Birmingham's military history is extensive. The city from above Centenary Square. ...

Metchley Camp. At Metchley Park, near to Harborne there are the remains of an old camp or station which it is said date back to the Roman invasion of Britain possibly built by the ancient Britons (a superstition borne out by its being adjacent to the line of Icknield Street) others have said it was built by the Danes. From a measurement made in 1822, the camp appears to have covered an area of about 15 1/2 acres (63,000 m²). The fort is mostly gone now due to the passing through it of the Worcester and Birmingham canal, to make the banks of which the southern extremity of the camp was completely destroyed. Some few pieces of ancient weapons, swords and battle-axes, and portions of bucklers, have been found here, but nothing of a distinctively Roman or Danish character. The origins of Harborne, Birmingham are buried deep in history. ... Roman or Romans has several meanings, primarily related to the Roman citizens, but also applicable to typography, math, and a commune. ... The term Briton may have the following meanings: in a historical context: an inhabitant of Great Britain in pre-Roman times a descendant of Britons during a later period (e. ... The battle axe is a weapon used to cleave skulls and or decapitate, depending on whether it is a one-handed or two-handed one. ... A buckler (French bouclier shield, from old French bocle, boucle boss) is a small shield gripped in the fist -- it was generally used in hand-to-hand combat during the Middle Ages, as its size made it poor protection against missile weapons (e. ...

The nobility and gentry of Birmingham and adjoining counties, at the time of the threatened invasion by the Spanish Armada, contributed sums of money sufficient to hire and equip no less than 43 ships of war. Among the names we note the following local subscribers of £25 each: William Kinge and William Collmer (Colmore), of Burmingham; Richard Middlemore, Edgbaston; Mrs. Margarett Knowlys, Nuneton; Gabriell Powltney, Knowle; Richard Corbett, Meryden, &c. The Lords and Barons prove their Nobility by hanging their Banners and exposing their Coats-of-arms at the Windows of the Lodge of the Heralds. ... The gentry refers to a social class of landowners. ... The Spanish Armada (Old Spanish: Grande y Felicissima Armada, large and most fortunate fleet; but called by the British, with ironic intention, la Armada Invencible, the Invincible Fleet) was a fleet sent by King Philip II of Spain in 1588 in a failed attempt to bring an end to his... Birmingham is the name of several places in the world. ... Edgbaston constituency shown within Birmingham Edgbaston is an area in Birmingham, England. ... Nuneaton is a town in the Nuneaton and Bedworth borough of northern Warwickshire in central England. ... There is also Knowle, Bristol. ...

The city has served Britain with gun and sword manufacture since the english civil war. This article is about firearms and similar devices. ... A sword (from Old English sweord; akin to Old High German swerd lit. ... The English Civil War (or Wars) refers to the series of armed conflicts and political machinations which took place between Parliamentarians and Royalists from 1642 until 1651, specifically to the first (1642–1645) and second (1648–1649) civil wars between the supporters of King Charles I and the supporters of...

In 1689, inquiries were made through Sir Richard Newdigate as to the possibility of getting small arms manufactured in the town which would be as good as those coming from abroad. A trial order given by Government in March, 1692, led to the first contract (Jan. 5, 1693) made between the "Officers of Ordnance" and five local manufacturers, for the supply of 200 "snaphance musquetts" every month for one year at 17 shillings (£0.85) each, an additional 3 shillings per cwt (£0.06/kg) being allowed for carriage to London. The term small arms describes any weapon that a person can easily transport and fire. ... Snaphance or Snaphaunce refers to a mechanism for igniting a firearms propellant usually in a muzzleloading gun. ...

