90-639: Castle Bromwich Aerodrome was an early airfield, situated to the north of Castle Bromwich in the West Midlands of England . The site now falls within the City of Birmingham . A large piece of Warwickshire grassland (Castle Bromwich playing fields) became the privately owned Castle Bromwich aerodrome, when Alfred P Maxfield flew the first aeroplane in the Birmingham area in September 1909. In 1911, Bentfield C Hucks flew
180-526: A Bleriot monoplane and gave passenger flights. The Midland Aero Club established itself, and a hangar was built for the aeroplanes. It became a stopping place during early air races. At the start of World War I the War Office requisitioned the airfield for use by the Royal Flying Corps and flying schools in 1914, when proper roads and buildings were established. In 1915 No. 5 Reserve Aeroplane Squadron
270-665: A Squadron Headquarters were built for the Royal Air Force . In 1939, it was extended further to become a fighter station and a base for other units. It was visited by Winston Churchill during World War II . In 1936, the Air Ministry had purchased a parcel of land opposite the Castle Bromwich Aerodrome. On this site they built the Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory (CBAF). This huge ' shadow factory '
360-524: A celebrated flyer before the war by winning the King's Cup Air Race, and also by completing a record breaking solo flight to Cape Town and back. The airfield was only used by one squadron which was No. 577 Squadron RAF which formed on 1 December 1943 and used the airfield until 15 June 1946 when it was disbanded. A variety of aircraft were used but the main aircraft were the Hawker Hurricane IIC/IV and
450-462: A drop to 678 (almost the 1861 level). Post Second World War estate building in Castle Bromwich increased the population to 4,356 in 1951, 9,205 in 1961 and 15,941 in 1971. The parish was then split into two, resulting in the lower 2001 figures. Castle Bromwich was originally a Warwickshire village. There has been a settlement here since before Stone Age times. There is evidence that the area
540-499: A first for the British government. The initial plan was that the ATA would carry personnel, mail and medical supplies, but the pilots were immediately needed to work with the Royal Air Force (RAF) ferry pools transporting aircraft. By 1 May 1940 the ATA had taken over transporting all military aircraft from factories to maintenance units to have guns and accessories installed. On 1 August 1941,
630-546: A good view over Castle Vale (formerly Castle Bromwich Aerodrome) and the Tame valley from the top of the hill. During the 18th century Castle Bromwich was an important place at the junction of two turnpike roads. Chester Road, an old Roman way which ran from London to Chester , joined the Birmingham to Coleshill road near Castle Bromwich Hall. There was a toll gate at the junction of Chester Road, School Lane and Old Croft Lane, near
720-407: A marker to the aerodrome and the adjoining factories. The Firs Estate (as it was then known, and including Chipperfield Road, Oakdale Road, Millington Road and Ermington Crescent) were private semi-detached houses that briefly enjoyed the benefit of the farmland and golf links. In the late 1950s further development took place. The new council housing was built adjacent to Chipperfield Road and as far as
810-487: A new airport was built at Elmdon (some five miles (8.0 km) away), that is just outside the Birmingham city boundary. It opened in 1939, and is now the present Birmingham Airport . In 1937, more hangars and a squadron headquarters were built for the Royal Air Force. In 1939, it was extended further to become a fighter station and a base for other units. The airfield was also used for experimental purposes, including
900-639: A parish of Castle Bromwich from part of the Aston parish not in either Birmingham or Aston Manor urban district. It was part of the Castle Bromwich Rural District from 1894 until 1912, when it became part of the Meriden Rural District . During the 18th, and especially during the 19th centuries wealthy Birmingham businessmen built large houses in Castle Bromwich. Castle Bromwich has a village green. The land for this, called Seven Acre Green,
990-639: A pilot with the ATA. The first ATA pilots were introduced to military aircraft at the RAF's Central Flying School (CFS), but the ATA soon developed its own training programme. Pilots progressed from light single-engined aircraft to more powerful and complex aircraft in stages. They first qualified on "Class 1" single-engined aircraft such as the Tiger Moth, Magister and Percival Proctor , then gained experience by doing ferrying work with any aircraft in that class, before returning to training to qualify and gain experience on
