Munitions workers in Marchwiel
Last updated: 08 August 2008
Gordon Richards from Canada: "This photo shows my sister - Phyllis Margaret Sanders (nee Richards) from Overton - and other members of the Laboratory team at Marchweil munitions factory during the 1940s. She is in the middle row, extreme left. She now lives in Nottingham, aged 85, but cannot recall the names of any of the others in the picture - can anyone help?"
your comments
David Trippas, Birmingham
This morning I was talking to my mother, who is 84, about her time as a supervisor at the Marchwiel munitions factory, during World War 2. She was a local girl and after leaving school at 14 her first job was in the steel testing laboratories at the Brymbo steel works. When the war started she was called up for war work and, due to her testing skill, was made a supervisor at the Marchwiel cordite factory. She told me that this large dispersed factory was camouflaged under grass and the women worked in small bays, ten each side, cutting out the white cordite and splicing the good cordite back together. This white cordite was extremely dangerous to the fighting men if it got into the finished munitions. Her job was also to check her fellow workers to make sure that they had no metal on them, which could have triggered an explosion. Even though front line soldiers came to graphically lecture them on the importance of their work and the danger that the fighting men were in, especially if the ordinance was dud or compromised. Many of the women would not comply with this rule and although she received three shillings extra for her work, she said it wasn't worth the hassle. One girl who was often late, she reported to the factory court and the worker was disciplined. She still feels a little guilty about this, apparently the women was going out with one of the men in the laboritories and was clocked in when not there. They all had to wear white canvas trousers, no make up and their hair pulled tight under a white cap. It was as said strictly forbidden to carry any metal into the work bays and the work, though skilled, was repetitive. She left after the war was over and came to Birmingham to work, where she met my father. Her maiden name was Ethel Griffiths.
Thu Aug 7 17:40:03 2008
Sandra Ramsey from Texas
My mum, Frances (Peggy) Price, worked at Marchwiel. She used to travel by train from Oswestry. She worked with the cordite, and was off work for almost 6 months because of the fumes. She lost a lot of weight and went down to an 18in waist. She is now 85 years old and is still proud of the work she did during the war.
Wed Jun 25 09:08:34 2008
Susan Reid-Povall, Wirral
Both my parents worked at the Royal Ordnance Factory in Wrexham and I'm just wondering if their names would mean anything to anybody out there. My mum was Pat Hall, and she lived at 22 Chestnut Avenue, Acton Park, and my father was Roy Reid, a scientist seconded to the ROF during the war years. My brother and I would be so pleased to hear of anyone that remembers them.
Mon May 19 09:25:07 2008
Susan Reid-Povall, Wirral
Both my parents worked at the ROF Factory nr Wrexham - in fact, that's where they met. My mother, Patricia Hall, was a charge hand and my father, Roy John Alexander Reid, worked in the laboratory. He previously worked at Lever Bros and was seconded to the site but I'm not sure when. I guess it would have been '39 or '40. Does anyone remember either of them?
Wed Apr 9 17:10:54 2008
Peter Lightfoot from Wrexham
I am researching the History of Royal Ordnance Factory No. 35, Wrexham. As part of my research I am trying to contact surviving personnel from the factory complex to enable me to speak to them about their experiences whilst working in the complex. I would be most grateful for any leads assistance, documentation, photographs etc.
Wed Jan 30 09:16:55 2008
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