When in 1940 Bournemouth Corporation reduced the size of the orchestra to 24 players, the conductor Richard Austin resigned and Birch took over, steering the orchestra through the war years. He was chief conductor of the orchestra from 1940 until 1946, putting himself forward to be principal conductor, but died on 20 February 1947 before the auditions were held; he was succeeded by Rudolf Schwarz.
Charles Montague Birch (1884–1947) was a British musical conductor. He was born in Leamington Spa, the eldest child of Charles Septimus Birch and Clara Birch.