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#17328440934941080-860: A professor of business economics at Birmingham Business School. Air Transport Auxiliary The Air Transport Auxiliary ( ATA ) was a British civilian organisation set up at the start of the Second World War with headquarters at White Waltham Airfield in Berkshire. The ATA ferried new, repaired and damaged military aircraft between factories, assembly plants, transatlantic delivery points, maintenance units (MUs), scrapyards, and active service squadrons and airfields, but not to naval aircraft carriers. It also flew service personnel on urgent duty from one place to another and performed some air ambulance work. Notably, around 10% of its pilots were women, and from 1943 they received equal pay to their male colleagues,
1170-522: A row of ex-RAF houses along the Chester Road, and a new Spitfire Memorial. This is a large steel sculpture called Sentinel designed by Tim Tolkien which was erected on the roundabout where the road to the estate joins the Chester Road in 2000. This was inaugurated by the CBAF's wartime Chief Test Pilot, Alex Henshaw. The roundabout was subsequently renamed "Spitfire Island". Diamond Jubilee celebrations of
1260-767: A sports centre which supports cricket, football, golf and tennis clubs and is now home to Bromford Lions Football Club. There are three primary schools, one special school and one secondary school ( Park Hall Academy ). There are two main shopping areas, several smaller ones and numerous small businesses. Public transport is provided in the form of bus routes by National Express West Midlands , connecting Castle Bromwich with Birmingham , Sutton Coldfield , Solihull and Birmingham Airport . The Castle Bromwich Assembly factory owned by Jaguar Land Rover , employs 2,500 people (or 2,700 according to other sources) in Jaguar automobile manufacturing. News reports in early July 2019 indicated that
1350-534: A steep hill from the river to the church, called 'Mill Hill'. Towards the bottom of the hill was a brick structure surrounding the 'Holy Well of St Lawrence'. This has now been covered by the roundabout for junction 5 of the M6 . 'Castle Bromwich Mill' stood on the southern bank of the River Tame , close to the bottom of 'Mill Hill'. It was still grinding corn in 1895 and possibly later. It then became an artist's studio until it
1440-474: Is centred on the Hall. The Hall is falsely reported as having tunnels linking to the former vicarage and former public house nearby. Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens which surround the Hall is the only surviving example of an 18th-century English formal garden, having escaped the attentions of Capability Brown. Sir John Bridgeman II originally laid out the Hall's gardens in the style to which they have now been restored by
1530-560: Is now also a private residence. Adjacent to 'The Bridgeman Arms Inn' were several cottages, used for servants, and an estate office for the Earl of Bradford who then owned much of the land in Castle Bromwich. The first Police Station was also established here under Pc Charlie Whale, before moving to a specialist house and lock up near to the Coach and Horses. When the Kingshurst estate was built policing
1620-437: Is the oldest pub in the village. 'The Coach and Horses' dated from the 18th century and stood in the front drive of the present public house. This was built in the 1920s and re-roofed in 1938 when the thatched roof caught fire. Additionally, 'The Castle' dates to the early 18th century and was the village alehouse. Later it became a general stores and then a private residence. The 17th century Georgian style 'The Bridgeman Arms Inn'
1710-466: Is very active. There is a well used multi-function village hall called Arden Hall. The office of Castle Bromwich Parish Council is situated there, as is the local police office of the West Midlands Police. Castle Bromwich has its own dedicated Neighbourhood Policing Team consisting of a sergeant, four police constables and a community support officer. The playing fields, adjacent to Arden Hall, have
1800-559: The Airspeed Oxford I/II before being replaced by Supermarine Spitfires VB/IX/XVI. The airfield was visited by many famous people. Winston Churchill ( Prime Minister ) and Mrs Eleanor Roosevelt (wife of Franklin D Roosevelt – President of the United States) visited on 26 September 1941. The King of Norway also visited during the war. Postwar, the airfield reverted to being a training station. Various units used it and there
1890-535: The Castle Bromwich private aerodrome , when Alfred P. Maxwell flew the first aeroplane in the Birmingham area in September 1909. It became a stopping place during early air races. The War Office requisitioned it for use by the Royal Flying Corps and flying schools in 1914, when proper roads and buildings were established. The British Industries Fair (the pre runner to the National Exhibition Centre )
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#17328440934941980-539: The Handley Page H.P.54 Harrow , an early twin-engined heavy bomber. As World War II approached, the Air Minister, Kingsley Wood , asked Lord Nuffield if he would establish a new shadow factory to produce aeroplanes. This was to be built between Fort Dunlop and the airfield. Construction commenced on 14 July 1938 and an initial order for 1,000 Spitfires was placed on 12 April 1939. Castle Bromwich Aeroplane Factory