A contract for 2,400 guns in 1693, at 17 shillings (£0.85) each was made by the Government. For the next 100 years the trade progressed. The Government, in 1798, found it necessary to erect "view-rooms" (now "the Tower", Bagot Street) in Birmingham. From 1804 to 1817 the number of muskets, rifles, carbines, and pistols made here for the Government, amounted to 1,827,889, in addition to 3,037,644 barrels and 2,879,203 locks sent to be "set up" in London, and more than 1,000,000 supplied to the East India Co. In the ten years ending 1864 (including the Crimean War) over 4,000,000 military barrels were proved in this town, and it has been estimated that during the American civil war our quarreling cousins were supplied with 800,000 weapons from our workshops. During the Crimean war one of the manufacturers set up sawmills at Turin, and it is stated that before he closed them he had used up nearly 10,000 trees, averaging not more than thirty gunstocks from each. A musket is a muzzle-loaded, smooth-bore long gun. ... A rifle is any long gun which has a rifled barrel. ... A carbine is a firearm similar to, but shorter or weaker than, an ordinary rifle or musket of a given period. ... A pistol or handgun is a usually small, projectile weapon, normally fired with one hand. ... The Crimean War lasted from 28 March 1854 to 1856. ... The American Civil War was fought in the United States from 1861 until 1865 between the United States – forces coming mostly from the 23 northern states of the Union – and the newly-formed Confederate States of America, which consisted of 11 southern states that had declared their secession. ... The Crimean War lasted from 28 March 1854 to 1856. ... This article or section should include material from Saw mill A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards. ... Location Region Piedmont Province Turin Area   – Total   – Water 130 km&sup2 (50 mi²) ##.# km² (#.# mi²) #.##% Population   – Total (2002)   – Density 857,433 6,596/km² Time zone CET: UTC+1 Latitude Longitude   45°04′ N 7°40′ E1. ...

There was a gun implement maker residing at number one Price Street in 1729. He was also a beer retailer. This was the beginning of what was to become the Gun Quarter. Malcolm Bowater, a gun stock maker is still working in Price Street. Ben Wilde now owns and runs the last Gun showroom surviving in the Midlands, Ben has worked in the Gun industry for half a century. Categories: Possible copyright violations ...

There were rumours that the French were coming in February, 1758, so the patriotic Brums put their hands into their pockets and contributed to a fund "to repel invasion."

It was James Watt who proposed the use of screw propellers (in 1770); Wm. Murdoch, who invented the oscillating cylinder (in 1785); Watt and Boulton, who furnished engines (in 1807) for the first regular steam picket in America; and James Watt, jun., who made the first steam voyage on the sea (October 14, 1817), crossing the Channel in the Caledonia, and taking that vessel up the Rhine. This led to further development of the Battleship and their importance in developing the steam engine into the industrial power horse of the world is undeniable. The term horsepower was first devised in the city by Watt. This article is about the Scottish engineer and inventor. ... A propeller can be seen as a rotating fin in water or a wing in air. ... The United States of America — also referred to as the United States, the U.S.A., the U.S., America, the States, or (archaically) Columbia—is a federal republic of 50 states located primarily in central North America (with the exception of two states: Alaska and Hawaii). ... Caledonia is the Latin name of a region corresponding approximately to modern Scotland. ... The Rhine canyon (Ruinaulta) in Graubünden in Switzerland Length 1,320 km Elevation of the source Vorderrhein: approx. ... This article is about a battleship as a type of warship. ...

A meeting was held October 5, 1745, for the raising of a regiment of volunteers to oppose the Scotch rebels, but history does not chronicle any daring exploits by this regiment possibly due to the small quantity of formants from the then small town.

The 6th Foot recruited in the county of Warwickshire in 1778 so successfully that it was called "The Warwickshire," Birmingham supplying the largest proportion of the men, and raising by public subscription £2,000 towards their equipment. Under Lord Cardwell's army localisation plan of 1873, the regiment was later known as the 1st Royal Warwickshire, and, with the Warwickshire Militia and Volunteers, formed the 28th Brigade.

The Birmingham Independent Volunteers corps were established in 1782 but possibly disbanded soon after.

