British Manufacturing History

My exploration of the story of British Manfacturing

Royal Ordnance Factories, Shadow Factories and their legacy

In both world wars all manner of British businesses turned over much of their production and facilities to the war effort and I write about them in my books and in my survey of British manufacturing places. There were also Royal Ordnance Factories created in both world wars and I write of these also in my books. The First World War also have four national aircraft factories. In preparation for the Second World War, where there was a fear of extensive enemy bombing, a network of shadow factories was created. A separate but related scheme aimed to disperse essential production from concentrations that could be vulnerable to enemy attack.

I list the factories I have identified so far in this blog along with their location and if relevant a link to more detail.

My books with abbreviations:

The factories and locations (the numbers indicate the relevant chapter in the book:

  • Aylesbury Ekco shadow factory: HBSTMW 15
  • Banbury shell filling WW1: HBSTMW 12
  • Birmingham (Castle Bromwich) Nuffield then Vickers Supermarine shadow factory: HBSTMW 15
  • Birtley engineering (WW2) : DDD 5, HBSTMW 15
  • Blackburn engineering (WW2) : DDD 5, HBSTMW 15
  • Bridgewater explosives WW2: HBSTMW 15
  • Cardiff engineering (WW2): HBSTMW 15; a south Wales shadow factories was reused by Michael Sobbel (Radio and Allied) HBSTMW 16
  • Chilwell shell filling (WW1): HBSTMW 12; in Ordnance I write of the detail of Chilwell; it was repurposed as the army centre for mechanisation as I wrote in War on Wheels. The image is of the hell filling factory.
  • Chorley shell filling WW2: DDD 5, HBSTMW 15; became a clothing factory after WW2
  • Coventry fuses and tubes WW1: HBSTMW 12; in Ordnance I write of the substantial war commitment of Coventry
  • Croydon National Aircraft Factory No. 1 at Waddon producing the de Havilland DH.9
  • Dartford ammunition
  • Devonport shell filling WW1: HBSTMW 12
  • Distington Cumbria High Duty Alloys part of Hawker Siddeley WW2
  • Doncaster Crompton Parkinson shadow factory WW2 reused by International Harvester
  • E
  • F
  • Glascoed (Wales) shell filling WW2: HBSTMW 15
  • Glasgow (Cardonald) fuses and tubes WW1, engineering WW2: HBSTMW 12
  • Glasgow (Dalmuir)engineering WW2: DDD 5
  • Glasgow shell filling, fuses and tubes WW1: HBSTMW 12
  • Gloucester cartridges WW1: HBSTMW 12
  • Gretna explosives (WW1) part became part of BAD Longtown in WW2): HBSTMW 12
  • Healey Hall (Consett) shell filling (WW2): HBSTMW 15
  • Hereford shell filling WW1, WW2: DDD 5, HBSTMW 12
  • Horley (Surrey) shell filling WW1: HBSTMW 12
  • Irvine explosives WW2: DDD 5, HBSTMW 15
  • J
  • Kingston upon Thames National Aircraft Factory No.4 operated by Sopwith producing Snipe, Dolphin and Salamander aircraft
  • Leeds shell filling, cartridges WW1: HBSTMW 12
  • Leeds (Yeadon) Avro shadow factory WW2
  • Leeds (Ossett) Moorcroft Mill run by Hepworths was requisitioned as an armaments and aircraft shadow factory WW2
  • Liverpool Aintree National Aircraft Factory No.3 producing Bristol F.2 fighters
  • Liverpool Fazakerley small arms WW2: HBSTMW 15
  • Liverpool (Speke): Rootes shadow factory WOW 2; occupied after the war by Dunlop HBSTMW 16
  • Liverpool shell filling, cartridges WW1: HBSTMW 12
  • London (Enfield) rifles: HBSTMW 7,
  • London (Greenford) shell filling WW1
  • London (Hayes) cartridges, fuses and tubes WW1: HBSTMW 12
  • London (Perivale) fuses and tubes WW1: HBSTMW 12
  • Malmesbury Ekco shadow factory: HBSTMW 15
  • Manchester (Patricroft) engineering WW2: HBSTMW 15
  • Morecombe shelling filling WW1: HBSTMW 12
  • Newcastle (Elswick) fuses and tubes WW1: HBSTMW
  • Newcastle-under-Lyme Rolls Royce shadow factory WW2 reused by Rists (Lucas): HBSTMW 16
  • Newton Aycliffe shell filling WW2: HBSTMW 15
  • Nottingham engineering WW2 DDD 5,
  • O
  • Pembrey (Wales) shell filling WW1: HBSTMW 12
  • Pembrey explosives WW2: HBSTMW 15
  • Poole aircraft gun WW2: HBSTMW 15
  • Ranskill (Retford) explosives WW2: HBSTMW 15
  • Redditch High Duty Alloys part of Hawker Siddeley WW2
  • Risley (Derbyshire) shell filling WW2: HBSTMW 15
  • Sellafield and Drigg explosives WW2: HBSTMW 15; repurposed for the production of plutonium
  • Stockport Fairey Aircraft shadow factory WW2: HBSTMW 15
  • Stockport Heaton Chapel National Aircraft Factory No.2 run by Crossley producing de Havilland DH.9
  • Swynnerton (Staffs) shell filling WW2: HBSTMW 15
  • T
  • U
  • V
  • Weybridge a WW1 aircraft factory run by Vickers producing SE5a (RAF designation) aircraft
  • Wigan engineering WW2: HBSTMW 15
  • Woolwich Arsenal (renamed as a Royal Ordnance Factory) closed in 1967: O 2,
  • Woolwich (Abbey Wood) shell filling, fuses and tubes WW1: HBSTMW 12
  • Wrexham explosives WW2: HBSTMW 15