Munition Factory Deaths

[Ian C]

I am trying to find out more about a local girl who was killed in an accident at a munitions factory in 1918. Does anyone know if there are any lists etc of those killed while working in these foctories.

Thanks

IanC

[Guest Pete Wood]

Your best bet is to contact Jim Strawbridge. I know he has details of some munition worker casualties.

If your 'girl' had been Australian, you would have had more chance of success. The Aussie government recognised munition workers as military casualties.

If you are very very very lucky, she will be among the tiny percentage of records for civilian workers, which are stored in South Wales. I will dig out the address if you have no luck with Jim.

Who is your casualty?? I presume it was an explosion at a munitions factory?? If so, an inquest would have been held....

[Desmond7]

Ian - was it a 'one-person' industrial accident or a tragedy which claimed many lives. Amazingly, I have found that the vast majority of these incidents were reported quite freely in the press. EG I have reports of various rail and factory disasters reported in a weekly paper in NI despite the fact they happened in mainland Britain. Place and a date and I'll look up just in case?

des

[Ian C]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for your replies.

RT, how do I get in touch with Jim?

The lady in question was May Constable, who died on 07/03/18. The local paper carried a report on her funeral, but only says that she died from injuries accidentally received. It gives no details of the accident, where it took place or if there were any other casualties, however, I am almost certain that there was not a munitions factory in Fenny Stratford/Bletchley, (now Milton Keynes), so she must have been working away from home. The only possible clues are that there were flowers from various departments at George Kent Ltd, so that may have been the name of the factory she was at. There were also flowers from the Government Examiners at the Woolwich Inspection Department.

IanC

[Terry Denham]

Jim is a member of this Forum. Search under 'Members' and email him.

[Terry_Reeves]

Your best bet is her death certificate. A copy can be ordered on line. Just type "Family Records Centre" into your search engine.

Terry Reeves

[Frank_East]

Hello Ian,

My Grandmother's sister, Eliza Grant was one of 35 women and girls killed in an explosion in a "fusing room" on 5 December 1916 whilst on the night shift at the Barnbow Munitions Factory, Leeds ( No 1 Shell Filling Factory).

There were a number of accidents at this factory where staff lost there lives.It has been recorded that in the aftermath of these incidents,girls were found readily volunteering to resume work in the areas as soon as repairs had been completed and the manufacturing process could get underway.

Due to censorship, no account of these accidents were made public and little information was given to the next of kin.Of course my Great Aunt's husband and her family knew where she worked but the place of work was not recorded in the Death Certificate. The local newspaper would be only allowed to publish what they could glean from the Death Certicate.

I have a copy of my Great Aunt's Death Certificate which was made available on 16 December 1916 after two Inquests had been held into the incident ,one on 8 December 1916 and one on 15 December 1916.The Cause of Death is given as "Shock due to injuries to vital organs caused accidentally by an explosion at a Shell Factory". No additional information added.

One of the problems caused by this censorship is it can play havoc with family research especially if the historical facts have not been passed down to the present generations.

In May Constable's case,I would think that her name would be remembered on a memorial close to the factory.

George Kent used to be a leading industrial instrument systems manufacturer based at Luton.In all probability, Kents would be acting as sub contractors.There appears to have been many small organisations and others whose facilities were requisitioned for shell filling. Some had primitive facilities.

Regards

Frank East

[Ian C]

Frank,

Thanks for that. I had an idea that she might have worked in Luton, but I can't remember now where I got that idea. I'll try the Luton library to see if I can get anything from the local papers.

IanC

[Bob H]

Ian

These two websites may be of interest:

http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Bedfordshire...llofHonour.html

http://www.lutononline.co.uk/mk4custompage...px?PageID=34847

As George Kent Ltd were an instrument manufacturer, it seems logical that they would be sub contracted to produce fuses

Bob

[Ian C]

Bob,

Thanks very much.

IanC