The Birmingham Loyal Association corps were established in 1797. after threatening times of revolution our peaceful shires became alarmed, there were formed in Birmingham two companies, one of horse and one of foot, each 500 strong, under the commands of Capt. Pearson and Lord Brooke. They were called the Birmingham Loyal Association of Volunteers, and held their first parade in Coleshill Street, August 15, 1797. On the 4th of June following a grand review was held on Birmingham Heath (then unenclosed) to the delight of the local belles, who knew not which the most to admire, the scarlet horse or the blue foot. Over 100,000 spectators were said to have been present, and, strangest thing of all, the Volunteers were armed with muskets brought from Prussia. Coleshill is the name of more than one place. ... Belle (chess machine) was a chess machine built by Ken Thompson out of commodity hardware. ... The coat of arms of the Kingdom of Prussia, 1701-1918 The word Prussia (German: Preußen or Preussen, Polish: Prusy, Lithuanian: Prūsai, Latin: Borussia) has had various (often contradictory) meanings: The land of the Baltic Prussians (in what is now parts of southern Lithuania, the Kaliningrad exclave of Russia and...

By the late 1700's, The flintlock pistol was fully formed and Birmingham had evolved into a thriving gun manufacturing community allowing the city title of "foremost arms producer in the world" as stated on a commemorative plaque in the Gun Quarter. The city produced over one million weapons more than London, (at the time it's closest weapons rival) and there were several thousand skilled workmen who were mainly concentrated in the Gun Quarter area of the city. A flintlock is a firearm that operates in the following manner: The operator loads the gun, usually from the barrel end, with black powder followed by shot or a bullet wrapped in a paper patch, all rammed down with a special rod; A hammer tightly holding a shaped bit of... London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ...

The Loyal Birmingham Volunteers corps were established in 1802.

These were some of the forerunners to what was to become The Royal Warwickshire Regiment. The Royal Warwickshire Regiment was formed in Birmingham, England in light of the Great War (First World War). ...

The corps had the honour of escorting Lord Nelson when, with Lady Hamilton, he visited the town in 1802. At a review on August 2, 1804, the regiment were presented with its colours, and for years the "Loyals" were the most popular men of the period. Lord Nelson Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson (September 29, 1758 – October 21, 1805) was a British admiral who won fame as a leading naval commander. ... Emma Hamilton, in one of dozens of portraits by George Romney, at the height of her beauty in the 1780s Emma Hamilton (Lady Hamilton) (April 26, 1765 - January 16, 1815) is best remembered as the mistress of Horatio Nelson. ...

in 1797 and The Loyal Birmingham Volunteers in 1803. These were some of the forerunners to what was to become The Royal Warwickshire Regiment,

A meeting was held October 5, 1745, for the raising of a regiment of volunteers to oppose the Scotch rebels, but history does not chronicle any daring exploits by this regiment. Playing at soldiers would seem to have been formerly a more popular (or shall we say patriotic) amusement than of late years; for it is recorded that a local corps was organised in August, 1782, but we suppose it was disbanded soon after, as in 1797, when the threatening times of revolution alarmed our peaceful sires, there were formed in Birmingham two companies, one of horse and one of foot, each 500 strong, under the commands of Capt. Pearson and Lord Brooke. They were called the Birmingham Loyal Association of Volunteers, and held their first parade in Coleshill Street, August 15, 1797. On the 4th of June following a grand review was held on Birmingham Heath (then unenclosed) to the delight of the local belles, who knew not which the most to admire, the scarlet horse or the blue foot. Over 100,000 spectators were said to have been present, and, strangest thing of all, the Volunteers were armed with muskets brought from Prussia. The corps had the honour of escorting Lord Nelson when, with Lady Hamilton, he visited the town in 1802. At a review on August 2, 1804, the regiment were presented with its colours, and for years the "Loyals" were the most popular men of the period. Our neighbours do not seem to have been more backward than the locals, though why it was necessary that the services of the Handsworth Volunteer Cavalry should be required to charge and put to flight the rioters in Snow Hill (May 29, 1810) is not very clear.—See also

Barracks were built in 1793, at a cost of £13,000, as a consequence of the riots of the city in 1791.

