Munitions Factory Explosion - Samuel Beddall OBE

[Berkohis]

Hi

I've found a small mention in the Hemel Hempstead Gazette for 7 July 1918 which states that a Samuel Beddal was awarded the OBE for great bravery in a munition factory explosion. The London Gazette 11 June 1918 say's "For Great Courage at great personal risk. He twice entered a burning room in a filling factory and rescued three workers in spite of dense fumes and personal injury".

Samuel was born in Berkhamsted in 1880 and was a plumber. He joined the RE in Nov 1915 but was discharged as unfit in 1916. It looks like he then worked in a munitions factory. He died aged 46 in 1926.

Any idea's how I can find where the munitions factory might have been and more about the injuries he recieved.

I'm also interested to understand what war work was carried out in local factories in Berkhamsted. Any ideas how i research this?

Thanks

[squirrel]

There do not appear to have been any shell filling factories in the Berkhamstead area (others might have more information) so is it possible that your man was not working locally?

From Wiki:

Royal Arsenal, Woolwich.

National Filling Factory No. 1, Leeds, (Barnbow).

National Filling Factory No. 2, Liverpool, (Aintree).

National Filling Factory No.3, ROF Rotherwas, Hereford.

National Filling Factory No.4, Houston, Renfrewshire.

National Filling Factory No. 5, Quedgeley.

National Filling Factory No. 6, Chilwell.

National Filling Factory No. 7, Hayes, Middlesex.

National Filling Factory No. 9, Banbury.

National Filling Factory No. 10, Whitmore Park, Coventry.

National Filling Factory No. 12, Cardonald.

National Filling Factory No. 13, White Lund, Morecambe

There were also some additional munitions plants built by the Ministry of Munitions but privately operated:

National Filling Factory No. 23, Chittening, South Gloucestershire. Operated by Nobel Explosives; shells were initially filled with chloropicrin. From June 1918, alongside the main plant at Banbury and a secondary plant at Hereford, supplied with dichloroethyl sulphide from the National Smelting Company at Avonmouth Docks, the three plants produced mustard gas shells.

[Knotty]

Brocks Fireworks originally moved into Hemel Hempstead in 1910, so there is a fair chance that they had some form of munitions work going on there.

John

[maxi]

Brocks Fireworks originally moved into Hemel Hempstead in 1910, so there is a fair chance that they had some form of munitions work going on there.

John

John

In this attached article, it does mention that Brocks was involved in making munitions at its Sutton factory, however, Brocks had indeed moved to Hemel Hempstead in 1910.

http://ww1geek.com/2014/04/23/zeebrugge/

As yet I can't find any record of an explosion.

Maxi

[Knotty]

Would this factory be producing the Brock Incendiary bullet? Cover up?

John

[Ian C]

Hi

Given that he lived in Berko, I wonder if he was actually working at the George Kent munitions factory in Luton, where there was an explosion that claimed several lives on 1 March, 1918.

Regards

IanC

[Berkohis]

Thank you, this gives me a lot more leads. I was initialling with Squirrel on Filling factories, but maybe it was closer to home. I love this site. Thanks. I'll let you know if I find more.