Made in Woolwich at the Arsenal in memory of those who died in the Great War

Now I grew up in one of those houses built for Arsenal workers during the Great War, and have read about the munition girls, the vast numbers of shells and bullets which were turned out but had no idea that from 1920 they were also responsible for making these bronze plaques issued to the next of kin who lost loved ones in the conflict.

Memorial Plaque, circa 1919

It measures 122mm in diameter and depicts an image of Britannia holding a trident and standing beside a lion.  Two dolphins swim around Britannia and a second lion appears at the bottom.

Each plaque carried the name of the dead servicemen omitting any reference to a rank and running along the plaque was the inscription “He died for Freedom and Honour” which was changed for the 600 issued to commemorate women to  “She died for Freedom and Honour.” 

In all 1,355,000 were made and they continued to be produced into the 1930s in recognition of those who died of their wounds after the war.

The first were made in Acton in London and in 1920  production was transferred to the Royal Arsenal and here comes the connection with George Davison of Manchester.

He enlisted in 1914, served in Ireland and died on the Western Front in June 1918 and in 1915 and again in 1916 and 1918 he was stationed in Woolwich.

Those made in Woolwich have a special mark on the back which George's has got which marks another link between him and Woolwich and confirms that his was made sometime during or after 1920.

All of which just leaves me to mention his will made in March 1918 in Woolwich shortly before embarking for the Western Front. It is witnessed by H M Drinkhall and V L Dade, and was hand written in a single sheet of note paper and is simple and the point. “This is the last will and testament of me George Gurnel Davison of Birch Vale Cottage, Romily, Cheshire.  

I give devise and bequeath to my dear wife Mary Ellen all my property whatsoever and wheresoever and I appoint her sole Executor of this my will.”

By the time he made the will he had served with the Royal Artillery for four years and spent time in London and Ireland but now with the German offensive in full swing he was about to go to France, and as we know would be killed just three months later.

Location; Woolwich, London

Pictures, memorial plaque, circa 1920 and will, 1918, of George Davison from the collection of David Harrop

Faces from the Royal Arsenal

I doubt we will ever get to know the identity of these eleven women and one man.

I can’t even offer up a date or a location, although judging by the background I think we are in a photographer’s studio.

All of which leaves us with many unanswered questions.

At the end of the war the Royal Arsenal employed some 50,000 men and 250,000 women and girls of which only 10,000 men would be trained after the Armistice which raises the question of what happened to out 11?

All of which leaves us to look more closely at the photograph.

They vary in age and while most are single some are married and I am intrigued by the triangular badge worn by four of the eleven.

After 1915 both men and women munitions workers were issued with brass enamelled badges but these are different.

I have no idea what it ithe badge was for but have asked around and will start doing some serious research but of course if anyone knows that will help.

But like their names I think this is a closed bit of history.

Just possibly someone might recognise one of the faces staring back at us and may even be able to match it against an old battered and treasured picture.

This I know however is pushing the boat out and the chances are very slim., which would make it a rare achievement to put a name to the face of one of 250,000 women and girls of the Royal Arsenal.

But you never know.

We shall see.

Location; Woolwich












Picture; munitions workers at the Royal Arsenal, date unknown from the collection of David Harrop

The mystery of the Woolwich picture ........

Now there is a story here..... but I am just not sure what it is.

The meeting, 1911, 1914

We are outside the Royal Arsenal in Beresford Square at what appears to be a meeting.

The caption on the pictures postcard just says, “A Dinner Time Crowd, Before Beresford Square, Woolwich”.

I have now come across it twice, once on social media and also on Pinterrest, and I guess it will pop up elsewhere.

Always careful of copyright I went looking for the company which marketed it.  I know they were P&S and that our picture carried the catalogue number 1329 but so far that has led nowhere.

And that is frustrating because the name might reveal the catalogue which in turn might offer up a date and context.

Listening

Nor do I have the reverse side which might provide a company address, the name of the retailer and perhaps even a message with a post mark and date.

So we are back to the hard way which is looking for clues in the photograph.  The caption refers to a “dinner time crowd " which is confirmed by the clock and given the close proximately to the Royal Arsenal I am guessing that many of those in the picture will be Arsenal workers.

