Munitions factory in Grangemouth??

annpa · Post by **annpa** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 4:31 pm

my grandmother used to say that during WWI she worked in a munitions factory. She was living in Grangemouth at the time. She was a widow with young children so wouldn't have been able to travel any distance I expect. Although her father-in-law was always very good at looking after the children, he died in 1915. Where could the factory have been?

Cheers
Annpa

Currie · Post by **Currie** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 9:44 am

Hello Annpa,

A great number of Heavy Industries would have taken up munitions manufacture at the commencement of both World Wars and reverted to their normal occupations when war ended. A couple of these were.

The Carron Company (1759-1982)
http://www.falkirklocalhistorysociety.c ... php?id=107
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carron_Company

Falkirk Iron Company Ltd. (1819-1963)
http://www.millsgrenades.co.uk/No5%20Base%20Plugs2.htm

This list of Scottish Ironworks has other Falkirk establishments that may also have been involved in munitions work during WW1.
http://www.scottishironwork.org/showfoundry.asp

Hope this helps,
Alan

annpa · Post by **annpa** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 4:03 pm

Thanks, Alan.
I'll have to have a rootle round the urls you have provided. Don't know whether I can get anything definite. Probably get some background about the period.
Cheers
Annpa

gordie · Post by **gordie** » Sat Oct 20, 2007 9:15 pm

Hi Annpa,
There was a Nobel munitions factory at Redding a few miles south of Falkirk and it was situated on the banks of the Union Canal. It closed down c1960, (My sister worked there in the late 1950's).
Redding is about 4 to 5 miles from Grangemouth so was within walking distance from Grangemouth if there was no other form of transport available.
I am not sure if the factory was operational in WW1 but I think it may have been as my Grandmother was described as an explosives worker on her Marriage Certificate in 1914 and she lived at Linlithgow which is about 6 to 7 miles East of Redding and of course the Union Canal passes through Linlithgow providing an easy access route to Redding and there was also a rail link.
Hope this helps,
Gordie

annpa · Post by **annpa** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 3:42 pm

Thanks for that info Gordie. she was not above a five mile hike when necessary. Interesting to think she might have got a lift along the canal.
Cheers
Annpa