The HM Gretna Munitions Factory, re-lived 100 years on project will focus on the role of the munitions factory and its workers during the First World War.
His Majesty’s Factory, Gretna, was the world’s largest munitions factory upon its construuction.
30,000 workers, mainly young women, came to work in the factory.
The project, based in Gretna & Eastriggs, Scotland, is led by Centre Stage Theatre and has been granted £10,000 by the Heritage Lottery Fund to “explore and interpret the history of the largest First World War munitions factory with the community and also work with young people in the area to work towards a theatre production telling the story”.
The project will have many strands – informal community group meetings to share family memories and research the past, a performance group mainly with younger people working on theatre skills and devising the drama with theatre specialists and a series of talks is planned on the First World War by leading historians to put into context the impact the area made.
Chris Jones, who is facilitating the project, has made a direct appeal for any material related to the factory: “We’d like to hear from any museum/collection or individuals who have artifacts especially munitions workers uniforms and anything related to munitions workers”.
“We believe although there is a good local collection at ‘The Devils Porridge Exhibition’ in Eastriggs there must be stories, pictures, letters and maybe munitions workers uniforms hidden away across the UK”.
“We’d also like to invite associate researchers who may wish to contribute to the project to contact us”.
If you have any information or material which may be relevant, please contact Chris Jones.
Source: M Gretna Munitions Factory, re-lived 100 years on press release
Images courtesy of HM Gretna Munitions Factory, re-lived 100 years on
Posted by: Daniel Barry, Centenary News