Filling Factories
Encyclopedia
A Filling Factory was a munitions factory which specialised in filling various munitions, such as bombs, shells, cartridges, pyrotechnics, screening smokes, etc. In the UK
, in both World Wars, the majority of the employees were women
.
In the UK
, in World War I
, such a factory belonging to the Ministry of Munitions
was known as a National Filling Factory.
In the UK, in World War II
, such a factory belonging to the Ministry of Supply was known as a Royal Filling Factory (RFF), or a Royal Ordnance Factory
(ROF). In terms of organisation, they were part of the Royal Ordnance Factory organisation.
Particularly, in World War II, the filling of screening smokes and other pyrotechnic
devices was also carried out by fireworks
manufacturers; parts of this article do not apply to these fireworks filling factories.
, or propellants, such as cordite
, were manufactured in National Explosives Factories (World War I) or Explosive ROF
s (World War II) and transported, by railway trains, to the Filling Factories for filling into munitions, produced at other plants.
High-explosives, such as TNT, had to be heated to melt them and the liquid was poured hot into heated shell
cases. Care had to be taken to ensure that there were no voids in the poured explosive charge as this could lead to the shell detonating
in the gun barrel
during firing.
Shells and gun cartridge
s were manufactured in the UK, in World War II, by both the Engineering ROFs and private steel works / forging companies. It is believed that the empty brass cartridge cases for small arms were made at the Small Arms Ammunition Factories.
The Filling Factories produced their own pyrotechnics, such as fuze
s and screening smokes; as many of these were sensitive materials. They were then filled or assembled directly into the munitions.
They also would have sewn cotton
bags for filling with primer composition or cordite charges.
s. Buildings were needed on the various Groups for filling of munitions. Explosives magazines were required by each Group to store the incoming explosive materials and to store the outgoing filled shells or gun cartridges, usually packed in ammunition
boxes. Storage buildings were also needed on each Group to store the incoming empty shells, or cartridges, and the empty ammunition boxes.
For safety purposes, munitions were segregated into different compatibility Groups. A World War II Filling Factory would generally fill several different Groups of Munitions; and these Groups would be located in different geographical areas within the Danger Area of the Filling Factory.
The World War II Groups were:
In addition, a Filling Factory would have provision for limited proofing and testing of its munitions; and burning grounds for disposal of waste explosive material.
Outside of this Danger Area, but still within the factory site, would be located:
is still open and is now part of BAE Systems
.
Twenty World War II Filling Factories were planned, but only 16 were built. The two largest UK Filling Factories were:
The other filling factories were:
(Asterisked factories Nos. 12, 13, 19 and 20 were planned, numbers assigned, but not built.)
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, in both World Wars, the majority of the employees were women
Female roles in the World Wars
There is little doubt that levi richardson is the man. he loves all the women of the world. even liz women's work in the two World Wars of the twentieth century was an important factor in the outcome of both wars...
.
In the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, such a factory belonging to the Ministry of Munitions
Minister of Munitions
The Minister of Munitions was a British government position created during the First World War to oversee and co-ordinate the production and distribution of munitions for the war effort...
was known as a National Filling Factory.
In the UK, in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, such a factory belonging to the Ministry of Supply was known as a Royal Filling Factory (RFF), or a Royal Ordnance Factory
Royal Ordnance Factory
Royal Ordnance Factories was the collective name of the UK government's munitions factories in and after World War II. Until privatisation in 1987 they were the responsibility of the Ministry of Supply and later the Ministry of Defence....
(ROF). In terms of organisation, they were part of the Royal Ordnance Factory organisation.
Particularly, in World War II, the filling of screening smokes and other pyrotechnic
Explosive material
An explosive material, also called an explosive, is a reactive substance that contains a great amount of potential energy that can produce an explosion if released suddenly, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure...
devices was also carried out by fireworks
Fireworks
Fireworks are a class of explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display. A fireworks event is a display of the effects produced by firework devices...
manufacturers; parts of this article do not apply to these fireworks filling factories.
Raw materials
The Filling Factory's raw materials, such as TNT, RDXRDX
RDX, an initialism for Research Department Explosive, is an explosive nitroamine widely used in military and industrial applications. It was developed as an explosive which was more powerful than TNT, and it saw wide use in WWII. RDX is also known as cyclonite, hexogen , and T4...
