Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral Now and Then Stone Manganese Marine (SMM PROPELLERS) Ltd

DOES any of the lads remember the security guard who used to make the MODEL aeroplanes and cars and soldiers on nights and i used to leave them on the gatehouse window for the lads to see.I remember the lads in the finishing shop on nights with the loud banging with the air grinders used to keep me awake some times..

Seeing as Mike has mentioned planes, prior to moving here the Millwall factory was bombed nine times by the Luftwaffe.
Good thread boys, keep it up.

NEVER BEEN TO MILLWALL IN MY LIFE! .

Just found loads more stuff from the early 20th century and a link to a newsreel same company but the Charlton factory
http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=46616

And it looked like the Germans finally finished what the luftwaffe couldn't do to them in the war
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1390795/Christopher-Bookers-Notebook.html

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Even though the image is poor, I recognise most of them. My Auntie is in the left group, last one one the right. The middle group are mostly moulders, George Weeks jnr, Herbert Higgins, John Bonner and the supervisor John Higginson

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Health and Safety is out the window on this one. Shots of the moulders casting the Queen Mary's Prop in the 30's in the London foundry

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This shot shows a double cast. The Birkenhead foundry built the moulds in pits. The original way was to build them on the shop floor with a brick outer casing then pack them out with sand. Again, very little regard for health and safety. Photo circa 1935

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Copy of a Foundry journal cutting showing one of the boring machines which, at the time, were the largest in the world

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And another shot of one of the boring machines

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Craven Boss cutting machine, used to cut the riser head off the casting at Birkenhead, 1940's

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Another shot of the Craven showing the face of the prop machined down

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Another foundry journal cutting about the Queen Mary Props from the 1930's shot at the London Foundry

This is amazing, thanks for sharing cameraman.

When i was security and on nights i had to check all the machines/equipment was not left on to make sure no fire hazards it was a fantastic place to work in i was never bored always something new..