chilwell munitions factory WW1

[Mizelar]

I spent my teenage years (1960s) in Carrfield Avenue, Long Eaton and my mother (b 1916) was brought up next door.  In our house, the front bedroom door and jamb had been warped by the blast and never repaired.  The door could not be shut.

[maidmarianoops]

google search images

Chilwell munitions factory explosion

info and photos


sylvia

[skewbald]

My G Grandfather worked at the depot in the war. He had according to family legend,  just arrived home in Beeston when they heard the explosion.
My question is was his trade as a carpenter and joiner enough to keep him from service, and into building munitions boxes and teaching others to do it. He did not work at the depot before the war.

Skewy

[Mizelar]

Skewbald: 

I should imagine that in specific localities. where munitions and other essential military items were produced, a certain number of tradesmen who would normally choose to join up, were prevented, in order to carry out important war work.

Your G Grandfather would, most likely, be a time-served, Master craftsman and, as such, would be able to make the type of packaging suitable for the transport of munitions.  He would also be experienced and skilled enough to train women and also, men who were unsuitable for the military, to produce this packaging.

Although, no doubt, he would have made some of the wooden cases himself, he would probably have been involved in a more supervisory/inspection/training capacity.

Since munitions had to be transported overseas,  it was particularly important that they arrived in the best condition.   Every case that was damaged in transit would be a local danger because of their explosive contents, and every case lost this way hampered the war effort.

So, your G Grandfather was playing a very important, and probably unsung, role in winning the war.

[skewbald]

Thanks Mizelar, as neither grandad spoke much of things I'll never know the full story perhaps. My other grandad lost toes in the trenches is all I know for sure, and now not only that generation are dead, but all the next generation in my family have past on.

Skewy.

[Mizelar]

Skewy:

I know the feeling:  I'm top of my tree in age-wise!  Don't you kick yourself for not asking all those questions we have no answers to?

Have you tried to find out about your G Grandfather's work at Chilwell?  Maybe there are still some records. 

Also, your trenches grandad should have a military record, which may list the actions he was involved in.  You could then read contemporary biographies and other Gt War books that describe the events, to get a good idea of the conditions and what he went through.

If you haven't done so already, it may be fruitful to Google their names with 'genealogy' - you never know what may come up.

[skewbald]

Hi Mizelar, my grandad working at Chilwell Depot never crossed my mind in the past. It was only sitting reading this thread that the memory came back about him just arrived home from the depot,  and realising that was not his main job.
I suppose it is something I try and look into now.

As for my other grandad, having the most uneusual name of Frank smith really helps me there. yes, i've searched a lot, but no answers. From the marriage certificate 27th may 1916 he was a soldier with 3/7 West Riding Regt. at Clipstone camp. It was half way through the war, so was he coming home injured, or yet to go out? 


Skewy

[Mizelar]

Try searching for Frank's army records here:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

No need to suspect the worst - soldiers did get leave... if it was convenient!

His record will tell you when he joined up, where he was sent etc., when he was demobilised.

[Ashlolchris]

My great grandmother was a survivor of this blast , my granma is now 85 and just recently told me the story of how her mother was involved. I don't know alot all I know is she worked there when the blast went off in 1918 x