Trench Warfare Filling Factories
Established by the Ministry of Munitions
* Denaby (Rotherham)
Construction started: 21 August 1915, factory completed by February 1916 but was later extended due to the demand for Stokes mortar shells. Opened: 11 December 1915. Management: British Westfalite Ltd. Munitions: filling 3in Stokes mortar shell. Notes: built close to the works of the British Westfalite Ltd.
* Erith - Crayfordness, Slade Green
Construction started: 21 August 1915. Opened: 9 October 1915. Area: 14 acres. Management: Thames Ammunition Works. Munitions: filling 2in and 6in mortar shells. Notes: built close to the Thames Ammunition Works.
* Fulham (Stevenage Road)
Existing factory of W. E. Blake Explosives Loading Co Ltd. nationalised in February 1916. Contractor: W E Blake Ltd. Area: 3 acres, land owned by Ecclesiastical Commissioners. Management: W E Blake Explosives Loading Company Ltd. of Stevenage Road, Fulham. Munitions: filling grenades, Stokes bombs and pyrotechnic work. Notes: magazines located at Worm Holt Farm, Shepherds Bush.
* Selby (Barlby Road)
Opened: nationalised in June 1916. Management: Ardol Ltd. Munitions: hydrogen and hydrogenated oils; charging chemical shells.
* Watford No. 1 (Balmoral Road)
Construction started: 19 February 1915. Opened: October 1915. Area: 20 acres. Management: direct control. Munitions: Filling and assembling trench warfare bombs; filling chemical shell exploders. Notes: i) built adjacent to HMEF Watford. ii) site consisted of 19 filling sheds.
* Watford No. 2 - Callowland (Bushy Mill Lane)
Construction started: 19 February 1916. Opened: July 1916. Area: 40 acres Management: direct control Munitions: filling bombs, heavy trench mortar bombs, grenades etc, filling and assembling aerial bombs and trench mortar fuses; assembling chemical shell Notes: i) work from here taken over by the Greenford Chemical Shell Assembly Station in January 1917. ii) 26 filling sheds were constructed here and a magazine with a capacity of 300 tons.
* Walthamstow, Black Horse Lane
Opened: 1916. Management: Baird and Tatlock and Direct Control Munitions: Charging lachrymatory grenades, shells, &c.; head filling lethal shell.
See Also
Sources of Information
- National Factories Controlled by the Ministry of Munitions, June 1915-November 1918
- Ministry of Munitions [1]