What Did Your City Do During The War?

I was doing some browsing today and fell on some info about Leeds, where I live, and what it was doing during WW2 manufacturing wise.

It appears this great city <cough> was home to three big companies:

Avro, Vickers and Blackburn.

By the end of the war Vickers had turned out some 9,000 pieces of Light and Medium Guns for the British Army.

Blackburn made the Skua, Swordfish and Barracuda for the Royal Navy in Leeds.

Blackburn Skua


Avro used what is now known as Leeds/Bradford Airport to test it's aircraft before delivering them to the RAF.

East of Leeds in Barnbow near Garforth the Royal Ordanance Factory built a factory on a 60 acre site employing some 3,000 people, including 2,000 women, making guns for the Royal Navy and the Army, I believe this site was involved with up armouring the Sherman tanks at some stage fitting them with a larger 17 pounder gun, main armament and turning them into 'Firefly's'. North East of Leeds was another factory in Thorpe Arch that was involved in the production of ammunition, primarily cartridge filling.

Sherman Firefly

Some of the companies in Leeds and their manufacturing roles after the outbreak of war:

Greenwood and Batley manufactured munitions, as did Mann’s factory in Hunslett. Burtons started making military uniforms whilst John Fowlers Engineering Company in Hunslet, originally a coach maker, switched to making tanks and other fighting vehicles. Fairbairn, Lawson, Combe, Barbour Ltd. Originally a manufacturer of textile machinery, made mortar barrels and other munitions at the Wellington Street Plant.

Oxley’s Mineral Water Company began producing Coca-Cola from a special concentrate in 1943 for American troops posted in the area. Charles H. Roe Ltd, at Cross Gates Carriageworks in Austhorpe Road, converted the chassis of hundreds of private cars to ambulances and mobile canteens. They also managed to produce 14,826 accumulator trolleys which were used to start aircraft engines on runways.

In early 1940 during a 'Warship Weeks' campaign Leeds adopted the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal and when she was sunk in 1941 by a U-Boat the People of Leeds raised £9,000,000 for a replacement. The target was only £5,000,000. Leeds still has a close affiliation with the current HMS Ark Royal with many of her compliment coming from the Yorkshire area.

HMS Ark Royal after being torpedoed


Horsforth in north west Leeds, held a 'Warship Week' fund raising event in 1941 and raised £241,000 which was used to make HMS Aubretia. This corvette was involved in the capture of the German U-Boat, U-110 and the capture of an Enigma Machine.

HMS Aubretia



I'm sure there is much more but for the time being......What did your city do during the war?

 

Canterbury had it's own Blitz, and parts of the city suffered badly which still can be seen on the building layout today. Some of the buildings still show Blitz damage.

The area around Canterbury also became a training ground for units prior to Normandy; the countryside is very similar to the Normandy bocage in places, and must have prepared units in a way that training in other areas didn't.

Even in my own village there are remnant of the war, such as these Dragon Teeth.

 

Stirling was home to a major part of Fortitude North, the D-Day deception campaign, and also has a training area full of lifesize replicas of German fortifications which were used pre-invasion

 

What Did Your City Do Do During The War?


As a Londoner, born within the sound of Bow Bells (and therefore automatically a Cockney) I can give a very simple answer

It survived !!!

 

After being bombed by the Germans on May 14th 1940, which triggered the Dutch capitulation, I'm afraid the Germans made good use of the facilities of Rotterdam (Though I don't live there anymore for over 30 years, I still work there and is still my home town).
Facilities like food production and ship yards. The latter were repeatetly bombed by the Allied airforce. Once they missed and bombs fell on a residential district.
Near the and of the war the Germans destroyed about all the quay sides and harbour installations and robbed anything they thought they could use.

Levien.

 

We brought Roy Chadwick into the world, as well as a massive chemical Industry making all sorts of nasties

 

My home town Stoke-on-Trent, gave us Reginald Mitchell.

Reginald Mitchell - SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE - Son of Stoke-on-Trent

Mitchell, Reginald Joseph was born in 1895 at Talke in Stoke-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, England.

He was famous as a British aircraft designer and the developer of the Spitfire, one of the best-known fighters in World War II.

After secondary schooling Mitchell was an apprentice at a locomotive works and attended night classes at technical colleges.



