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dumfries and galloway

Castle Gateway in Carlisle on a postcard.

Old Postcards Photos of Carlisle

By Collections blog

Recently the Museum was donated lots of postcards. Some of the postcards have photos of Carlisle and the surrounding area, some have photos of Gretna (will be posted at a later date) and some have cartoons and birthday wishes etc.

 

 

Many of the postcards which we have showing Carlisle during the First World War with one even showing the Carlisle Women Munition Workers Football Team (shown below).

 

 

The two images below show the interior and exterior of the Gretna Tavern in Carlisle.

 

 

The photo below is of Warwick Road in Carlisle from 1923

 

The photo below is of the War Memorial Bridge in Carlisle

 

A storage area full of boxes.

New display featuring objects from Eastriggs and Longtown munitions depots

By News

This article was written by Alastair Ritchie, who is one of our young volunteers.  He recently completed The Prince’s Trust Award while volunteering in the Museum.

Ammunition Line Display 

A while ago the museum was kindly donated 2 rollers and 4 trestles which we believe were used at the Eastriggs or Longtown depot. Since then we have sought to find a place for them, which we have now found (thanks to Neil McGarva for this suggestion). The items have been arranged in a way which will help to demonstrate their use, under the stairs in front of the window so it will be something for people to see when coming in from the car park or walking round the building.

Alastair near the display (which is hard to photograph due to being behind glass). He is holding an ammunition storage box.

Thanks to the efforts of our volunteers  Alastair and George along with Digital Marketing Modern Apprentice Morgan, the area has been cleared, cleaned and arranged to ensure it both looks good and gives some insight into how these items might have been used.

If you are interested in some more information on our display then here are a few facts about it…

  • The rollers were used in both WW1 and 2 (some would have been mechanised by the Second World War though) to assist in moving all types of ammo, firstly from the train to the magazine and secondly from one part of the factory to another.

  • The rollers were able to make moving large amounts of tank shells, bullets of all types, artillery shells, bombs though these were limited in type and navy shells more efficient.

  • In order to improve the rollers longevity they were made very durable, requiring little maintenance beyond the occasional greasing and replacing of the yellow and black paint which could easily be done by the women and men who worked with them.

    A group of people of load their crate onto the line that then leads into storage where it will stay until use.

  • Rollers could also be set up in long lines that might run up to 6 rollers long, allowing multiple teams to work on different parts, doing a varied tasks including….

  • placing empty open boxes onto the line

  • placing shells into boxes or removing ones from the line to be placed in storage or shipped out

  • sealing boxes

  • taking boxes off to be either placed in storage or on a train to be taken away for use

  • We have been told by Robin, a Trustee at the Museum (he worked within Eastriggs and Longtown depots for many years and is a former Inspector in the Ministry of Defence Police) that at the depot the process was referred to as “hand-balling” by some staff.

  • The rollers were a earlier version of the modern assembly lines without power and were used throughout the depot until the introduction of forklifts and other modern equipment.

  • In total the Rollers could hold somewhere between 13-15 tons which was vital as the Eastriggs depot could house up to 10–30,000 tons of material while Longtown could hold almost twice that amount as it was split between the COD (Central Ordnance Depot) which stored inert material such as boxes and packaging for various forms of ammunition and the CAD (Central Ammunition Depot) which stored various types of small arms to artillery shell ammunition.

 

Group of worker using multiple rollers to assist them in moving crates around. This was essentially the rollers job to make moving heavy object safer, easier and most importantly faster.