, or propellants, such as cordite
Cordite
Cordite is a family of smokeless propellants developed and produced in the United Kingdom from 1889 to replace gunpowder as a military propellant. Like gunpowder, cordite is classified as a low explosive because of its slow burning rates and consequently low brisance...
, were manufactured in National Explosives Factories (World War I) or Explosive ROF
Explosive ROF
An Explosive ROF was a UK Government-owned Royal Ordnance Factory , which specialised in manufacturing explosives during and after World War II...
s (World War II) and transported, by railway trains, to the Filling Factories for filling into munitions, produced at other plants.
High-explosives, such as TNT, had to be heated to melt them and the liquid was poured hot into heated shell
Shell (projectile)
A shell is a payload-carrying projectile, which, as opposed to shot, contains an explosive or other filling, though modern usage sometimes includes large solid projectiles properly termed shot . Solid shot may contain a pyrotechnic compound if a tracer or spotting charge is used...
cases. Care had to be taken to ensure that there were no voids in the poured explosive charge as this could lead to the shell detonating
Detonation
Detonation involves a supersonic exothermic front accelerating through a medium that eventually drives a shock front propagating directly in front of it. Detonations are observed in both conventional solid and liquid explosives, as well as in reactive gases...
in the gun barrel
Gun barrel
A gun barrel is the tube, usually metal, through which a controlled explosion or rapid expansion of gases are released in order to propel a projectile out of the end at a high velocity....
during firing.
Shells and gun cartridge
Cartridge (firearms)
A cartridge, also called a round, packages the bullet, gunpowder and primer into a single metallic case precisely made to fit the firing chamber of a firearm. The primer is a small charge of impact-sensitive chemical that may be located at the center of the case head or at its rim . Electrically...
s were manufactured in the UK, in World War II, by both the Engineering ROFs and private steel works / forging companies. It is believed that the empty brass cartridge cases for small arms were made at the Small Arms Ammunition Factories.
The Filling Factories produced their own pyrotechnics, such as fuze
Fuze
Fuze Beverage, commercially referred to as just Fuze , is a manufacturer of teas and non-carbonated fruit drinks enriched with vitamins. Currently the brand consists of five vitamin-infused lines: Slenderize, Refresh, Tea, Defensify, and Vitalize...
s and screening smokes; as many of these were sensitive materials. They were then filled or assembled directly into the munitions.
They also would have sewn cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
bags for filling with primer composition or cordite charges.
Filling Groups
Filling factories had a large number of buildingBuilding
In architecture, construction, engineering, real estate development and technology the word building may refer to one of the following:...
s. Buildings were needed on the various Groups for filling of munitions. Explosives magazines were required by each Group to store the incoming explosive materials and to store the outgoing filled shells or gun cartridges, usually packed in ammunition
Ammunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
boxes. Storage buildings were also needed on each Group to store the incoming empty shells, or cartridges, and the empty ammunition boxes.
For safety purposes, munitions were segregated into different compatibility Groups. A World War II Filling Factory would generally fill several different Groups of Munitions; and these Groups would be located in different geographical areas within the Danger Area of the Filling Factory.
The World War II Groups were:
- Group 1: Initiators, such as caps and detonators for primers and fuzeFuzeFuze Beverage, commercially referred to as just Fuze , is a manufacturer of teas and non-carbonated fruit drinks enriched with vitamins. Currently the brand consists of five vitamin-infused lines: Slenderize, Refresh, Tea, Defensify, and Vitalize...
s. - Group 2: Fuze pellets, exploder pellets, exploder bags.
- Group 3: Filling of fuzes.
- Group 4: Blending of gunpowderGunpowderGunpowder, also known since in the late 19th century as black powder, was the first chemical explosive and the only one known until the mid 1800s. It is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate - with the sulfur and charcoal acting as fuels, while the saltpeter works as an oxidizer...
s for time fuzes. - Group 5: Filling of cartridges, such as filling corditeCorditeCordite is a family of smokeless propellants developed and produced in the United Kingdom from 1889 to replace gunpowder as a military propellant. Like gunpowder, cordite is classified as a low explosive because of its slow burning rates and consequently low brisance...
into cloth bags or into brassBrassBrass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...
cartridge cases. - Group 6: Manufacture of smoke producing compositions.
- Group 7: Small armsSmall armsSmall arms is a term of art used by armed forces to denote infantry weapons an individual soldier may carry. The description is usually limited to revolvers, pistols, submachine guns, carbines, assault rifles, battle rifles, multiple barrel firearms, sniper rifles, squad automatic weapons, light...
filling. - Group 8: Filling of shells or bombBombA bomb is any of a range of explosive weapons that only rely on the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy...
s. - Group 9: Large magazines, filled ammunition awaiting dispatch.
