001237

Description

A file containing documents relating to bomb damage to housing in Birmingham and the subsequent dislocation and relocation of residents. Documents in the file include multiple statistical reports on bomb damage; a similar report for the city of Hull; a variety of forms issued by local authorities on incidents of housing destruction and the process of relocation; and an extract from a Ministry of Health circular for local authorities on the procedure for dealing with housing damage. Topics covered by the documents include statistics of local housing damage; the pre-war housing shortage in Birmingham and its relationship with subsequent air-raid damage; and the areas of the city that are targets for enemy air raids. Other topics include the relationship between the density of bombing and the proportion of housing damaged; the scale of civilian displacement; and details of the practical operations of the City of Birmingham Estates Department.

Keywords

accommodation, air raids, billeting, bomb damage, civil defence, civilian casualties, construction materials, contingency planning, demographics, demolition, fire prevention, fire services, fire watch, furnishings, high-explosive bombs, homelessness, hostels, housing, local authorities, population density, reconstruction, rental properties, requisitioning, resettlement, retail, salvage, statistics, urban development