mo44th Posted 10 September , 2009 Share Posted 10 September , 2009 Can anyone out there tell me anything about the Munitions Factories in Dundee and if there were any serious accidents in them? My interest has been sparked by a talk at the WFA. I ask because as an exiled Dundonian I had never heard of munitions being produced in Dundee only the prduction of batteries. The only information the speaker could give me was that there may be a connection to the old Earl Grey Hotel. I am also interested in the Submarines and submariners who were stationed at Broughty Ferry Castle, so any information would be very welcome. This is all stuff I never knew about my dear old home town, so can any-one help please? Regards, Alison Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dundeesown Posted 10 September , 2009 Share Posted 10 September , 2009 Hi Alison I am sure that Dundee had a few munitions factories,one being Parkers Engineering Works,but if you search on this Forum I am sure this subject was discussed in the past.The Submarine base was at King William IV dock and not at Broughty Castle,but that was the base for the Submarine Miners up to 1907. (pics from Dundee at Work) all the best Gary.F. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truthergw Posted 11 September , 2009 Share Posted 11 September , 2009 As Gary has said, there is a fairly detailed discussion of this which was held under Local Forum discussion. Search for Fife & Forfar or Tayside. There was a shell filling factory to the north of Clepington Road which seems not to have left much records and there was a National Shell Factory housed in Caldrum Works, top of Mains Road in the Hilltown district. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay dubaya Posted 11 September , 2009 Share Posted 11 September , 2009 Alison, the NSF at Caldrum Works at 53-61 Main St. produced 18-pdr. and 2.75-in. shells, forgings and burster containers from June 1915 and the first output was in September 1915. There was also a HMEF (HM Explosive Factory) on Graham St. that started during May 1915 in the production of acetate of lime by wood distillation (used for cordite production). cheers, Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mo44th Posted 12 September , 2009 Author Share Posted 12 September , 2009 Hi Alison I am sure that Dundee had a few munitions factories,one being Parkers Engineering Works,but if you search on this Forum I am sure this subject was discussed in the past.The Submarine base was at King William IV dock and not at Broughty Castle,but that was the base for the Submarine Miners up to 1907. (pics from Dundee at Work) all the best Gary.F. Hello Gary, Thank you for your information. I had come across a picture of submariners in front of the gate of Broughty Ferry Castle which did spark an interest So daft question what was the difference between the submariners and submariner miners? I would probably get told by my brothers not to be stupit! I would assume that they moved from Broughty Castle because it is a pretty vunerable harbour, plus the tide leaves it empty. A stranger would not necessarily know that, but a local would., I shall keep on digging Again thanks, Best regards, Alison Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mo44th Posted 12 September , 2009 Author Share Posted 12 September , 2009 As Gary has said, there is a fairly detailed discussion of this which was held under Local Forum discussion. Search for Fife & Forfar or Tayside. There was a shell filling factory to the north of Clepington Road which seems not to have left much records and there was a National Shell Factory housed in Caldrum Works, top of Mains Road in the Hilltown district. Hi Jon, Thanks for your information. When I grew up in the fifties in Dundee my Dad's Auntie and Uncle lived in a house tucked into a corner at the top of Maiins Road, and the garden wall backed onto Caldrum Works. They would never say what was in the factory, only that it was a secret! Some secret- an ex bomb factory! They was all turned into weaving sheds in peacetime, but it never occured to me that they had been used for munitions. There must have been a lot of auld dears in Dundee who never let on they worked in munitions. Again Thanks for your help. Regards Alison Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mo44th Posted 12 September , 2009 Author Share Posted 12 September , 2009 As Gary has said, there is a fairly detailed discussion of this which was held under Local Forum discussion. Search for Fife & Forfar or Tayside. There was a shell filling factory to the north of Clepington Road which seems not to have left much records and there was a National Shell Factory housed in Caldrum Works, top of Mains Road in the Hilltown district. Hi Tom, Sorry I got your name wrong. Please put it down to my great age and being a dippy bird! Regards, Alison . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mo44th Posted 12 September , 2009 Author Share Posted 12 September , 2009 Alison, the NSF at Caldrum Works at 53-61 Main St. produced 18-pdr. and 2.75-in. shells, forgings and burster containers from June 1915 and the first output was in September 1915. There was also a HMEF (HM Explosive Factory) on Graham St. that started during May 1915 in the production of acetate of lime by wood distillation (used for cordite production). cheers, Jon Hi, Thanks for your info, as I said to Tom, my Dad's Auntie and Uncle lived in a house at the back of the factory in the fifties. it was tucked into a corner behind the factory. Access was from Main Street through a wooden door in the wall that opened into a detatched house and garden unseen from the street.Looks like Dundee had the whole thing 'sewn up' with the jute mills makiing the sackiing for sandbags and munitions, batteries, and cordite. Fires must have caused full scale panic with all that stuff around. Any idea when these places stopped production? It is a bit ironic, my Gt Uncle Bmdr. Hugh Petrie RGA worked on the 18 pndr.guns in France and was killed April 1916. His parents lived in Hill Street and I have just found a note about a Scroll of Honour which was inside Rosebank Parish Church with his name on it. Family never mentioned that it existed. This is a funny hobby, isn't it? Regards, Alison Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MPS Posted 30 November , 2020 Share Posted 30 November , 2020 Hello take a look at this web link. https://war-work.com/dundee-national-shell-factory/ Regards Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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