National Ordnance Factories
* NOF New Basford
Original function: lace mill; taken over at the end of 1917. Opened: February 1918. Area: 40,000 sq ft. Management: Coventry Ordnance Works. Munitions: 1.5-pdr. Gun.
The factory was set up to produce a new 37mm (1.5 pdr) gun required by the Air Force. This had been initially developed by the Coventry Ordnance Works but manufacture on a large scale required additional premises, leading to the need for the New Basford facility.
The building was strongly built but old, poorly lit and badly ventilated. Considerable alterations were required. The work of dismantling the equipment in the old factory began at the end of 1917, new plant was installed in February 1918, and manufacture began in May. The first two guns were not completed until mid-October so the factory had hardly got under way by the time the Armistice was signed in November. The chief difficulty had been a lack of skilled labour and a prolonged development period as a result. Nonetheless manufacture continued until 31 March 1919. At the end of 1918 the factory employed 400 people of whom 160 were women.[1]
* NOF Nottingham
Munitions: 18-pdr. Guns.
* NOF Sheffield, East Hecla Works
Munitions: 60-pdr. and 8in guns.
* NOF4 Leeds, Armley Road,
Munitions: 18-pdr., 60-pdr., 6in, 8in guns and 9.2in howitzers. (also see National Projectile Factories and National Fuse Factories)
* NOF5 Leeds, Newlay
Munitions: 18-pdr., 60-pdr., 6in, 8in guns and 9.2in howitzers. (also see National Projectile Factories and National Fuse Factories)
* NOF6 Leeds, Hunslet
Munitions: 18-pdr., 60-pdr., 6in, 8in guns and 9.2in howitzers. (also see National Projectile Factories and National Fuse Factories)
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ First World War National factories; English Heritage
- Munitions Factories [1]