The prototype Spitfire, photographed, most appropriately, at Duxford during the recent 60th Anniversary celebrations.

In 1916, before the age of 22, he went to work at Supermarine Aviation Works in Southampton, where he remained the rest of his life, serving as the company's director for his last 10 years. He designed seaplanes (used largely for racing) between 1922 and 1931 and by 1936 had designed and developed the Spitfire, more than two dozen versions of which were eventually created before and after his death and which was known for its aerodynamic sleekness and maneuverability.


And the town where I now live gave us Sir Sydney Camm.

Sir Sydney Camm, designer of the Hawker Hurricane, Typhoon and Harrier (P.1127 Kestrel)

Sydney Camm, was born in Windsor, on 5th August, 1893. After leaving school Camm became an apprentice woodworker. He developed an interest in aircraft at an early age and his first interest in aeronautics was spurred on by his membership in the Windsor Model Aeroplane Club. In 1912 he built a man-carrying glider. Later, Sydney Camm joined the G. H. Martinsdale aeroplane company and worked there throughout the First World War. In was during this period he had his first experience of designing aircraft.

Sydney Camm early years

Having gained some experience at the Martinsdale aeroplane company, in 1922 Sydney Camm joined the Hawker Engineering Company in Kingston-upon-Thames, England. Although he joined as Senior Draftsman, his ability was evident and he was soon promoted to Chief Designer, a position which he acheived in 1925. (some sources suggest Sydney Camm became Chief Designer in 1924). The first aircraft he designed was the Cygnet light plane of 1924
After becoming the Chief Designer at Hawker, Sydney Camm was responsible for a number of designs. In 1929 he produced his first really sucessful aircraft, the Hornet bomber. This remained in production for several years. The basic design was also used for the Hawker Fury fighter.
Sydney Camm and the Hawker Hurricane


Sydney Camm designed the Hawker Hurricane

Hawker Hurricane Mk1

The Hawker Hurricane was perhaps Sydney Camm's best known design, made famous by it's role in the Battle of Britain alongside the Supermarine Spitfire. Camm started the design in response to an Air Ministry requirement for a new fighter in 1934. The new design proceeded well, and the prototype Hawker Hurricane made its first flight on 6th November 1935.



Sydney Camm designed the Hawker Hunter, one of the most sucessful Postwar Jets

The performance of the Hurricane was good for it's day, and it was the first British fighter to exceed 300mph. The Air Ministry was suitably impressed, and placed an order for 600 aircraft. The first of these was delivered in 1937.
Throughout the war Camm made improvements to the Hurricane. This included the Hawker Hurricane Mk.II which had the more powerful 1,280 hp Rolls Royce Merlin XX and the Hawker Hurricane Mk D which carried two 20 mm cannons which were extremely effective against tanks and were used chiefly in the Desert War. Camm also designed the Hawker Typhoon that began production in 1942 and Hawker Tempest in 1944.
After the war Camm designed jet aircraft such as the Sea Hawk and the Hunter, which won the world air speed record and remained operational for 20 years. He also designed the vertical take off and landing P-1127 Kestrel in 1958. Sydney Camm was on the board of Hawker Siddeley Aviation from 1935 until his death at Richmond, Surrey on 12th March, 1966.

 

During the war Preston had several factories which turned over to war production.

English Electric Co Ltd built electric motors, trams and trains and geared up to produce the Valentine tank amongst others later.

On the opposite side of Strand road was a second English Electric factory which built Hampden and later Halifax bombers.

English Electric - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Leyland motors just outside preston had a large factory complex manufacturing trucks and tanks for the army.

Wapedia - Wiki: Covenanter tank



Courtaults textiles also had a massive factory producing synthetic rayon for clothing etc, plus there were several cotton mills still working then in Preston.

Samlesbury airfield which belonged to English Electric just east of Preston was producing aircraft in conjunction with Strand road and it was used for the D-Day drops.
The runway verges were full of gliders.

The Dock at Preston was much in use at the time and the authorities actually experimented with coal dust on the river Ribble estuary flowing inland to the docks in order to camouflage it from the Luftwaffe.
It was not a success, but plenty of mist on the water was equally effective.