2070-504: The Metropolitan Borough of Solihull in the West Midlands , England. It borders the rest of the borough to the south east, Sutton Coldfield to the east and north east, Shard End to the south west, Castle Vale , Erdington and Minworth to the north and Hodge Hill to the west. It had a population of 11,857 according to the 2001 census, falling to 11,217 at the 2011 census. The population has remained quite stable since then;
2160-473: The Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). In June 1940 the role of No 5 Ferry Pilots Pool was expanded to other non-combat types of aircraft (trainers and transports) such as the de Havilland Dominie , Airspeed Oxford , Miles Magister and Miles Master ; eventually women were incorporated in the other (previously all-male) ferry pools, and were permitted to fly virtually every type flown by
2250-490: The airfield , Castle Bromwich Aerodrome though early plans included an aerial bridge from E block to the airfield. Very large hangar-like buildings were erected on the east side of the airfield which were referred to as 'Erecting Sheds', where aircraft were prepared for flight testing. This was the largest Spitfire factory in the UK, building over half of the approximately 20,000 built. After failing to get initial production underway,
2340-572: The 2017 population estimate was 12,309. It was a civil parish within the Meriden Rural District of Warwickshire until the Local Government Act 1972 came into force in 1974, when it became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull. In 1861, the population was 613. This rose to just over 1,000 in the 1920s, when half of the original parish was ceded to the City of Birmingham for the construction of overspill estates . This caused
2430-587: The ATA in 1943, flew 22 different aircraft types, and flew Spitfires 132 times. As the ATA became established and expanded the size and number of aircraft variants, the need for having a variety of engineers quickly became apparent. Further, as they began delivering larger multi-engine aircraft, the Flight Engineer (F/E) became essential in assisting the pilots. They were presented with their own unique insignia in both stitched and bullion variations. There were many specific categories and levels of Engineers within
2520-460: The ATA in the wartime years. Total taxi hours amounted to 179,325, excluding Air Movements. As non-operational delivery flights, the aircraft guns were not loaded. After an encounter with German fighters in UK airspace, the mid-upper gun turrets of Avro Anson transports were armed. However, it was realised that this was against international law as the ATA staff were technically civilian status. A number of solutions were considered but eventually
2610-408: The ATA organisation including Flight, Ground, SCE, Records Clerk, Tarmac, etc. Of the approximately 30 Operational Flight Engineers, only a handful were women. One of these was Patricia Parker who started her career with the ATA as a Pilot, third class but went on to become a Flight Engineer. Others were Janice Harrington (died in service), Phillis Pierce and Alice Thomas, the latter who also started as
2700-531: The ATA the days and nights of the Battle of Britain would have been conducted under conditions quite different from the actual events. They carried out the delivery of aircraft from the factories to the RAF, thus relieving countless numbers of RAF pilots for duty in the battle. Just as the Battle of Britain is the accomplishment and achievement of the RAF, likewise it can be declared that the ATA sustained and supported them in
2790-528: The ATA took over all ferrying jobs. This freed the much-needed combat pilots for combat duty. At one time there were fourteen ATA ferry pools as far apart as Hamble , near Southampton, and Lossiemouth , near Inverness in Scotland. A special ATA Air Pageant was held at White Waltham on 29 September 1945 to raise money for the ATA Benevolent Fund, supported by the aircraft companies that had been served by
Castle Bromwich Aerodrome - Misplaced Pages Continue
2880-508: The ATA training schools was 78. A total of 133,247 hours were flown by school aircraft and 6,013 conversion courses were put through. The total flying hours of the Air Movement Flight were 17,059, of which 8,570 were on domestic flights and 8,489 were on overseas flights. About 883 tons of freight were carried and 3,430 passengers were transported without any casualties; but a total of 174 pilots, women as well as men, were killed flying for
2970-424: The ATA. It included comprehensive static displays of Allied and German aircraft, including a V1, aero engines, and an AA gun and searchlight complete with crew. Pilots taking part included Alex Henshaw in a Supermarine Seafire . Lord Beaverbrook , a World War II Minister of Aircraft Production , gave an appropriate tribute at the closing ceremony disbanding the ATA at White Waltham on 30 November 1945: Without
3060-496: The British pioneer aviatrix Amy Johnson , Margaret Fairweather , Joy Davison , Jane Winstone , Honor Salmon , Susan Slade and Dora Lang who died alongside Flight Engineer Janice Harrington. Two of the women pilots received commendations; one was Helen Kerly . A notable American member of the ATA was the aviatrix Jacqueline Cochran , who returned to the United States and started a similar all-female organisation known as
