Not certain we've ever had a thread specifically for images of WW2 factory work. The IWM images appear to still be growing in number, and some are making me stop and think, so... As ever, it's the sheer width and scale of the effort that gets me. We immediately think of pictures of Tanks, aeroplanes & guns being made, but cordite, mepacrine, sandbags even - all have a usefulness beyond their allotted fame or coverage. (And then there's the darker side of poor bastards used as slave labour under assorted regimes too.) A Parachute Factory. © IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 2908)IWM Non Commercial Licence BUILDING MOSQUITO AIRCRAFT AT THE DE HAVILLAND FACTORY IN HATFIELD, HERTFORDSHIRE, 1943. © IWM (TR 918)IWM Non Commercial Licence EVERYDAY LIFE AT A MINISTRY OF SUPPLY SHELL FILLING FACTORY, ENGLAND, UK, 1941. © IWM (D 2865)IWM Non Commercial Licence EVERYDAY LIFE AT A MINISTRY OF SUPPLY SHELL FILLING FACTORY, ENGLAND, UK, 1941. © IWM (D 2862)IWM Non Commercial Licence A MERLIN IS MADE: THE PRODUCTION OF MERLIN ENGINES AT A ROLLS ROYCE FACTORY, 1942. © IWM (D 12137)IWM Non Commercial Licence A MERLIN IS MADE: THE PRODUCTION OF MERLIN ENGINES AT A ROLLS ROYCE FACTORY, 1942. © IWM (D 12100)IWM Non Commercial Licence SALVAGING MATERIAL FROM THE WRECKAGE OF A BOMB DAMAGED FACTORY, c 1944. © IWM (P 2249)IWM Non Commercial Licence WHERE WAR SAND-BAGS COME FROM: A KENYA FACTORY IN FULL PRODUCTION, C. 5 OCTOBER 1942. © IWM (K 3003)IWM Non Commercial Licence Loads of Corsham images on there now: UNDERGROUND FACTORY: EVERYDAY LIFE IN AN UNDERGROUND FACTORY, PROBABLY SPRING QUARRY, CORSHAM, WILTSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1942. © IWM (D 9355)IWM Non Commercial Licence UNDERGROUND FACTORY: EVERYDAY LIFE IN AN UNDERGROUND FACTORY, PROBABLY SPRING QUARRY, CORSHAM, WILTSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1942. © IWM (D 9363)IWM Non Commercial Licence UNDERGROUND FACTORY: EVERYDAY LIFE IN AN UNDERGROUND FACTORY, PROBABLY SPRING QUARRY, CORSHAM, WILTSHIRE, ENGLAND, 1942. © IWM (D 9357)IWM Non Commercial Licence A GIRL JOINS UP: WOMEN'S FACTORY WAR WORK, ENGLAND, UK, MAY 1941. © IWM (D 3458)IWM Non Commercial Licence FACTORY BALLET: WARTIME FACTORY ENTERTAINMENT, 1942. © IWM (D 11126)IWM Non Commercial Licence TANK FACTORY: THE CONSTRUCTION OF MATILDA TANKS, 1942. © IWM (D 9194)IWM Non Commercial Licence A SUBSTITUTE FOR QUININE: THE PRODUCTION OF MEPACRINE AT A FACTORY NEAR LEICESTER, ENGLAND, UK, 1945. © IWM (D 23841)IWM Non Commercial Licence DANISH WORKMEN IN A BRITISH FACTORY: EVERYDAY LIFE AT A FACTORY IN HITCHIN, HERTFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND, UK, 1944. © IWM (PD 321)IWM Non Commercial Licence CORDITE. 25 TO 30 JULY 1944, ROYAL NAVAL ARMAMENTS FACTORY, HOLTEN HEATH(?). HOW CORDITE IS MADE AT THE FACTORY.. © IWM (A 25044)IWM Non Commercial Licence CORDITE. 25 TO 30 JULY 1944, ROYAL NAVAL ARMAMENTS FACTORY, HOLTEN HEATH(?). HOW CORDITE IS MADE AT THE FACTORY.. © IWM (A 25047)IWM Non Commercial Licence Interesting series with quite a few images of these chaps. On-the-fly refits and day to day maintenance, factory work of sorts. A BRITISH NAVAL FACTORY AFLOAT. SEPTEMBER 1941, ON BOARD THE DESTROYER DEPOT SHIP HMS TYNE. THE DEPOT SHIP IS ONE OF THE NAVY'S LARGEST OCEAN FACTORIES. THE ENGINEER OFFICER IN CHARGE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR REPAIRS FOR DESTROYERS AND UNDER HIM ARE NAVAL ENGINE ROOM ARTIFICERS, THE NAVY'S "FACTORY WORKERS".. © IWM (A 5541)IWM Non Commercial Licence And finally, what fifth columnist encouraged this demotivational rabble in the arsenals of democracy I do not know. FACTORY BALLET: WARTIME FACTORY ENTERTAINMENT, 1942. © IWM (D 11137)IWM Non Commercial Licence
Are these young women in old parachutes? Half wondered what happened to all those parachutes from the German fliers we shot down during the early years of the war?
