still used as an excuse to oppress the general public back then too. We think that’s a more modern phenomenon, but the authorities were a-holes back then as well! 

Although H&S back then would have insisted that lights were switched off. Unlike at the stadium during the game.

A local historian might be able to confirm, but am I right in thinking Ashton Gate got hit? 

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It was a very good programme - I certainly didn`t know about the substandard shelters and everyone heading for the Portway tunnels.

It really brought home as well how emotional people who witnessed it all still get. I can`t imagine it myself but they were obviously so deeply affected that it still remains so fresh even all these years on.

Heroes one and all.

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50 minutes ago, Bristol Rob said:

Although H&S back then would have insisted that lights were switched off. Unlike at the stadium during the game.

A local historian might be able to confirm, but am I right in thinking Ashton Gate got hit? 

 

Yes, you are correct mate.  Found this old OTIB thread

http://www.otib.co.uk/index.php?/topic/75563-bristol-and-bristol-city-fc-in-the-blitz/

 

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Very interesting and thought provoking series that brought to life some of the tales many of us have heard about but could hardly imagine about those dark days of wartime Bristol from older generations of our families... Luckily most if us were born not too much after those times but how very different our lives were bad have been.

 

On a lighter note did anyone watching (about 29/30mins in) notice the bloke in present day Bristol caught on camera at the top of Union St about to cross the road towards Castle Park?  ..... Looked familiar to me, anyone else think he might have been that Gashead from a while back (tattooed and wearing shorts I think) in an embarrassing photo that was mercilessly and enthusiastically mocked here by many of us otibers as part of the 'Gas gift that keeps on giving'..  Have a look if you recorded it ..or check out iPlayer, I could be wrong mind but if you can be arsed check it out, I think it's him, odd looking and tattooed.. 

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1 hour ago, WhistleHappy said:

Very interesting and thought provoking series that brought to life some of the tales many of us have heard about but could hardly imagine about those dark days of wartime Bristol from older generations of our families... Luckily most if us were born not too much after those times but how very different our lives were bad have been.

 

On a lighter note did anyone watching (about 29/30mins in) notice the bloke in present day Bristol caught on camera at the top of Union St about to cross the road towards Castle Park?  ..... Looked familiar to me, anyone else think he might have been that Gashead from a while back (tattooed and wearing shorts I think) in an embarrassing photo that was mercilessly and enthusiastically mocked here by many of us otibers as part of the 'Gas gift that keeps on giving'..  Have a look if you recorded it ..or check out iPlayer, I could be wrong mind but if you can be arsed check it out, I think it's him, odd looking and tattooed.. 

Ignore the 'is it the Gashead' question... It took me ages going back through the 'dustbin' thread to find the Gashead pic I meant and the fella in the TV prog tonight is definitely NOT this gas bloke below.... (apologies to the bloke in the blitz film..)

article-2619537-1D8BE61900000578-69_634x

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14 hours ago, 54-46 said:

 

Yes, you are correct mate.  Found this old OTIB thread Well Done and Many Thanks.

http://www.otib.co.uk/index.php?/topic/75563-bristol-and-bristol-city-fc-in-the-blitz/

 

 

14 hours ago, Bristol Rob said:

People should have a read of that thread.

Indeed they should.

Regrettably, I have been unable to watch the BBC programme, but I have just read the previous thread and it is fascinating; not just for the stories themselves, but also for the personal details revealed by some of the posters, several of whom remain posters today.

In particular, @Rednready. I don't recall seeing your posts for quite some time now, and I apologise sincerely if I have mistaken you for somebody else, but wasn't it you who was banned some time ago for your gravy recipes?

And who would have believed @Rudolf Hucker's background? I also recall kicking one of those leather footballs, coincidentally in nearby Muller Road, and was convinced the inner lining was metallic!

 

 

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It was absolutely brilliant & makes you realise yet again just how much we owe to that generation.

Incidentally the guy who helped saved St.Mary Redcliffe and who was due to be 100 last month, how great was he?

Our wonderful city was built by working people like him, not the "see you next Tuesday's" who sneered at people hiding in makeshift tunnels or the bastards who made such a mess of post war construction.

Incidentally my great grandmother was killed in bombing in Greenway Bush Lane in January 1941, the week before my old man was born. His dad, (my grandad, as BS3 as you can be) who fought at El Alamein, had lost both his parents by the age of 23, we just have no idea just how lucky we are..

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