3150-578: The CBAF were held on 15 July 1998, which included a fly-by flown by Ray Hanna in his ex-CBAF Spitfire MkIX, MH434. Amongst the dignitaries attending was Dr. Gordon Mitchell, son of the Spitfire's designer, R.J. Mitchell. Alex Henshaw also unveiled a memorial plaque just inside the old factory's main gate onto the Kingsbury Road. Its principal inscription reads; 'Here, swords of freedom were forged'. Castle Bromwich retains some of its village character and it
3240-603: The Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens Trust. They commenced the restoration of the 10 acres (4.0 ha) in 1985. The Gardens are open to the public and are a tourist attraction. The Rectory The Rectory Castle Bromwich was commissioned by the owner of the Castle Bromwich Hall The 5th Earl of Bradford. The 5th Earl of Bradford enjoyed having tea at the Rectory. The Recrory is now Grade II Listed. Many of
3330-409: The Chester Road, and a Spitfire Memorial. This is a large steel sculpture called Sentinel designed by Tim Tolkien which was erected in 2000 on the roundabout (island) where the road to the estate joins the Chester Road. The roundabout was subsequently renamed Spitfire Island. Castle Bromwich Castle Bromwich ( / b r ɒ m ɪ tʃ / ) is a large suburban village and civil parish in
3420-463: The Class 2 advanced single-engined aircraft. The same process was followed to progress to Class 3 light twin-engined aircraft and Class 4 advanced twin-engined aircraft. In each case, once cleared to fly one class of aircraft, pilots could be asked to ferry any plane in that class even if they had never seen that type of aircraft before. To do so they had ATA Pilots Notes, a two-ring book of small cards with
3510-494: The Hall and rebuilt it in local hand-made bricks of clay. The Bridgmans were created Barons of Bradford in 1792, and Earls of Bradford in 1851. A marriage also brought Weston Park into their possession, which the family gave to the National Trust in 1986. The Hall was then rented out or used for other family members to live in. It is famous for having twelve windows (one for each Apostle) and four dormers above (one for each Of
3600-483: The M.U.'s (Maintenance Units) around the country. As any build-up of machines on the airfield would be vulnerable to aerial attack, testing was carried out in any weather. After the war, the CBAF became a car body factory. It is now the Castle Bromwich Assembly plant of Jaguar Cars . Its first post war owners were Fisher and Ludlow (themselves having been bombed out of their inner city factory). This company
3690-566: The Midlands. There had been a fatal bombing at the factory on 13 August 1940, in which six workers were killed. When aircraft were completed, they were towed across the main Chester Road to the airfield where they were flown by test pilots and delivered to the RAF by Air Transport Auxiliary pilots. Alex Henshaw was Chief Test Pilot from 1940 to 1945, personally putting more than 10% of the aeroplanes produced through their paces, and providing some spectacular air displays with Spitfires. Henshaw became
Castle Bromwich Aerodrome - Misplaced Pages Continue
3780-577: The Newport Road. The name "Firs Estate" now points to the council estate and the name originated from the fir trees that stood near a large house between Chipperfield Road and Hodge Hill Common. The council housing was also extended up what was known locally as "The Golf Links" to meet the Stables, now known as the Comet. Castle Bromwich Golf Club (now defunct) was founded in the 1890s. The club and course closed at
3870-449: The Pimple but nothing of consequence was found. The name "Pimple" was commonly used from about the year 1915 onwards, and the story that the hill was a Saxon burial ground appeared around 1935, when the spread of dwellings from Washwood Heath began to appear over Hodge Hill . Modern houses now occupy the site and overlook the graveyard. The ridge and furrows have been obliterated. There is
3960-415: The Pimple site, and discoveries were made that confirmed folk tales of the area. The Pimple was the highest point of an iron-age fortification that encompassed most of Castle Bromwich. The land between the Pimple and Kyters Lane was particularly well defended by several ridge and furrow workings; indeed, Kyters Lane and Rectory Lane were built within ditches. Other ditches were excavated between Kyters Lane and
4050-559: The RAF and the Fleet Air Arm, including the four-engined heavy bombers, but excluding the largest flying boats . Hurricanes were first flown by women pilots on 19 July 1941, and Spitfires in August 1941. One notable feature of the ATA was that women received the same pay as men of equal rank, starting in 1943. This was the first time that the British government had agreed to equal pay for equal work within an organisation under its control. At
