Birmingham Corporation Tramways War Memorial and Gates, Birmingham, West Midlands

Summary

Freestanding war memorial of 1922 erected by employees of the Birmingham Corporation Tramway and dedicated to the workers of the tramway who died in the First World War, and later the Second World War.

Description

MATERIALS: Portland stone and marble.

PLAN: the memorial stands at about 30ft in height, is around 16ft wide, and 2ft in depth.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial features a three stepped base surmounted by a wall featuring inset panels with names and memorial description. At the centre of the wall a column rises, with an urn on the top and a wreath with ribbons at the base of the front of the column. The column is inscribed with ‘OUR GLORIOUS DEAD.’

The central panel of the memorial wall reads ‘CITY OF BIRMINGHAM/ TRAMWAYS DEPARTMENT/ TO THE/ GLORIOUS MEMORY OF/ OUR COMRADES/ WHO DURING/ THE GREAT WAR/ MADE THE SUPREME SACRIFICE/ FOR HOME AND COUNTRY/ 1914-1914.’ Below this, a later marble plaque was added, reading: ‘ALSO THE SECOND/ GREAT WAR/ 1939-1945.’

Each plaque memorialises workers from various depots. From the left, the first plaque commemorates workers from the Second World War, reading: ‘ACOCKS GREEN/ NAMES/ ARTHUR ST./ NAMES/ BARFORD ST./ NAMES/ BUILDINGS/ NAMES/ COTTERIDGE/ NAMES/ HARBORNE/ NAMES/ HEAD OFFICE/ NAMES/ HIGHGATE RD./ NAMES/ HOCKLEY/ NAMES/ KYOTTS LAKE RD./ NAMES.’

The second plaque from the left commemorates: ‘ARTHUR STREET DEPOT/ NAMES/ BOURNBROOK & COTTERIDGE DEPOTS/ NAMES.’ Following along is ‘HIGHGATE ROAD DEPOT/ NAMES/ HOCKLEY DEPOT/ NAMES’ and then ‘KYOTTS LAKE WORKS/ NAMES/ MILLER STREET, WITTON, & PERRY BARR DEPOTS/ NAMES.’ Below these three plaques is a further marble plaque placed after World War Two, reading: ‘CIVILIAN MEMBERS 1939-45/ NAMES.’

From left to right on the right side of the central column, the panels read: ‘HEAD OFFICE STAFF/ NAMES/ MOSELEY ROAD DEPOT/ NAMES/ OVERHEAD DEPARTMENT/ NAMES.’, then ‘PERMENT WAY DEPARTMENT/ NAMES/ TENNANT STREET GARAGE/ NAMES.’, and ‘ROSEBERRY STREET DEPOT/ NAMES/ WASHWOOD HEATH DEPOT/ NAMES.’

On the far right of the monument, another marble plaque commemorates the fallen of the Second World War: ‘LIVERPOOL ST./ NAMES/ OVERHEAD DEPT./ NAMES/ PERRY BAR/ NAMES/ ROSEBERY ST./ NAMES/ SELLY OAK/ NAMES/ TENNANT ST./ NAMES/ TYBURN RD./ WASHWOOD HEATH/ NAMES/ WITTON/ NAMES/ YARDLEY WOOD/ NAMES.’ At the base of the right side is a second marble plaque: ‘CIVILIAN MEMBERS 1939-45/ NAMES.’

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: there is a pair of decorative wrought iron gates which lead to the memorial.

History

Birmingham Corporation Tramways War Memorial was subscribed and erected by employees of the Birmingham Tramway in May 1922. It was placed at the entrance of the Transport Stadium, then the property of the Birmingham Corporation Tramways Athletic and Thrift Society (purchased in 1908), which is now (2022) the New Irish Centre.

The memorial was unveiled on 14th May 1922 by Lieutenant F. Clarke M.M. and was dedicated by the Bishop of Birmingham. Clarke, one of the departments employees, lost his left arm in the last month of the war, and was wounded seven times during the conflict. The unveiling ceremony was attended by c.2,000 tramway workers in uniform. Also present were the Lord Mayor (Alderman David Davis), the Bishop of Birmingham, the Town Clerk, the Chairman and members of the Tramways Committee, Mr Alfred Baker (general manager), and other officials. The cenotaph memorialised the 236 workers of the Birmingham Corporation Tramways Department who fell during the war. The entire cost of the memorial was covered by the tramway workers themselves.

Birmingham Corporation Tramways operated the tram network in Birmingham from 1904-1953. At the time, it was the fourth largest tramway network in the UK, and the largest narrow-gauge tramway network. Birmingham Corporation Tramways were responsible for building tramways in the period and leased the track to various other companies. There were 843 trams in total, 20 depots, and 45 main routes.

The Transport Stadium, where the war memorial resides, was originally purchased by the Birmingham Corporation Tramways Athletic & Thrift Society in 1908. During its peak in the 1920’s, the ground attracted up to 1,000 spectators, and throughout the twentieth century maintained a high standard so that Birmingham City football club trained there during the 1950s.

Reasons for Listing

The Birmingham Corporation Tramways War Memorial is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Historic interest:

* as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on this community and the sacrifices it made in the conflicts of the C20.

Architectural interest:

* as an elegantly-designed and well-executed memorial which survives well.

External Links

Historic England Listing

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