The following book may be of interest if you would like to know more about the depots and the local area in World War Two:

The Solway Military Coast book

After this article was published, a member of the public came forward with the following information and photographs, we thank him for sharing this with us:

  • The beginning of the process in what was known as the In-Transit this is where the ammunition/explosives are received into the building

  • Operatives would breakdown the pallets and load the containers/boxes onto the rollers and they would then be pushed through a hatch into the Process area where Ammunition Examiners would carry out various tasks:

  • Safety Inspection

  • Modification

  • Repairs

  • A pedestrian gate in the rollers where examiners could work on both sides of the rollers

  • Once this was done the containers/boxes would be moved along the rollers to the Out-Transit, here operatives would add markings

  • The rollers were used in all types of industry including the ships for deep sea dumping

 

Just after the war some of the excess ammunition was thrown into the sea

This process was known as Deep Sea Dumping fortunately it is now Banned

 

 

Mother’s Day at the Museum

By Events

The Devils Porridge – a great place for Mother’s Day

Why visit the Museum on Mother’s Day?

 

The central story of The Devils Porridge Museum concerns the 12,000 women who worked at HM Factory Gretna in World War One. This includes a look at the difficult and dangerous work they did, accidents and health caused by this work, their housing an living conditions, their social lives including dances, cinemas and societies as well as their notable achievements (some young women met the Kind and Queen, others were awarded MBE’s). The Museum also looks at the monitoring of the young women by the Women’s Police Force and how the role of women was altered by World War One.

Our first floor displays look at the impact of conflict on the Solway Coast from 1939 onwards. Find out about children who were sent to the countryside as evacuees, take a nostalgic look at a 1940’s house (complete with kitchen and rationing style foods) and explore the stories of women who worked in the ATS or in munitions in World War Two.

March is also Women’s History Month and the Museum would be a great place for mother’s to visit to discover the history of women at war in the local area.

Children love the Museum, In 2019, we were shortlisted for the ‘Most Family Friendly Museum in the UK’ award by Kids in Museums. Over 800 Museums were nominated and we made it to the final 15. There are dressing up opportunities, lots of things to interact and play with, touchscreens, audio-visual displays and games. We also have a virtual reality experience taking a look inside Scotland’s first ever nuclear power station – Chapelcross. All children visiting the Museum are given a clocking in card in which they can stamp as they visit and exchange for a reward at the end. With a children’s menu, baby changing facilities, high chairs and a lift, we are well set up for visitors of all ages and requirements.

One more great reason to visit us this Mother’s Day – a chance to treat your Mum to a delicious, homemade afternoon tea in our café. The Museum is 5 star rated and we use local ingredients in the café as much as possible. The afternoon tea will include delicious sandwiches along with a selection of sweet treats such as home-baked miniature cakes and biscuits all served with a vintage style tea service. Perfect for before, after or midway through your visit. If you want, you are welcome to just book for Afternoon Tea, you do not have to visit the Museum to take part in this experience.

Entry to the Museum is £6 per adult, £5 concessions (including children – a family ticket is also available for £15). Afternoon Teas must be booked in advance and cost £10.95 per person. To book your space, email: info@devilsporridge.org.uk or phone 01461 700021

Haaf Net Fishing Films

By News

One of the Great things about having an exhibition on display is the things that it leads to. Our current exhibition in Haaf Net Fishing (which is on display until April 1st), has generated a lot of interest (from people in Cumbria as well as people on the Scottish side of the Solway). So far we have had object donations, objects on loan and on display for our Object of the Month Display and now we have had photographs and film footage shared with us.

The photo above shows a Haaf Netter at Loch and Dornock which is near the old HM Factory Gretna site and not far from Eastriggs, where the Museum is located.

 

These videos were shared with the Museum by Annan Museum and make interesting viewing:

https://www.britishpathe.com/video/solway-fishing-issue-title-right-dress/query/fishing+solway

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGlzNTWtC7

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyfKrvHGRGl

Thanks to everyone who is sharing things with the Museum – we really appreciate it!

For more information on our Haaf Net Exhibition see: https://www.devilsporridge.org.uk/haaf-net-fishing

To purchase books or other items relating to Haaf Net Fishing, visit our online shop: https://www.devilsporridge.org.uk/shop-online

Recent Donation of State Management Labels

By Collections blog

These State Management labels were donated to the Museum recently and feature many different types of alcohol which would be sold at pubs in Cumbria and South West Scotland. These items belonged to a gentleman who was the Head Maltster working in State Management. He worked there from the end of the Second World War until it closed in the 1970s, these items were donated to us by his granddaughter.