4140-591: The United States, the Netherlands and Poland. British women pilots included Mary de Bunsen , Ethel Ruth Nicholson , Edith Beaumont and Diana Barnato Walker . Annette Elizabeth Mahon was the only Irish woman to serve in the ATA. From Argentina and Chile came Maureen Dunlop and Margot Duhalde , and from Denmark Vera Strodl Dowling . Six Canadian women pilots flew in the ATA, including Marion Alice Orr , Violet Milstead and Helen Harrison-Bristol . Fifteen of these women lost their lives in service, including
4230-505: The airfield was used as a staging point for the first round of the King's Cup air race . Air pageants were held in the 1920. In 1930 the first scheduled airmail service was operated by Imperial Airways. During the rail strike in 1919, the RAF and Vickers Ltd had flown mail and newspapers from London to Castle Bromwich aerodrome. After World War I, workers from Fort Dunlop , the Dunlop factory on
4320-461: The battle. They were soldiers fighting in the struggle just as completely as if they had been engaged on the battlefront. During the war the ATA flew 415,000 hours and delivered more than 309,000 aircraft of 147 types, including Spitfires, Hawker Hurricanes , de Havilland Mosquitoes , North American Mustangs , Avro Lancasters , Handley Page Halifaxes , Fairey Swordfish , Fairey Barracudas and Boeing Fortresses . The average aircraft strength of
4410-627: The company planned to build an electric version of the Jaguar XJ saloon, replacing the manufacturing of the conventional XJ at this plant, after investing billions of pounds in upgrades to the facility by autumn 2019. A BBC report indicated that the plant "also produces the Jaguar XF, XE and F-Type", but the XJ was critical to the success of the facility. Without the new plan, the Castle Bromwich plant would "effectively be dead", according to David Bailey (economist) ,
4500-903: The crash of a Hawker Hurricane in 1942.) . Most notably, the ATA allowed women pilots to ferry aircraft. The female pilots (nicknamed "Attagirls") had a high profile in the press. On 14 November 1939 Commander Pauline Gower was given the task of organising the women's section of the ATA. The first eight women pilots were accepted into service as No 5 Ferry Pilots Pool on 1 January 1940, initially only cleared to fly de Havilland Tiger Moth biplanes from their base in Hatfield. They were: Joan Hughes , Margaret Cunnison , Mona Friedlander , Rosemary Rees , Marion Wilberforce , Margaret Fairweather , Gabrielle Patterson , and Winifred Crossley Fair . Overall during World War II there were 166 women pilots, one in eight of all ATA pilots, and they volunteered from Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa,
4590-520: The critical statistics and notations necessary to ferry each aircraft. To fly Class 5 four-engined aircraft, pilots were first trained on the Handley Page Halifax heavy bomber and then could be permitted by their Commanding Officer to fly other similar types such as the Avro Lancaster when they had acquired more experience. When flying Class 5 aircraft and certain Class 4 aircraft, the pilot
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#17328440934944680-610: The developed of the 1970s to make way for the A452 "Collector Road", which by-passed Castle Bromwich to the north. The "Pimple" commanded the important crossing place of the River Tame. It still remains today, somewhat reduced, sandwiched between the M6 and the Collector Road (Castle Bromwich & Chelmsley Wood bypass). There was an extensive archaeological dig of the area prior to the development of
4770-551: The engines, an "ATA cruise" speed was specified in the ATA Pilots Notes. The objective of the ATA was to deliver aircraft safely and that meant taking no unnecessary risks. ATA rank insignia was worn on the shoulder strap of the uniform jacket. The following units were active in the ATA: In 2008 the surviving members of the auxiliary were awarded Air Transport Auxiliary Veterans Badges in recognition for their contributions to
4860-484: The four Gospels). The garden door passed through a grapevine which was always trimmed into the form of a cross. The last family member, Lady Ida Bridgeman, Dowager Countess Bradford left the Hall in 1936. It then was used for storage during World War II . Post-war it was leased out as an apprentice training centre for the GEC , and then used as offices while the outbuildings are used by other small companies. The conservation area
4950-463: The four miles (6 km) to their major camp at Yorkswood in Kingshurst . The station closed in 1965 and was part-demolished in 1975. Until 1894, the village was a hamlet in the large parish of Aston . Castle Bromwich has had historic ties with both Erdington and Water Orton through administration, governance and land ownership whilst being part of the Parish. The Local Government Act 1894 created
5040-497: The government. He frequently visited Castle Bromwich Hall in the 1870s, possibly to court Lady Chesterfield and Lady Bradford. Later, Queen Mary made use of the telephone when visiting Lady Ida (Lady of the Queen's Bed Chamber) at the Hall. The Post Office closed in 2004 and is now a hairdressing salon. A drawing of 1726 shows a large structure called the 'Old Castle Hall' next to the old castle earthworks. Chester Road used to climb up
