War Graves Week invites you to discover the stories behind the world wars at your local cemetery. At Brandwood End Cemetery, we have over 400 people – both civilian and armed services – who fell victim to war at home and abroad. We commemorate them every year with our annual Poppy Cross event.
This week allows us to share some of the human stories behind the graves we care for. Thanks to our fantastic volunteers, we discovered nearly 80 graves of civilians who fell victim to the bombing of Birmingham during World War II in our 2025 Grave Recording session. These had previously not appeared on our records or had been obscured from view by shrubbery.
If you would like to volunteer, or if you have any information about the people we have identified, please get in touch! Our e mail is friendsofbec@gmail.com
The Coombes Family
On December 11th 1940, Birmingham endured a 13 hour bombing raid which resulted in widespread destruction and the deaths of over 200 hundred civilians. Four of those are laid to rest in our cemetery. Albert William Coombes, 59 and his wife Alice, 41 lived at 14 Pine Walk, Chesterton Road, Balsall Heath. With them were their 3 youngest children – Robert, Barbara 10 and Alan aged just 5.
On the night of the raid, 15 year old Robert was working as an ARP Messenger. This was a vital, often teenage volunteer, responsible for delivering messages on foot or by bicycle when telephone lines were cut by bombing. As part of the UK’s Civil Defence services, they ensured communication between wardens at local posts and control centres, allowing for a coordinated response to enemy air raids. Their work in reporting bombing locations allowed for rapid dispatch of rescue parties, ambulances, and first aid teams to affected areas.
By the time his shift was ended, Robert returned to find his parents and siblings had all been killed while taking shelter at 3/114 Brunswick Road. With an older brother serving abroad (later taken prisoner by the Japanese), Robert had only his two married sisters left.
Their story was uncovered when our volunteer gardeners cleared years of shrubbery to reveal their grave.
The Scrivener Family
The Scrivener family were no strangers to loss and the terrible price of war. Their father Samuel had died on active service in 1918 aged 49 and never returned home, being interred in France. He served with 1st Btn Suffolk 2nd Service Co and died on 21 Aug 1918. He is commemorated at Mazargues war cemetery, Marseilles.
Five children lived with their widowed mother at 104 Grace Road, Sparkbrook. Albert, the eldest, was married with 2 children but continued to live at home with his mother and his 4 siblings – 10 people in a 5 room house. Emily, his mother, and his younger brother James were described as ‘incapacitated’ in the 1939 census and it is likely that Albert was the family breadwinner for both himself and his mother following his father’s death.
On Tuesday evening, the 19th November 1940, the air raid sirens sounded and Birmingham endured another night of bombing – 18 Parachute mines (4 unexploded), 677 High Explosive, including about 42 Delayed Action type, 243 Incendiary Bomb incidents have been reported. 17 of the incendiary bombs were of the oil type. The first report of a bomb being dropped was at 7.25 p.m. Extensive damage to property was caused by exploding parachute mines, High Explosive bombs and fires.
James Henry aged 33 and his older brother Albert George, 49 (ironically exactly the same age as his father was when he died in France) were both killed at home during the raid. It is likely the rest of the family had been out of the house in a shelter.
Spare a thought for Emily who had lost both her husband and two sons to the world wars of the twentieth century.
Evans /Rea Family
Also discovered by our Grave Recorders is the final resting place of the Evans and Rea families who were buried under brambles in B16 for many decades.
Harry was a member of the Home Guard. Originally from Long Street, Balsall Heath, Harry had served with Army Service Corps (Mechanical Transport) in the First World War joining up in 1917 and married Annie Sorrill in 1925
Annie and Harry Evans, aged 39 and 42, their 11 year old daughter Patricia Ann died alongside 53 year old Norman Rea and his wife May on 3rd December 1940 at 12 Vimy Road, Billesley. That night the air raid hit the police station at Billesley and the AA Gun-sight at Swanshurst Park.
May was Annie’s sister and she and Norman lived at 334 Green Lane, Small Heath. Sadly her decision to stop with her sister and niece cost her and her husband their lives.
This remains an unmarked grave.