In addition, a Filling Factory would have provision for limited proofing and testing of its munitions; and burning grounds for disposal of waste explosive material.
Outside of this Danger Area, but still within the factory site, would be located:
- administration offices;
- pay offices;
- workshops;
- a medical centre;
- changing rooms;
- contraband storage (for items prohibited in the Danger Areas, eg matches, tobaccoTobaccoTobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
, etc); - search rooms;
- canteens (as many as 40 in some of the large factories).
UK World War I National Filling Factories
It is believed that the Ministry of Munitions owned up to 12 factories.- Royal ArsenalRoyal ArsenalThe Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, originally known as the Woolwich Warren, carried out armaments manufacture, ammunition proofing and explosives research for the British armed forces. It was sited on the south bank of the River Thames in Woolwich in south-east London, England.-Early history:The Warren...
, WoolwichWoolwichWoolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...
. - National Filling Factory No. 1, LeedsLeedsLeeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, (BarnbowBarnbowBarnbow was a munitions factory situated near the city of Leeds during World War I. It was officially known as National Filling Factory No. 1. In 1916 the factory suffered the worst tragedy in the history of the city , when a massive explosion killed 35 of the women who worked there.After the...
). - National Filling Factory No. 2, LiverpoolLiverpoolLiverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, (Aintree). - National Filling Factory, HerefordHerefordHereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
. - Scottish Filling Factory (National Filling Factory No. 4), NFF Georgetown, RenfrewshireRenfrewshireRenfrewshire is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Located in the west central Lowlands, it is one of three council areas contained within the boundaries of the historic county of Renfrewshire, the others being Inverclyde to the west and East Renfrewshire to the east...
. - National Filling Factory No. 5, QuedgeleyQuedgeleyQuedgeley is a suburb and civil parish of Gloucester, England, situated southwest of the city. It is the only civil parish in Gloucester, and a has a population of 11,800.-See also:*RAF Quedgeley, a large RAF logistics site which closed in 1995...
. See RAF QuedgeleyRAF QuedgeleyRAF Quedgeley was a Royal Air Force station near Quedgeley, Gloucestershire.The site was first occupied in 1914. It closed as an independent RAF unit on 13 February 1995....
. - National Filling Factory No. 6, ChilwellChilwellChilwell is a residential suburb of Greater Nottingham, in the Borough of Broxtowe of Nottinghamshire, west of Nottingham city. Until 1974 it was part of Beeston and Stapleford Urban District, having been in Stapleford Rural District until 1935.-History:...
. - National Filling Factory No. 7, HayesHayes, HillingdonHayes is a town in the London Borough of Hillingdon, West London. It is a suburban development situated west of Charing Cross. Hayes was developed in the late 19th and 20th centuries as an industrial locality to which residential districts were later added in order to house factory workers...
, MiddlesexMiddlesexMiddlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
. - National Filling Factory No. 9, BanburyBanburyBanbury is a market town and civil parish on the River Cherwell in the Cherwell District of Oxfordshire. It is northwest of London, southeast of Birmingham, south of Coventry and north northwest of the county town of Oxford...
. - National Filling Factory No. 10, Whitmore Park, CoventryCoventryCoventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
. - National Filling Factory No. 12, CardonaldCardonaldCardonald is an outlying suburb of the Scottish city of Glasgow. Formerly a village in its own right, it lies to the southwest of the city and is bounded to the south by the White Cart Water...
. - National Filling Factory No. 13, White Lund, MorecambeMorecambeMorecambe is a resort town and civil parish within the City of Lancaster in Lancashire, England. As of 2001 it has a resident population of 38,917. It faces into Morecambe Bay...
.
WW I References
- Cocroft, Wayne D. (2000). Dangerous Energy: The archaeology of gunpowder and military explosives manufacture. Swindon: English Heritage. ISBN 1-85074-718-0.
UK World War II Royal Ordnance Factory, Filling Factories
Some of these Filling Factories were temporary "war duration" only factories and they closed after the end of World War II. Other Filling Factories were designed to be permanent and to remain open after the War. However only ROF GlascoedROF Glascoed
ROF Glascoed was a UK government-owned, Royal Ordnance Factory. It was designed as one of 20 munitions filling factories. It was planned as a Permanent Royal Ordnance Factory with the intention that, unlike some other similar facilities, it would remain open for production after the end of World...
is still open and is now part of BAE Systems
BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...