5130-784: The gunners were withdrawn. The administration of the ATA fell to Gerard d'Erlanger , a director of British Airways Ltd . He had suggested an organisation along the lines of the ATA in a letter dated 24 May 1938. Initially the Air Ministry was lukewarm to the idea but, with war imminent, they accepted d'Erlanger's proposal and the ATA was set up in 1939. In late August 1939 the ATA was placed under British Airways Ltd for initial administration and finance, but on 10 October 1939 Air Member for Supply and Organisation (AMSO) took over. The first pilots were assigned to RAF Reserve Command and attached to RAF flights to ferry trainers, fighters and bombers from factory and storage to Royal Air Force stations . The ATA's Central Ferry Control, which allocated
5220-522: The hall, farm house and adjacent buildings, orchard and pond are still visible at the 'Park Hall Wildlife Reserve managed by the Birmingham & Black Country Wildlife Trust.' The name lives on in 'Park Hall School', which is on the other side of the road, and is the largest secondary school in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull . 'Castle Bromwich Post Office' was the first to have a telephone outside London so that Benjamin Disraeli could keep in touch with
5310-447: The house. Later it became a two-storey extension to the house and the extended house was the home of the village electrician. It is now a private residence. The village smithy was amongst the old cottages on the southern edge of the village green. A disused car sales site which was on the southern edge of The Green, that was being used as a drive through car wash, was demolished in September 2011 and 14 homes are currently being built on
5400-547: The infamous 'Contact Races' held in the Midlands, which were organised by and between various civil flying clubs in the area. In 1934, the Air Ministry stated that Castle Bromwich could not be used for civil purposes indefinitely, so a new airport was constructed at Elmdon (some five miles (8 km) away), just outside the Birmingham City boundary. It opened in 1939 and is now Birmingham Airport . In 1937, more hangars and
5490-537: The mercurial Air Minister, Lord Beaverbrook , ordered the Nuffield Organization to relinquish control of the CBAF to Vickers. From May 1940, the CBAF's most productive years were overseen by Vickers Armstrong (Vickers having purchased Supermarine in 1936). The CBAF's chief test pilot was Alex Henshaw MBE, who managed a team of pilots who had the job of testing the aircraft. The ATA ( Air Transport Auxiliary ) were responsible for dispersing tested machines to
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#17328440934945580-403: The old buildings have now been demolished and farms have disappeared to make way for new housing and roads. Park Hall was bought by Henry de Ardern in 1373. The 'Park Hall Manor House' was supposedly haunted and was demolished in the early 1970s during construction of the M6 motorway. The hall was first mentioned in 1265, but this could have been a nearby moated timbered dwelling. Remnants of
5670-455: The onset of World War II. There are two from the Church of England , and a Methodist and a Baptist nearby. St Mary and St Margaret's Parish Church is the original church and is in the west of the village. It is unusual as it is a "church within a church". A small stone chapel was known on the site before 1165. It was replaced in the 15th century by a large half-timbered structure. The church
5760-519: The other side of the Chester Road, used some of the bungalows at the airfield due to a housing shortage. From 1920, and every year into the 1930s, the British Industries Fair (the forerunner of the National Exhibition Centre ), was held in buildings built on land adjacent to the aerodrome and Castle Bromwich railway station . In 1934, the Air Ministry stated that Castle Bromwich aerodrome could not be used for civil purposes indefinitely, so
5850-462: The pilot could do the job – thus, there were one-armed, one-legged, short-sighted and one-eyed pilots, humorously referred to as "Ancient and Tattered Airmen" (ATA). The ATA also took pilots from other countries, both neutral and combatant. People from 28 countries flew with the ATA, including Prince Suprabhat Chirasakti (or Jirasakdi), the adopted nephew of the abdicated King Prajadhipok (Rama VII) and Queen Rambai Barni of Thailand , who died in
5940-532: The required flights to all Ferry Pools, was based at RAF Andover . Late in 1939 it was decided that a third and entirely civilian ferry pool should be set up at White Waltham, near Maidenhead in Berkshire. The operations of this pool began on 15 February 1940. On 16 May 1940 RAF Maintenance Command took control through its No. 41 Group . Then, on 22 July 1941, the ATA was placed under the control of Lord Beaverbrook's Ministry of Aircraft Production (MAP). Although control shifted between organisations, administration
6030-642: The same time American women flying with the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) were receiving as little as 65 per cent of the pay of their male colleagues. After the death in December 2020 of Eleanor Wadsworth at the age of 103, and of Jaye Edwards (née Stella Joyce Petersen; served as Third Officer in the ATA from 1943 to 1945) ) in August 2022 only one female former ATA pilot survived, American Nancy Stratford (co-author of Contact! Britain!: A woman ferry pilot's story during WWII in England ). Wadsworth had joined