Not a bad effort from a relatively modest sized town.

Preston was also a Garrison town and hosted REME training during the war.

Regards
Tom

 

I hope I am not intruding and if this is intended as being a "UK" only thread I will understand as it is not my intention to intrude.

Here is the contribution the town I live in made:

Historic California Posts: Chico Army Air Field

Where I grew up:

Historic California Posts: Redding Army Air Field

these are both from this site:

The California State Military Museum: Welcome to California Military History Online!

Near where I grew up:
California in World War II: The Japanese Balloon Bomb Attack at Hayfork

I am sure it is not nearly as interesting as the stories from the UK; but, entertaining none the less.

Brad

 

Brad your contribution is more than welcome

 

As a Londoner, born within the sound of Bow Bells (and therefore automatically a Cockney) I can give a very simple answer

It survived !!!

Exactly!!
The family and the City were getting f---ed every night in the Blitz!
excuse my French as they say.
Rob

 

Like many UK cities, Liverpool had it's own period during WWII that is referred to as the "Blitz". Ours began in late 1940 and lasted until the final air-raid on the 10th January 1942. The blitz killed over 4,000 Liverpudlians. Second only to London in casualty figures and the amount of bombs dropped.

The extensive dock system of Liverpool, Bootle & Wallasey meant the River Mersey provided a large port in the North West of England, providing direct links with America. These docks handled some 75 million tons of war material, 90% of the total shipped in from abroad.

Liverpool's location was also strategically important to the "Battle of the Atlantic", and in 1941 the Admiralty moved the HQ of the "The Western Approaches Command" from Plymouth to Liverpool.

 

The main Blackburn airtcraft factory was at Brough,west of Hull and still exists as a BAE facility.It has a relatively short runway but recently has been brought back into use to deliver Brough manufactured Hawks to Samlesbury for a contract to supply the Indian Air Force with an Advance Jet Trainer.(before the delivery to Samlesbury by air,deliveries to Samlesbury were undertaken by road,a long journey across the Pennines.Post war,runway length restriction at Brough meant that test flying on Buccaneers and Phantom aircraft was carried out at the former B.C No 4 Group airfield at Holme on Spalding Moor,north west of Hull.It used to be a well preserved example of a wartime B.C airfield but the runways have been torn up since Blackburns left, but the technical and domestic sites have not yet reached advanced decay.

Brough is now undertaking structural and dynamic testing of the US Lightening11 aircraft which is envisaged for RAF and FAA service.It is thought that Brough has been in existence,the longest, as an aircraft manufacturing site in the UK.

In the UK,there was a large base of prewar war economy production but good foresight by those involved led to the founding of "shadow factories" on a principle that if successfully bombed or lost, alternative production could be maintained elsewhere.The other point that engineering and furniture prodution concerns were switched from peacetime economy output to directed war economy output.

Yeadon was such a shadow factory for A.V.Roe and turned out nearly 700 Lancasters,the majority being Mark 111s.Austin Motors (330 Lancasters) at Longbridge and Metropolitan Vickers (1080 Lancasters) at Trafford Park were examples of sites selected for switching to wartime output contracts as appropriate.MV at Trafford Park built a factory a short distance from their existing factory which continued to produce electricity generating plant.

The Heavy Wollen District of West Yorkshire was heavily involved in the manufacture of uniforms for the Ministry of Supply.Apparently this had been going on since 1938 which led those who saw the change taking place, as a sign that war was surely imminent.The other Leeds tailoring firm involved in uniform contracts was "40 Shiilling Tailors" and many a servicemen could relate seeing their logo on the inside of their uniform carring the WD or AM identification.

All in all,the Germans had a good start on the British in preparing for war, converting from a peacetime economy to a wartime economy from 1935 but when Goering initiated and took charge his 4 Year Plan in 1936,military expenditure rocketed under his "guns before butter" philosophy.

 

Like many UK cities, Liverpool had it's own period during WWII that is referred to as the "Blitz". Ours began in late 1940 and lasted until the final air-raid on the 10th January 1942. The blitz killed over 4,000 Liverpudlians. Second only to London in casualty figures and the amount of bombs dropped.

