Andrew Hesketh Posted 3 February , 2006 Share Posted 3 February , 2006 Would anyone be able to point me towards a student friendly (c. age 14-16) resource / website that provides simple information about the lives and work of female munitions workers in the war? I can't find anything at the moment and I'm just being lazy - trying to avoid having to write a handout of my own! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Clay Posted 3 February , 2006 Share Posted 3 February , 2006 Andrew The BBC's History Trail site here has a relevant article. Makes reference to Lyn MacDonald's 1914-18, Voices & Images of the Great War. Any use? Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Hesketh Posted 3 February , 2006 Author Share Posted 3 February , 2006 Jim, That'll do the trick. Thanks mate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Clay Posted 3 February , 2006 Share Posted 3 February , 2006 Andrew Something I remembered - my partner's ancestors lived in London Docklands at the time of WW1, and there was a family memory of a big explosion. The details of the 1917 Silvertown blast are here. Might provide a useful reminder of how incredibly dangerous the work was. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Hesketh Posted 3 February , 2006 Author Share Posted 3 February , 2006 Jim, that's a good link. There was a similar tragedy at a factory in Chilwell, Notts - see here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/eastmidland...ell_somme.shtml Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Clay Posted 4 February , 2006 Share Posted 4 February , 2006 Andrew Fascinating article, with intriguing hints as to why so much ordnance was 'dud'. I'm surprised that the author was 'amazed ... that it was kept secret at the time'! Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snavek Posted 4 February , 2006 Share Posted 4 February , 2006 Andrew, My wife's Aunt, see below, was killed in the Chilwell explosion. She actually came from Beeston-next-Mileham in Norfolk, her death certificate records her as living with an Aunt Lily Hilliard in Beeston, Notts. although family history research reveals no trace of this lady. When we were researching Grace The Imperial War Museum, MOD Chilwell and Maureen Rushton of Beeston (Notts.) Local History Society were very helpful. Edgar Wallace wrote a short history about Chetwynd and Chilwell called 'The Real Shell-Man' but I understand it was never released to the general public and copies are rare. An anonymous author also wrote a short history which I suspect is available. Since doing the original research I've discovered that a Norfolk man was also killed in the explosion. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 4 February , 2006 Share Posted 4 February , 2006 The National Archives contain several files about the munitions factory at Stratton (then near Swindon, now part of it). A brief history is in MUN 5/365/1122/22. MUN 7/47 includes much more detail. Except for a few cases of skilled labour, workers were recruited locally, and on November 11, 1918 there were 882 men (including around 350 discharged soldiers) and 588 women, though the latter were deemed not very satisfactory or economical; they were not good time-keepers and stayed out for trivial reasons but "no doubt in a way served their purpose", conceded a postwarreport Workers' wages in February 1917 are recorded in MUN 3/459. Moonraker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Galatea Posted 4 February , 2006 Share Posted 4 February , 2006 THIS website is dedicated to the munition workers of Gretna. Its just down the road from me so if you want some 'hard copies' of leaflets etc just give me a shout Andrew. Davie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcarleton Posted 7 February , 2006 Share Posted 7 February , 2006 Anyone know if there is a list or map of locations where these munitions factories were? I'm trying to determine the most likely candidates where my grandmother and sisters worked while they lived in West Ham. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnreed Posted 19 February , 2006 Share Posted 19 February , 2006 Could either be Silvertown North Woolwich or Woolwich Arsenal. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcarleton Posted 19 February , 2006 Share Posted 19 February , 2006 Thanks. Great info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wig Posted 20 February , 2006 Share Posted 20 February , 2006 This is not of any great importance - just slightly interesting, In Dublin the munitions workers would not work weekends so the Barristers of the Fourcourts Law Library took it on themselves to take over the factory from 1pm on Saturdays to 9am on Mondays. They continued this part time munitions work until eventually the barristers were objected to as blackleg labour and had to resign form the unpaid work under pressure from the trade unions. wig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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