In 1809, a statue of Lord Nelson was opened in the Bull Ring, in memory of the men who died in the battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Boulton struck a line medal in commemoration of the Battle of Trafalgar, and by permission of the Government gave one to every person who took part in the action; flag-officers and commanders receiving copies in gold, lieutenants, &c., in silver, and the men, bronze. Being struck for this purpose only, and not for sale, the medal is very scarce. Lord Nelson Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson (September 29, 1758 – October 21, 1805) was a British admiral who won fame as a leading naval commander. ... 2003 Bull Ring - St Martins church and Selfridges The Bull Ring market has been an important feature of Birmingham since the Middle Ages. ... Battle of Trafalgar Conflict Napoleonic Wars Date 21 October 1805 Place Cape Trafalgar Result Decisive British victory Trafalgar Battle, situation at 13h Trafalgar Battle, situation at 17h The Redoutable being fired upon by the Temerarious at Trafalgar, on the 21th of October 1805, after having fought for more than two... Commander is a military rank used in many navies but not generally in armies or air forces. ... General Name, Symbol, Number Gold, Au, 79 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11 (IB), 6, d Density, Hardness 19300 kg/m3, 2. ... A Lieutenant is a military, paramilitary or police officer. ... General Name, Symbol, Number silver, Ag, 47 Chemical series Transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 5, d Density, Hardness 10490 kg/m3, 2. ... Bronze figurine, found at Öland Bronze is the traditional name for a broad range of alloys of copper. ...

The services of the Handsworth Volunteer Cavalry were required to charge and put to flight the rioters in Snow Hill on May 29, 1810. Handsworth is the name of more than one place. ... Snow Hill may refer to: Birmingham Snow Hill station Snow Hill tunnel and the former Snow Hill station in central London Snow Hill, Maryland Snow Hill, North Carolina This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

1832.06.15 6th (Royal 1st Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot were created.

Cannons were manufactured as early as 1836, a local newspaper mentioned that several 250 and 300-pounder guns were sent from the city in that year for the fortifications on the Dardanelles. A small cast-iron cannon on a carriage A cannon is any large tubular firearm designed to fire a heavy projectile over a considerable distance. ... The Dardanelles (Turkish: Çanakkale Boğazı), formerly Hellespont, is a narrow strait in northwestern Turkey connecting the Aegean Sea with the Sea of Marmara. ...

The Orsim bombs used in Paris, January 15, 1858, were made in the city. The Eiffel Tower has become a symbol of Paris throughout the world. ...

