Lily Florence Curle

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Munitions Worker

Birthplace Drybeck, Arthuret Road Cumberland Longtown EnglandPlace of Death 22 Albert Street Cumberland Longtown EnglandPlace of Residence at HM Factory Gretna Drybeck, Arthuret Road Cumberland Longtown England Date of Death: January 5, 1980 Date of Birth: July 31, 1900

Biography

Full name of worker at H.M. Factory Gretna (and any other names they are known by) : Lily Florence Curle (later Mrs. Lily Ogilvie).

Gender: Female

Date and Place of Birth: 31st July 1900, Drybeck, Arthuret Road, Longtown, Cumberland.

Date and Place of Death: 5th January 1980, 22 Albert Street, Longtown, Cumberland. Interred in Arthuret Churchyard, Longtown.

Nationality: British

Do we have images/photos of this person? Yes, provided by her granddaughter.

Lily in her munitions uniform. Photo kindly shared with the museum by Lily’s granddaughter.

Biography

Childhood: Lily grew up at Drybeck, Arthuret Road, Longtown and was one of 13 children.

Parents: Father: David Curle, 1855-1929 and Annie Young, 1860-1925.

Parent’s occupations: Her father was a Head Gamekeeper.

Schools / universities attended and years of attendance: Lily attended Easton School, near Drybeck, Longtown. The building has now been fully restored and is Easton Hall Community Centre

Photo of Easton School, now the Easton Hall Community Centre, kindly shared with the museum by Lily’s granddaughter.

Occupation: Munitions Worker.

Place of residence at Gretna: Drybeck, Arthuret Road, Longtown, Cumberland, and cycled to work.

Job title at Gretna: Munitions Worker.

Marital status: Single, later married Alexander Ogilvie in 1919 in Longtown, Cumbria.

Children: Lily had six children, pictured below:

Five of Lily’s six children, shared kindly by her granddaughter, photo taken c. 1928. Left standing, Alexander Back standing, David Left to right sitting, Ronald, Elspeth and John James. Missing from the photo is the youngest Frederick.

Travels: N/K

Awards/recognitions: N/K

Trivia / any other information: N/K

Just after her 16th birthday on July 31st 1916, Lily Florence Curle (later to become Mrs Alexander Ogilvie) heard from her friends that the new munitions factory at Mossband was looking to employ females of all ages. She told her father that she would like to apply for one of these new jobs, but he said she could not as there was enough work for her to do at home, with her mother in a wheelchair. Going behind her father’s back, which must have taken great courage in those days, she applied and was successful in securing one of these new positions. Lily had to travel by bicycle to her work at Mossband from her home at Drybeck on the Arthuret Road near Longtown, which was seven miles, a round trip of fourteen miles on top of a days work. This she did willingly (as she was glad to have work) morning and night, winter and summer, and was never late. She continued working with munitions at Mossband until she had to leave in the autumn of 1919 to get married – photo and history donated to the museum by Lily’s granddaughter.