The state management of alcohol scheme or the ‘Carlisle Experiment’ saw the government take over many local pubs in the First World War and stop the sale of normal alcohol to substitute it with watered down state made alcohol. This was done to try and deter people from drinking in key areas related to the war, this was done in South Scotland and Cumbria because of HM Factory Gretna (The Devils Porridge Museum tells its story). The State Management scheme lasted from 1915 until around the 1970s, we think the labels which have been donated to us may be from the late 1960’s. Below you can see some of the labels above on bottles which were donated to the Museum from the State Management Scheme which we have on display at the Museum along with a few other bottles of Brandy.

The labels which were donated are of many different types of alcohol and soft drinks.  Alcohol was controlled during state management and includes many brands which people may recognise along with a few which were produced by the Government and made in Carlisle.

 

 

Munition Workers Poems Part 1

By Collections blog

Lots of people are familiar with famous World War One poets and their poetry. Some wonderful, less know poems were written by women about their experiences at HM Factory Gretna (the greatest factory on earth during World War One, The Devils Porridge Museum tells its story).

We have a book on sale in our shop called, ‘Munitions Workers Poems’. For Women’s History Month, we thought we would share a few photographs and poems of women workers from World War One.

This poem is called “Bravo! Dornock” and was written by a woman called Susan M Ferguson.

The complete booklet can be found here:

 

Munition Workers’ Poems

Kenneth Bingham Quinan Part 4

By Collections blog

Quinan’s later life

At the end of the War, Quinan was 40 years old. He was offered a knighthood which he turned down (as an American, he didn’t think it was appropriate). He was made a Companion of Honour on the same day as General Smuts. He also received official thanks from the House of Commons and a gift of £10,000. In 1919, he returned to South Africa. His work was clearly held in the highest estimation and praise was showered upon him as can be seen below. Photograph below shows Quinan in later life.

“The unique professional knowledge derived from many years of technical experience, the unremitting work of a powerful and vigorous mind, and the irradiating influence of a great, genial and unselfish personality were unreservedly put at the disposal of the British Empire. An atmosphere of good fellowship and of equal comradeship in work pervaded every branch. Everyone who came under the influence of Mr Quinan was stimulated to put forth his best in the general cause.” – Article in Nature Journal, 1920

 

“It would be hard to point to anyone who did more to win the war than Kenneth Bingham Quinan.” – David Lloyd George

 

Below: Quinan was given a solid gold brick on retiring along with the words “from one old brick to another”.

KBQ’s timeline after the war

In 1917 Quinan was appointed to the Commission of Chemical Trades after the War. Churchill offered him a position in the Ministry of Munitions but he declined this offer and many others.

 

In 1919 he returned to his old farm in South Africa as a consultant

 

In 1922 he helped found and became the first Vice President of the Institute of Chemical Engineers (now the Royal Institute of Chemical Engineers). The main aim for this was to disseminate the information gathered during the War.

 

31st December 1923 married Jean Pargiter. They had two sons

 

In 1924 KBQ retired to his fruit farm ‘Bizweni’ in Somerset West where he built a laboratory and dedicated himself to grape production. He also enjoyed big game hunting (especially lions).

 

In 1942 KBQ was invited by the British Government be Senior Representative in South Africa for Chemical Defence Matters. He worked tirelessly in munitions manufacture again.

 

11am 26th January 1948 KBQ collapsed and died at his desk in his office at the age of 69.