The official natal day could be argued as the 14th of December, 1859, when a town's meeting was held "for the purpose of adopting such measures as might seem desirable for placing Birmingham in its proper position with regard to the great national rifle movement." The Hon. Charles Granville Scott had been previously selected by Lord Leigh (the Lord-Lieutenant of the County) as Colonel, Major Sanders had accepted the Captaincy, Mr. J.O. Mason been appointed Lieutenant, and 111 names entered on the roll of members of the 1st Company, but it was not till the above-named day that the movement really made progress, the Mayor (Mr. Thos. Lloyd), Sir John Ratcliff, Mr. A. Dixon, and Mr. J. Lloyd each then promising to equip his twenty men apiece, and sundry other gentlemen aiding to dress up others of the rank and file. The money thus being found the men were soon forthcoming too, the end of the year showing 320 names on the roll call, a number increased to 1,080 by the close of 1860. The latter year saw the first parade in Calthorpe Park, the opening of the range at Bournebrook, and the formation of the twelve companies forming the first battalion, but, notwithstanding many liberal donations (the gunmakers giving £850), and the proceeds of the first annual ball, it closed with the corps being in debt over £1,000. On the formation of the 2nd county battalion, Col. Scott took command thereof, Major Sanders being promoted. He was followed by Lieut.-Col. Mason, on whose resignation, in February, 1867, Major Ratcliff succeeded, the battalion being then 1,161 strong. Col. Ratcliff retired in June, 1871, and was replaced by Major-General Hinde, C.B., who held command until his death, March 1, 1881. Major Gem who temporarily acted as commander, also died the following Nov. 4, Major Burt filling the post till the appointment of Col. W. Swynfen Jervis. The first adjutant (appointed in 1860) was Captain McInnis, who retired in 1870, having received bodily injuries through being thrown from his horse; he was succeeded by the present Adjutant-Colonel Tarte. The first uniform of the corps was a grey tunic with green facings, and a peaked cap with cock's feathers; in 1863 this was changed for a green uniform with red facings, similar to that worn by the 60th Rifles, with the exception of a broad red stripe on the trousers. The trouser stripe was done away with in 1875, when also the cap and feathers gave place to the busby and glengarry, the latter in 1884 being exchanged for the regulation army helmet, and soon perhaps our boys will all be seen in scarlet like their brothers of the Staffordshire battalions. The annual balls did not become popular, the last taking place in 1864; bazaars were held October 14-17, 1863, and October 24-27, 1876; athletic displays had been given (the first in May, 1865). At the Volunteer Review, July 24, 1861, before the Duke of Cambridge; at the Hyde Park Review, June, 1865, before the Prince of Wales; at the Midland Counties' Review at Derby, June, 1867; at the Royal Review at Windsor in 1868; and at every inspection since, the Birmingham corps has merited and received the highest praise for general smartness and efficiency; it was one of the crack corps of the kingdom. The first march-out of 720 to Sutton took place June 21, 1875, others joining at the camp, making over 800 being under canvas, 744 attending the review. The camping-out at Streetly Wood had annually recurred since that date; the first sham fight took place June 20, 1877. The "coming-of-age" was celebrated by a dinner at the Midland Hotel, January 29, 1881, up to which point the Government grants had amounted to £26,568 14 s (£26,568.70), the local subscriptions to £8,780, and the donations to £1,956 1 s 3 d (£1,956.06) The Birmingham Rifle Corps is now recognised as the First Volunteer Battalion of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, having been linked to the "Saucy Sixth," under the army scheme of 1873. A bazaar is a market, often covered, typically found in areas of Muslim culture. ... Duke of Cambridge is a title frequently conferred upon junior members of the British royal family. ... Hyde Park is the name of: Hyde Park, a Royal Park in London (the original location) Hyde Park in Sydney - a park some places in the United States of America: Hyde Park, Massachusetts Hyde Park, New York - a town in Dutchess County, New York Hyde Park, Vermont - a town Hyde... The eldest son of the reigning monarch ofEngland/Great Britain is traditionally invested with the title of Prince of Wales. ... Derby (pronounced dar-bee ) is a city in the East Midlands of England. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Streetly is an area of Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, England. ...

The Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA) was founded in 1861 by fourteen gunsmiths of the Birmingham Small Arms Trade Association, who had together supplied arms to the British government during the Crimean War. The company branched out into motor transport as the gun trade declined. The Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA) was a British manufacturer of military equipment and vehicles. ...

The Midland [[Rifle] Club was started in 1875, the Staffordshire Rifle Association dating from 1861. Both clubs used the range at Sandwell Park, by permission of the Earl of Dartmouth. At the International Match at Creedmore, New York, in 1881, the representatives of this neighbourhood scored high numbers, Corporal Bates (of the M.R.C.) taking the only first prize secured by visitors in the open competitions of the U.S. Associations. Staffordshire (abbreviated Staffs) is a landlocked county in the Midlands of England. ... The title of Earl of Dartmouth was created in the Peerage of Great Britain in 1711 for William Legge, 2nd Baron Dartmouth, who was then Secretary of State for the Southern Department. ... State nickname: Empire State Other U.S. States Capital Albany Largest city New York Governor George Pataki Official languages None Area 141,205 km² (27th)  - Land 122,409 km²  - Water 18,795 km² (13. ... Corporal is a military rank in use by several militaries of the world. ...

In 1881 The Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers were created drawing massively from the city's stock. The Royal Warwickshire Regiment reorganised as the county regiment of Warwickshire, encompassing also its Militia and Volunteer infantry. Cap badge of the regiment The Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the British Army. ...