6120-465: The site and that of the British Industries Fair , and nearby farmland was sold for housing. The runway was broken up, many of the buildings were demolished and in 1963 construction work began on a new Birmingham overspill estate – Castle Vale – which was completed in 1969. The erecting sheds survived as storage units until 2004. All that remains now is a memorial, a stained glass window in the estate's church, streets and housing blocks with aviation names,
6210-412: The site and that of the British Industries Fair , plus nearby farmland, was sold for housing. The runway was broken up, the buildings were demolished, and construction of a Birmingham overspill estate ( Castle Vale ) started in 1964, and completed in 1969. All that remains today are, a stained glass window in the estate's church, streets and housing blocks with aviation names, a row of ex-RAF houses along
6300-485: The site. The Show Home is to be opened on 14 January 2012. Green Lane was the oldest trackway through the village. One of the ancient Ridgeways of England, it ran from the castle to Grimstock Hill Romano-British settlement at Coleshill. It is now mostly underneath Chelmsley Wood and the M6 . The following houses have all disappeared; some are remembered on road signs: and farms such as: A large piece of Warwickshire grassland (Castle Bromwich Playing Fields) became
6390-454: The village green. The toll house still exists, although the massive 14-foot (4.3 m) wide toll gate has been lost. In the 1780s stagecoaches travelling from Holyhead to London stopped in the village, as did a horse-drawn bus from Birmingham to Coleshill . There were several coaching inns and two survive today. The Midland Railway arrived in 1842 and Castle Bromwich Station was rebuilt in 1901. Boy Scouts used to arrive here and trek
6480-400: Was a large complex of buildings built on land adjacent to the aerodrome and Castle Bromwich railway station in 1920. In the inter war years the aerodrome had a military and civilian function. In these early days it was the busiest airport in the area due to its combined passenger, post and railway air business. During the late 1920s and early 1930s the aerodrome was also a checking-in point for
6570-591: Was an annual display to mark the anniversary of the Battle of Britain . Civilian flights returned, including the first scheduled helicopter service from London. The aeroplane factory was closed in 1945 and became a car factory. It was first sold to Fisher & Ludlow , which was acquired by the British Motor Corporation in 1953. Later, it became part of Jaguar . Part of the original site was also bought by Dunlop to extend its premises, and house its research programme. The airfield closed in 1958, and in 1960
6660-473: Was built in 1599 by Sir Edward Devereux , the first MP for Tamworth in Staffordshire. It was a single storey with a plain entrance. It was bought by Sir Orlando Bridgeman (keeper of The Great Seal ) in 1657, for his son Sir John Bridgeman I. Sir John extended and improved the property in 1672, adding the second floor and a large front porch. His son, Sir John Bridgeman II, inherited it in 1710. He extended
6750-407: Was built in the 19th century and demolished in 1968 when the move was complete to larger premises with playing fields. Private housing now covers the site. Harvey's Drapery Shop – was a single storey extension to the main house. Originally it was a druggist's (the only one between Birmingham and Coleshill ). The visiting doctor from Coleshill arrived on horseback to take his surgery in a room in
6840-549: Was carried out throughout the war by staff led by Commodore Gerard d’Erlanger, first at British Airways Ltd then, after its merger in 1940, at the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC). The ATA recruited pilots who were considered unsuitable for either the Royal Air Force or the Fleet Air Arm by reason of age, fitness or sex. A unique feature of the ATA was that physical disabilities were ignored if
6930-421: Was demolished in 1956. The M6 now covers the site, which is near to 'The Firs' estate. There were several other mills in the area, some also drawing water from the Tame. Two of the old coaching inns still exist. 'The Bradford Arms' was built in 1723 on the site of an earlier pub called 'The White Lion'. The high doors to the coach houses can still be seen. Law courts and Catholic services have been held here. It
7020-408: Was extensively altered between 1726 and 1731 by Sir John Bridgeman and the old timber one was encased in brick and plaster. The massive oak timbers can be seen now in the roof. It is considered to have outstanding architectural and historic merit . St Clement's Church is in the east and was built in 1967, when the original parish was split into two. Castle Bromwich Hall is a Jacobean mansion that