 

You can read the first three parts here:

Part 1: https://www.devilsporridge.org.uk/kenneth-bingham-quinan-the-great-kbq

Part 2: https://www.devilsporridge.org.uk/kenneth-bingham-quinan-part-2

Part 3: https://www.devilsporridge.org.uk/kenneth-bingham-quinan-part-3

Planning Maps for HM Factory Gretna

By Collections blog

A local gentleman visited the Museum the other day to share some wonderful items with us. He has a map of the local area (stretching from Dornock to Longtown). It appears to be an ordnance survey map from 1898 and on it someone has drawn plans for HM Factory Gretna (the greatest munitions factory on earth during World War One, The Devils Porridge tells it story and the story of the 30,000 workers, 12,000 of whom were women). You can clearly see the Factory sites 1-4 labelled on the map and contours have been drawn on the main intended Factory locations as an aid for planning. Two townships were built for the Factory (Gretna and Eastriggs) and neither appears on the map – there are just open fields and farms – as they weren’t constructed until after 1915. It is quite strange to see a map without these two significant local towns on it.  The map also shows plans for a temporary pumping station and the pipelines that would be built for the movement of millions of gallons of water used by the Factory each day. Fascinating stuff and amazing to see a glimpse into the planning of the construction of the Factory.

Our visitor also brought in an auction catalogue from 1924. At the end of the war, the Factory plant, site and the houses in the townships were auctioned off and this catalogue was produced (we have one on display in the Museum). What was particularly interesting about this gentleman’s copy of the Auction Book was that it had all five maps inside it (and they were in excellent condition). We have some of the maps but not all of them so it was really interesting to see all the maps together.

We are very grateful to this gentleman for sharing these documents with us and for letting us take photographs of the items in question for our records.

Kenneth Bingham Quinan Part 3

By Collections blog

Kenneth Bingham Quinan “The Great KBQ”

1878 – 1948

 

KBQ was probably the most important person behind the construction and successful operation of HM Factory Gretna (the greatest munitions factory in World War One, The Devil’s Porridge Museum tells its story).

This photo shows all of the senior staff from the Dornock section of HM Factory Gretna.

Part 3: KBQ’s Management style

Quinan’s approach was meticulous. He created over 300 technical manuals and he demanded that his staff create similar exemplars. These were then circulated throughout the factories so everyone could learn from each other and understand what processes were effective. Many of them were published after the war to help spark what Quinan called “…the renaissance of chemical industry in England”

Quinan regularly met with all the technical senior staff and knew many of them well. Monthly meeting were held which all Superintendents of the Factory and Managers were expected to attend. One of the main aims of the meetings was motivation and morale, it was a chance for “…for them (the managers) to receive stimulation and encouragement which everyone who worked for him (KBQ) experienced”.

These meetings generated many documents including a twice yearly document comparing the efficiency and output of the different plants. KBQ was also looking for ways to make the munitions factories more effective.

Most of the Chemistry work at the Factory was overseen by male chemists but sometimes female workers were given some of the jobs to do as you can see in the photos above.

We have previously done two other articles about KBQ if you would like to read them as well see below;

Part 1: https://www.devilsporridge.org.uk/kenneth-bingham-quinan-the-great-kbq

Part 2: https://www.devilsporridge.org.uk/kenneth-bingham-quinan-part-2

Wartime Gardening

By Collections blog

Recently the Museum received a donation of a few items from World War Two to do with the Dig For Victory gardens which was a very successful campaign during the Second World War which involved encouraging citizens to grow their own food to try and combat rationing. The Dig For Victory campaign was very successful and encouraged many people to start growing their own food during wartime.

The Museum has its own garden outside which we have called the ‘Dig For Victory’ Garden which we use to grow some of the vegetables used in our cafe. The Museum uses the Garden through the Summer and will start to plant vegetables in it soon (if the weather clears up).

 

This is what our Garden looks like during the Summer when in use.

This is what it currently looks like. Hopefully we can start planting things soon!

The items which were donated to us include an informational booklet from the North of England Horticultural Society which included hints about how best to grow some of the plants.

 

Another one of the items which was donated is also a guide but a slightly shortened down one. This guide is titled ‘War and Your Garden’ and has many tips about growing crops in every different month of the year.

The last item is a plan on how people can grow vegetables all year round and includes information about the best time of year to plant certain crops and also the distance which should be left in between each one when planting.

 

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