Frederick William Lanchester was arguably the single most innovative automobile developer in the UK, he patented disc brakes in 1902. He joined the Forward Gas Engine Company of Birmingham in 1889, and in 1893 set up his own workshop. In 1895 he and his brother built the first petrol driven four-wheeled car in Britain. Fred also experimented with the wick carburetor, fuel injection, turbochargers and invented the accelerator pedal. In 1893 Fred designed and built his first engine (a vertical single cylinder) which was fitted to a flat bottomed boat designed by his brothers. The boat was launched at Salter's slipway in Oxford in 1894 and was probably the first all British powerboat. It is undeniable that his advancements in motor manufacture and the development of the petrol engine would have contributed to the British war machine. Frederick William Lanchester (October 23, 1868 - March 8, 1946) was an English polymath and engineer who made important contributions to automotive engineering, aerodynamics and co-invented the field of operations research. ... A small variety of cars, the most popular kind of automobile. ... The carburetor (American spelling; spelt carburettor or carburetter in Commonwealth countries, carb for short) is a device which mixes air and fuel for an internal-combustion engine. ... Cover of Popular Hot Rodding magazine, showing racing fuel injection system on V8 engine in the late 1960s Fuel injection is a technology used in internal combustion engines to mix the fuel with air prior to combustion. ... Turbocharger Cut-away A turbocharger is a compressor used in internal-combustion engines to increase the power output of the engine by increasing the mass of oxygen and fuel entering the engine. ... Categories: Stub | Boat types ...

The electrical Heat-Indicator and Fire Alarm was patented by George Andrew Darby in 1902 in the city and has been used in all forms of military vehicles and ships.

Around this time an official report showed that the Warwickshire regiment could muster 213 Yeomanry Cavalry on parade; while the Staffordshire had 422. In the 1790s, the threat of invasion of England was high, with the French Revolution and the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte. ... An army unit consisting of mounted soldiers is commonly known as cavalry. ...

The Great War began in August 1914. Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ...

The Warwickshire regiment drew massively from the Birmingham area especially in the first world war, an initial recruitment drive in the city mustered over 8000 men to fight in British regiments, due to the successful recruitment the government advertised again and subsequently recruited a further 4000 volunteers, initially named the 1st, 2nd and 3rd city batallion they were later merged into The Royal Warwickshire Regiment. These forces later went on to fight in the trenches of the first world war.

Within a few weeks B.S.A. returned to arms manufacture and greatly expanded its operations. BSA produced rifles and Lewis guns, but also shells, motorcycles and other vehicles for the struggle. In 1920, it bought the assets of a short-lived plane builder Airco. The Lewis Gun was a pre-WWI era British machine gun that continued to see service all the way through WWII. It is visually distinctive because of the wide tubular cooling shroud around the barrel, and the top mounted drum magazines. ... George Holt Thomas established the Aircraft Manufacturing Company (Airco) at The Hyde in Hendon, north London, England during 1912. ...

The machines that had been building Austin cars at Longbridge began to turn out munitions, and all the resources of the factory were harnessed to serve the country. As the appetite of the armed services for weapons and equipment of every kind continued to increase, the rapid expansion of the Longbridge factory became inevitable, until by 1917 it had trebled its size and in addition had its own flying ground on a flat-topped hill south of the main works. The employees, many of them women, rose to over 22,000 during the peak years. During the four war years over 8,000,000 shells were produced along with 650 guns, 2,000 aeroplanes, 2,500 aero engines and 2,000 trucks, plus a host of other items. The Austin Motor Company was founded in Longbridge, Birmingham by Herbert Austin, the former manager of the Wolseley Tool and Motor Car Company in 1905. ... The Longbridge Plant from the Air, 2005. ... Munition is often defined as a synonyn for ammunition. ...

The Company's post-war programme included, for a short time, a range of aeroplanes.

The Austin Greyhound 2 seater fighter was one, and the Austin Ball single seater another. Then there was a single seater biplane with folding wings, which sold at £500, and a fourth called the Austin Whippet.