After 16 months of preparation during the height of the blitz, a secret aircraft components factory was completed deep underground in North London in what were unfinished tunnels for the Central Line extension. The factory was completed in March 1942. The factory was operated by the electronics manufacturer, Plessey and after their Ilford factory was bombed in late 1940, they persuaded the Air Ministry and London Transport to let them use the unfinished tunnels between Leytonstone and Gants Hill as a wartime factory. The conversion of the tunnels into a factory was completed in March 1942 at a cost of £500,000, giving Plessey 300,000 sq.ft. of factory space. Parts of the factory was actually in use before March 1942 – but the conversion was staggered over time and completed 70 years ago last month. The sort of things being assembled in the factory included wiring sets for Halifax and Lancaster bombers,wireless equipment, field telephones, and Enigma Code-breaking “Bombes” for Bletchley Park. Up to 4,000 people – mainly women – worked in the tunnels for the four years that it was in use. 70th anniversary of an aircraft factory hidden in a tube tunnel
All I can say is -- Good job HSE were not about in those days or we would have lost Make me laugh to day when you see all the people walking around any factory in coats hard hats and protective glasses TD
Whitefriars glassworks Wealdstone north west London This halcyon period was about to come to an abrupt end with the onset of World War II. Glass production continued was strictly limited to essential glass only, as dictated by the government due to the war effort. After the war the company struggled to return to its pre-war prosperity, rationing which continued until the early fifties and fires at the factory all contributed to a gloomy outlook. Some of the factory's key skilled craftsmen had enlisted into to the armed forces, and many of those had not returned. A Brief History of Whitefriars Glass
I particularly like the pipe Caption says it's the Walther factory in Zella-Mehlis - albeit this would be, I guess (later) in Soviet-occupied East Germany Walther Arms - Wikipedia So these probably got turned over when the lines were firmly fixed. Zella-Mehlis - Wikipedia Western Allied invasion of Germany - Wikipedia
A good site for all things underground (including Corsham and the London Underground factory) is Subterranea Britannica
BIRTH OF A BRITISH TANK: TANK PRODUCTION IN ENGLAND, 1941 (D 4470) Catalogue number D 4470 Workers put the final touches to an engine at this Crusader tank factory, somewhere in England, 1941.
It's funny how the posters and some photos make the factory work seem almost glamorous. I can imagine it was very hard work with very long hours.
From America: Liberty ships Photogrammar Photogrammar http://photogrammar.research.yale.edu/photos/service/pnp/fsa/8d31000/8d31900/8d31931v.jpg Parachutes Photogrammar The last car off the line Photogrammar Getting a new drill piece Photogrammar
Crusader turrets: BIRTH OF A BRITISH TANK: TANK PRODUCTION IN ENGLAND, 1941. © IWM (D 4497)IWM Non Commercial Licence BIRTH OF A BRITISH TANK: TANK PRODUCTION IN ENGLAND, 1941. © IWM (D 4485)IWM Non Commercial Licence BIRTH OF A BRITISH TANK: TANK PRODUCTION IN ENGLAND, 1941. © IWM (D 4513)IWM Non Commercial Licence Some ladies being shown a Covenanter turret they contributed to: THE BRITISH ARMY IN THE UNITED KINGDOM 1939-45. © IWM (H 15054)IWM Non Commercial Licence Some more ladies in a Matilda turret: WAR INDUSTRY: TANK PRODUCTION, UK, 1942. © IWM (L 502)IWM Non Commercial Licence Maus & Panther (?) turrets: GERMAN TANKS AND MILITARY VEHICLES OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR. © IWM (STT 9118)IWM Non Commercial Licence I was looking for turrets. Not ladies in turrets. That would be strange. ... Or stranger, depending on point of view.
Under the rising sun: Type 97s being made: ( Via 日本軍戦車bot on Twitter ) And more from the Axis: Sightly dramatic (Been here before: Tank Factory. ) &