7110-469: Was filled in during the late 1950s. In 1931, a portion of Castle Bromwich land was sold and ceded to the City of Birmingham who built the overspill Chipperfield Road development during 1937–8. This halved the area of the parish of Castle Bromwich, from 2,742 acres (11.10 km ) to 1,239 acres (5.01 km ). During World War II , the occupants of Chipperfield Road pulled down an ancient white-washed farm house thinking it would deny German bomber crews
7200-520: Was first settled some 5,000 years ago. Romans , Saxons and Normans have also settled on this raised piece of land close to a natural ford across the River Tame . The Chester Road which runs through the village follows the line of a drovers' road called the Welsh Road , whose origins probably lie as an ancient trackway from the pre-Roman era. Bromwich is not named in the Domesday Book in 1086 yet
7290-461: Was formed, later becoming the No 5 Training Squadron. Nine other Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force squadrons resided at the airfield during and just after World War I : After the war, Imperial Airways started a service from Hendon Aerodrome , London. The aircraft used initially carried four passengers. In the inter war years, the aerodrome had a dual military and civilian function. In September 1922
7380-567: Was from a two-man unit there, this closed down when the new Chelmsley Wood station opened. Part of the Inn was destroyed by a bomb in World War II , when two platoons of the Home Guard were based there. A 17th-century well was found in the courtyard of the cottages. The cottages and office have now been replaced by a service road and new houses. St Mary and St Margaret's Church of England Primary School –
7470-455: Was given to the village by Viscount Newport in 1895. The War Memorial was erected in 1920 on a small island nearby. There is also another green called Whateley Green. Whateley is derived from the Anglo-Saxon for wheatfield clearing. This was the site of the village's stray animal pounds and a smithy. It had two pounds, stocks and a whipping post. Whateley Hall was nearby. The ancient duck pond
7560-468: Was located within the ancient hundred of Coleshill . Bromwich comes from the old words 'brom' for the yellow flowering broom which grows here and 'wich' an ancient name for a dwelling or settlement. The motte (called the Pimple Hill locally) is some 40 metres in diameter and appears to be a natural feature that was probably heightened by Iron Age settlers, then by the later Normans and once again during
7650-473: Was part of a larger plan to disperse production and move vital resources that lay within easy range of German bombers ( Vickers Supermarine 's original factory at Southampton was devastated by enemy bombers just as Castle Bromwich came into production in 1940.). The CBAF factory was first managed by the Nuffield Organization to manufacture Spitfires and (later) Lancaster bomber aircraft. The theory
7740-469: Was placed in charge of the factory. The factory built somewhere between 11,555 and 11,939 Spitfires, over half of the total number produced. Often fifty Spitfires a week were made with a peak of 320. In 1941, 200 Avro Lancaster Mk II bombers were ordered, by the end of the war 300 Lancaster of various marks had been built. Fifty Seafire 45s were also made. In 1943, a bomb was dropped on the factory, causing some production to be dispersed to other sites around
7830-411: Was that the local skills and production techniques used in the manufacture of motor vehicles could be transferred to aircraft production. However production proved impossible without help from the professionals from Vickers-Supermarine. The CBAF went on to become the largest and most successful plant of its type during the 1939–45 conflict. Aircraft and sub-assemblies were taken across the Chester Road to
7920-439: Was the sole pilot but was always accompanied by a further crew member such as a flight engineer. There were further rules for Class 6 flying boat ferrying. The ATA trained its pilots only to ferry planes, rather than to achieve perfection on every type. For example, aerobatics and blind flying were not taught, and pilots were explicitly forbidden to do either, even if they were capable of doing so. Also, in order not to strain
8010-464: Was the sub-contractor for most of the now defunct BMC and British Leyland marques, the last being Jaguar, who took over outright control of the factory in 1977. Various units used the airfield post war and there was an annual display to mark the anniversary of the Battle of Britain . Civilian flights returned, including the first scheduled helicopter service from London. Such activities were to prove short-lived. The airfield closed in 1958 and in 1960
8100-508: Was then the largest of its kind in Britain; it covered 345 acres (1.40 km) and employed 12,000 people. The site plan shows main offices, drawing offices, tool rooms, stores for finished parts, areas for the assembly of wings and fuselages, and covering of tailplanes and fins, drape shops (for covering of parts including petrol tanks), canteens, surgeries, sports and social clubs, and power-generating plants. During March 1940, Vickers-Armstrongs
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