August 1920 - HMS Birmingham sinks first German U-boat in the war. Three ships of the British Royal Navy have been named HMS Birmingham, after the city of Birmingham in England. ... U-boat is also a nickname for some diesel locomotives built by GE; see List of GE locomotives October 1939. ...

Percussion caps were yearly sent from Brum in millions of grosses, the manufacture of the complete gun cartridge came later. The manufacture of the caps involved several dangerous processes, and Birmingham has had to mourn the loss of many of her children through accidents arising therefrom. The ammunition works of Messrs. Kynoch and Co., at Witton, covered over 20 acres (80,000 m²), and gave employment to several hundred people, the contrariness of human nature being exemplified in the fact that the death-dealing articles were mainly manufactured by females, the future mothers or wives perchance of men to be laid low by the use of such things. The plant was capable of turning out 500,000 cartridges per day, as was done during the Turkish war, and it took 50 tons of rolled brass, 100 tons of lead, and 20 tons of gunpowder weekly to keep the factory fully going, all kinds of ammunition for rifles and machine guns being made on the premises. Other extensive works were those of the Birmingham Small Arms and Metal Co., at Adderley Park Mills, and the National Arms and Ammunition Co., at Small Heath, and Perry Barr. The percussion cap or primer was the crucial invention needed to make fire-arms that could fire in any weather. ... The term gross may mean: before deductions, e. ... General Name, Symbol, Number Lead, Pb, 82 Chemical series Poor metals Group, Period, Block 14(IVA), 6 , p Density, Hardness 11340 kg/m3, 1. ... Gunpowder is a substance which burns very rapidly and is used as a propellant in firearms. ... A rifle is any long gun which has a rifled barrel. ... A machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. ... Binomial name Coenonympha pamphilus Linnaeus, 1758 Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus) is a butterfly species, widespread in Eurasia and northwestern Africa. ... Perry Barr constituency shown within Birmingham Perry Barr is an area in north Birmingham, England . ...

Immediately upon the outbreak of the Second World War, the change-over from peace-time to war-time production began again. Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ...

1st September 1939 - Approximately 75000 Birmingham schoolchildren were evacuated to make way for the Battle of Britain. On 8th August 1940 the first air-raid on Birmingham took place over Erdington. Due to her massive industrial and military significance a D-notice was served over Birmingham during the Nazi Blitz. This meant that during Birminghams 27 enemy air raids an official request by the Government to news editors not to publish such reports left the city's bereaved quite indignant and bitter. A major campaign of World War II, the Battle of Britain is the name for the attempt by Germanys Luftwaffe to gain control of British airspace and destroy the Royal Air Force (RAF). ... Categories: Stub | Birmingham, England ... In Britain, D-notice is an official request to news editors not to publish items on specified subjects, for reasons of national security. ... The Nazi party used a right-facing swastika as their symbol and the red and black colors were said to represent Blut und Boden (blood and soil). ... Blitz, the German word for lightning, and often used figuratively as in blitzschnell (as fast as lightning), may mean any of a number of things in English: Blitzkrieg, the lightning war strategy of WWII Germany The Blitz, the German aerial attacks on Britain in WWII Baedeker Blitz, the reprisal bombing...

Over 2,000 women, children and elderly were killed and 3,000 more were seriously injured in the air raids, many of the attacks were aimed at the thousands of factories that manufactured weapons of war including the Castle Bromwich aeroplane factory that mass produced the Spitfire fighter aircraft. The longest raid took place on 11th December and lasted 13 hours, King George V1 inspected damage the next day. To this day no memorial exists in the city to commemorate the innocent civilians that died in the air raids. The term Spitfire can refer to: a euphemistic translation of Cacafuego, a Spanish treasure galleon captured by Sir Francis Drake, a warplane, see Supermarine Spitfire a ship, see HMS Spitfire a movie from 1934, see Spitfire (1934) The US title of the British 1942 film The First of the Few. ...

B.S.A. and Longbridge turned their hands to the British war effort once again.