The extensive dock system of Liverpool, Bootle & Wallasey meant the River Mersey provided a large port in the North West of England, providing direct links with America. These docks handled some 75 million tons of war material, 90% of the total shipped in from abroad.

Liverpool's location was also strategically important to the "Battle of the Atlantic", and in 1941 the Admiralty moved the HQ of the "The Western Approaches Command" from Plymouth to Liverpool.

Liverpool had a factory making Bren guns during WW2 - That much I know as one of the ladies making them is Andrea's Grandmother.

Did London do anything other than survive during the war ?

 

Liverpool had a factory making Bren guns during WW2 - That much I know as one of the ladies making them is Andrea's Grandmother.

Did London do anything other than survive during the war ?

Andy
No, not a lot. We were too busy getting killed!

The Blitz:

20,000 killed

The Blitz, as viewed from the grounds of the National Maritime Museum, 15 October 1940. © NMMDuring the Second World War more than 20,000 Londoners were killed in the 'Blitz'. The Blitz was the name given to the constant bombing of London

Cheers
Rob

 

Liverpool had a factory making Bren guns during WW2 - That much I know as one of the ladies making them is Andrea's Grandmother.

Did London do anything other than survive during the war ?


Very large dock areas and warehouses to receive cargoes, which were hammered during the Blitz.

Regards
Tom

 

Regarding Blacksnakes answer there was also Roots Aircraft Factory in Speke Liverpool and Cammell Lairds Birkenhead both vital to the war effory

 

Sorry I ment manufacture. Did London make anything?

I'm aware of the docks and almost pumping the Thames dry. Infact near where I lived and grew up there's a pedestrian tunnel that goes to the Isle of Dogs from Greenwich which has bombed damage and the Millwall and East India Docks oon the North side of the river still bare the scars if you know where to look - well they did a good few years ago.

 

Hawker Hurricane Factory
Kingston-on-Thames
SW. London

If you look at the Sopwith factory’s location on a map it seems a strange place to locate an aircraft production facility. It was in the middle of a town and nowhere near an airfield. Sopwith had foreseen that Float Planes were going to become important over the next decade and he needed a stretch of straight water to launch his designs. The River Thames just north of Kingston bridge was ideal. Sopwith got in trouble from the River Thames Conservancy group and the local police as he ‘forgot’ to ask permission to use the river and launch his planes. He used to wheel his float planes down to the river very early in the morning when there were very few people around to avoid being caught. Sopwith purchased a large Daimler Lorry to transport his land based planes to the nearby Brooklands airfield for testing. There are accounts that state he also towed some of his planes to Brooklands behind his car.
Hawker Siddeley Aviation have been around for nearly 100 years in different forms. When it was called Sopwith Aviation it made fighters and bombers for the Royal Flying Corps in World War One, like the famous Sopwith Pup and Sopwith Camel, and later the for RAF during the inter war years and during World War Two. The Hawker Hurricane was developed in its offices in Kingston upon Thames, Canbury park Road near Kingston Railway Station near London. This was where the first plans for the Hawker Siddeley Harrier jump-jet were drawn up. Hawker's designer John Fozzard was put in charge of the development of the Harrier GR.1 After a long period of development the first Hawker Siddeley Harrier jump-jet flew on 31st August 1966. In 1977 Hawker Siddeley Ltd was nationalized and became part of British Aerospace (BAE) group. The "Hawker Siddeley Harrier" then became the "BAE Harrier".
The office building still remains but it has been turned into flats. All that remains of its historic past are small Hawker Hurricane propellers built into the wrought iron railings. This was the place that built the Hawker Hurricane fighter plane that helped win the Battle of Britain and change the coarse of Hitler’s plans and all Kingston Council did was make the housing developer add small decorative propellers to the outside iron work. It is criminal. Where is the museum dedicated to the Men and Women of Hawker Siddeley, the Hurricane and its wartime pilots? (Hawker Siddeley became part of British Aerospace in 1977) The Hurricane and The Harrier jump jet were constructed and developed at Hawkers larger plant near the junction of lower ham road with Richmond road in Kingston. This now is a housing estate. There is no museum there either. The council didn’t even think of naming the new roads in honour of the company or the aircraft. CLICK HERE TO SEE SOME PHOTOGRAPHS OF SOPWITH'S FACTORY