It is a big crowd large enough to have stopped the tram and seems to be entirely made up of men.  The meeting is coming to a close and some men have already started to make their way toward the gates of the Arsenal.

At present those two dates have yet to be confirmed.  If it is 1914 and given that no one is wearing an overcoat we may be in the summer and possibly July or August just as the Great War is about to break out.

This could suggest a peace rally or a patriotic call to action.  Some trade unions were opposed to a possible war seeing it as a disaster for Europe and in particular for working people.

The tram

Alternatively if the year is 1911, then this could be a meeting called to discuss the Government’s plans to reduce the workforce from 14,000 to 8,000, by directing work to private companies.

Our own MP for Woolwich, Mr Will Crooks, speaking in the House of Commons observed that it “was a moral impossibility for the Government to run the Arsenal with anything like the safety with only 8,000 men [when] the Governments’ own officials had said it could not be run with any degree of certainty, with fewer than 14,000 men”, reflecting that “the Government were turning away practical workmen, and in a case of sudden emergency these men could not be replaced from the street”.

And concluded that at a time when the Government had increased military spending “the proper place for some of that outlay was in the Government’s own workshops.  No business man would think of putting out work he could do in his own factory.  It was only in the case of the Government that it was found the private contractor had complete control of the situation”.*

That debate occurred in the June of 1911 which fits again with what appears to be a summer’s day in Beresford Square.

Returning from the meeting

Of course there is a lot more research to do, but 1911 into the following year was also a high point industrial action with the Government sending troops into the Welsh coal fields, and the Manchester docks along with Royal Naval vessels to Liverpool.

And today after a comment that there was a strike on July 6 1914, I went looking and yep it started after the dismissal of one man, who refused to work on the erection of a machine on a concrete foundation built by black leg builders.

The strike quickly spread to the whole of the Royal Arsenal with the very real possibility that it would then spread beyond Woolwich.

Three days later it was settled to the satisfaction of the workers.**

So this could be the strike, we shall have to see.

Location; Woolwich

Picture; “A Dinner Time Crowd, Before Beresford Square, Woolwich”, 1911 or 1914, posted by Teresa Ann on I’m from South East London and on Printerst

*Wages in Government Arsenals, Manchester Guardian, June 14, 1911

**Manchester Guardian, July 6-9, 1914

Did you have someone at the Royal Arsenal? .............. a fascinating online history of a munitions factory

Now I like the way that the internet has made it possible for historians to both share their research and dig deep into the archives. 

Years ago I accessed all the early reports from the Poor Law Commissioners’ from 1838 through to 1854 which were invaluable for getting an understanding of both the Poor Law and life in our rural communities.

Ordinarily these would have been difficult to access and in fact my copies were originally on a dusty shelf in a university in the mid west of the USA, but through Google books they were available in an instant.

All of which is a lead in to a wonderful new site I came across yesterday on the story of the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich.*

It is run by Steve Peterson who is keen to receive contributions from anyone who had a link with the munitions factories.

And that for now is that.  I am hoping that Steve will add a story about his site for the blog in the future.

In the meantime I fully recommend a visit.*

and leave you with Steven explaining why he set up the site.

"Growing up as a Thamesmead kid I used to explore the East Arsenal in the late 1980’s early 90’s and also used to participate in a scheme run by the metropolitan Police called Thamesmead Adventure in the Royal Arsenal danger area and firing range/proof butt waste land.

I was always fascinated by the Arsenals ruins.  

I used to dig up live bullets, empty shells, grenade shrapnel and cannon balls.  I wanted to know the in's and out's of the Arsenal, exploring in the summer school holidays and after school mapping it out in my head from bomb shelters to railway tracks to the odd shaped blast mounds of the Danger buildings.  

It was the ultimate adventure, exploration and excavation growing up looking for the next unusual find with no answer to what it once was buried in half a century's worth of nature overgrowth.

 Later to be confirmed 'what once was' the largest most dangerous secret factory in Europe.

I attended the Woolwich walk in 1995 when the Royal Arsenal was open to the public for the first time ever for one day on the Western side.Location, Woolwich"

Picture; courtesy of David Harrop and Steve Peterson

*Royal Arsenal History, http://www.royal-arsenal-history.com/