The same machines and hands that a short time back had turned out highly finished cars, took in their stride the production of a whole miscellany of intricate parts for the nation's war machine. The variety and quantities of articles produced were staggering. Over 1,250,000 rounds of 2, 6 and 17 pounder armour-piercing ammunition and twice as many ammunition boxes. Over 500,000 jerricans, nearly as many steel service helmets, and almost as many assemblies of one sort or another for mines and depth charges. A hundred thousand bogey suspension and driving gear units for Churchill tanks was considered almost a side-line. Depth Charge used by U.S. Navy later in World War II The depth charge is the oldest anti-submarine weapon. ... The Churchill tank Infantry Tank IV Churchill. ...

And all this against a steady output of wheeled vehicles of various types to a total of over 36,000.

The shadow factory at Cofton Hackett, which started production with Fairey Battle light bombers and Mercury and Pegasus aero engines, ended by turning out Lamcaster four engined heavy bombers. The latter were too big to be flown from the Longbridge flying ground and so they were assembled elsewhere, as were the Stirling bombers which preceded them. Nearly three thousand of these aircraft, along with Hurricane fighters, were ultimately produced, in addition to aero engines, Horsa Glider, Beaufighter and Miles Master fuselages. Fairey Battle The Fairey Battle was a light bomber of the Royal Air Force built by Fairey Aviation in the late 1930s. ... The term aircraft engine, for the purposes of this article, refers to aircraft reciprocating, or rotary, internal combustion engines as opposed to jet engines or turboprops. ... The Avro Lancaster was a four-engined World War II bomber aircraft made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force. ... The Hawker Hurricane is a fighter design from the 1930s which was used extensively by the Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain. ... The Beaufighter was a long-range heavy fighter modification of the Bristol Aeroplane Companys earlier Beaufort torpedo bomber design. ... In an aircraft, the fuselage is the main body section that holds crew and passengers or cargo. ...

The Chad Valley toy factories were used for government contract work and the production of soft toys was drastically cut. Wartime products manufactured by the company were varied but included small wooden instrument cases, cases to contain the barrels for anti aircraft guns, electrical coils, electric starters, auto pilots, children's clothing, hospital tables, tent poles and charts. One factory did continue to produce a limited number of toys, staffed by the firm's oldest employees. They made items such as jig-saw puzzle's, chessmen and dominoes to be used by armed forces and military hospitals all over the world. Chad Valley is a long-established brand of toys in the United Kingdom. ... A coil is a series of loops. ... In 1903, the first U.S. patent for an automobile electric self-starter was issued to Clyde J. Coleman of New York City (No. ... (See also List of types of clothing and Clothing terminology) Humans often wear articles of clothing (also known as dress, garments or attire) on the body (for the alternative, see nudity). ... A hospital today is an institution for professional health care provided in part by physicians and nurses. ...

BSA had sixty-seven factories and was well positioned to benefit from the demand for guns and ammunition. During the war it produced over a million Lee-Enfield rifles and 500,000 Browning machine guns. Wartime demands did not stop motorcycle production. BSA supplied 126,000 M20 motorcycles to the armed forces, from 1937 until 1950. Lee-Enfield No4 Mk1 with bayonet, scabbard attached The Lee-Enfield was the British armys standard bolt action, magazine-fed, repeating rifle from 1895 until 1956. ...

The magnetron, the core component in the development of radar and microwave ovens was developed at Birmingham University during World War II. A magnetron is a high-powered vacuum tube that generates coherent microwaves. ... This long range radar antenna (approximately 40m (130ft) in diameter) rotates on a track to observe activities near the horizon. ... This page is about the radiation; for the appliance, see microwave oven. ... The University of Birmingham is the oldest of three universities in the English city of Birmingham. ...

May 1945 - victory in Europe celebrations took place in all corners of the city.

The Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers were created in 1963.

See also

Gun Quarter Categories: Possible copyright violations ...

External links

Diary of Warrickshire soldier in the trenches (http://www.johnson46.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/w3.html)