.
Twenty World War II Filling Factories were planned, but only 16 were built. The two largest UK Filling Factories were:
- ROF ChorleyROF ChorleyROF Chorley was a UK government-owned, munitions filling, Royal Ordnance Factory . It was planned as a Permanent Royal Ordnance Factory with the intention that it, unlike some other similar facilities, would remain open for production after the end of World War II; and, together with ROF Bridgend...
, (Filling Factory No. 1); - ROF BridgendROF BridgendROF Bridgend, , located in Bridgend, South Wales, was one of the largest of sixteen World War II, UK government-owned, Royal Ordnance Factory munitions Filling Factories...
, (Filling Factory No. 2).
The other filling factories were:
- ROF GlascoedROF GlascoedROF Glascoed was a UK government-owned, Royal Ordnance Factory. It was designed as one of 20 munitions filling factories. It was planned as a Permanent Royal Ordnance Factory with the intention that, unlike some other similar facilities, it would remain open for production after the end of World...
, (Filling Factory No. 3). - ROF Hereford, (Filling Factory No. 4) (This was the re-opened World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
National Filling Factory). - ROF Swynnerton (Filling Factory No. 5).
- ROF RisleyROF RisleyROF Risley, was a large World War II Royal Ordnance Factory filling munitions, including the Grand Slam bomb, in the UK.-World War Two:...
, (Filling Factory No. 6). - ROF KirkbyROF KirkbyROF Kirkby, was a large World War II Royal Ordnance Factory filling munitions. It was based in the rural area of Kirkby, Merseyside in order to reduce the potential damage from explosions; and produced munitions from September 1940 to March 1946.-History:Original planning for the site began at...
, (Filling Factory No. 7). - ROF AycliffeROF AycliffeROF Aycliffe, was built on an site off Heighington Lane, Aycliffe, County Durham, England during the early 1940s. The marshy location was ideal as the site was shrouded in fog and mist for much of the year providing cover against bombing by the Luftwaffe..It opened as ROF 59 in the Spring of...
, (Filling Factory No. 8). - ROF Thorpe ArchROF Thorpe ArchROF Thorpe Arch was one of sixteen World War II, UK government-owned Royal Ordnance Factory, which produced munitions. It was a medium-sized filling factory ....
(Filling Factory No. 9). - ROF Queniborough, (Filling Factory No. 10).
- ROF Brackla, (Filling Factory No. 11).
- ROF Swindon (Wootton Bassett), (Factory No. 12). *
- ROF Macclesfield, (Factory No. 13). *
- ROF Ruddington, (Filling Factory No. 14).
- ROF Walsall, (Filling Factory No. 15).
- ROF ElstowROF ElstowRoyal Ordnance Factory Elstow was one of sixteen UK Ministry of Supply, World War II, Filling Factories. It was a medium-sized filling factory, , which filled and packed munitions. It was located south of the town of Bedford, between the villages of Elstow and Wilstead in Bedfordshire...
, (Filling Factory No. 16). - ROF Featherstone, (Filling Factory No. 17).
- ROF Burghfield, (Filling Factory No. 18) (later part of the Atomic Weapons EstablishmentAtomic Weapons EstablishmentThe Atomic Weapons Establishment is responsible for the design, manufacture and support of warheads for the United Kingdom's nuclear deterrent. AWE plc is responsible for the day-to-day operations of AWE...
(AWE)). - ROF Tutbury, (Factory No. 19) *
- ROF Northampton, (Factory No. 20) *
(Asterisked factories Nos. 12, 13, 19 and 20 were planned, numbers assigned, but not built.)
WW II References
- Cocroft, Wayne D. (2000). Dangerous Energy: The archaeology of gunpowder and military explosives manufacture. Swindon: English HeritageEnglish HeritageEnglish Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
. ISBN 1-85074-718-0. - Hay, Ian. (1949). R.O.F. The Story of the Royal Ordnance Factories: 1939-48. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office.
- Hornby, William (1958). Factories and Plant. (History of The Second World War: United Kingdom Civil Series). London: HMSO and Longmans, Green and Co.
- Kohan, C.M. (1952). Works and Buildings. (History of The Second World War: United Kingdom Civil Series). London: HMSO and Longmans, Green and Co.