Worker of the Week is a series of blog posts which highlights the workers at H.M. Factory Gretna that our volunteers researched for The Miracle Workers Project. This project aimed to centralise all of the 30,000 people who worked at the factory during World War One and, although it may be over, our amazing research volunteers are continuing to uncover more stories about H.M. Factory Gretna workers to be added to this database. We are always looking to learn more about H.M. Factory Gretna workers. If you know anything about a H.M. Factory Gretna worker please feel free to get in touch with us by contacting info@devilsporridge.org.uk This week’s Worker of the Week, Hector Crozier, who worked as a technical chemist at the factory and travelled a lot. As always a huge thank you goes to all our research volunteers!
Early Life
Hector Crozier was born on 4th June 1896 in Newry, Armagh in Northern Ireland.
His parents were David and Wilhelmina Crozier. We know the family lived in Northern Ireland until at least 1900.
However, census records show us that they had moved to Manchester by 1902. Perhaps, David’s work as a clerk at a chemical works in North Manchester could have been the cause of the families move.
Levinstein LTD
Indeed, Hector gained his first employment in Manchester too. Prior the start of World War One, he worked at Levinstein LTD, Aniline Colour Manufactures. This was a company which appears to have made dyes. [1]
(Interestingly, it seems that Levinstein LTD firm would much later be renamed and then, later still, go on to become part of Imperial Chemical Industries or ICI. [1] World War Two munitions factory, ICI Powfoot was built and owned by this ICI many years after H.M. Factory Gretna was no longer in operation with the female munitions workers there nicknamed ‘Broom Lassies’ after the farm where the factory was built. Although it is highly likely to be a complete coincidence, we think it is a remarkable that Hector could have a link with not just one, but two local munitions factories, even if his connection to ICI Powfoot is a wee bit of a stretch… ).
After the outbreak of World War One, Levinstein LTD appear to have began to work on chemicals such as Mustard gas. Hector had other plans to do his part for the war effort, despite the vital chemistry skills he had acquired.
H.M. Factory Gretna & Life During World War One
On 21st June 1915, Hector volunteered to join up. At first he served with the Royal Highlanders, before being transferred Royal Engineers. According to his service record, he was promoted to a corporal during his time with the Royal Engineers.
His service record also shows us that he served on the Western Front from 29th September 1915 to 11th September 1916. Following this, Hector was transferred to a Class ‘W’ Army Reserve, ‘Explosive Supply Stores,’ where he was directed to work at munitions factory H.M. Factory Gretna.
During his time at the factory, we known he worked as a technical chemist and lived in Eastriggs. This was one of the two townships built for those who came to work at H.M. Factory Gretna (the other and the largest of the two being the factory’s namesake, Gretna) with the nine-mile rural site of the factory actually stretching from Longtown in England to Dornock, Scotland.
(If you would like to see some more archive photos of Eastriggs, why not explore our history pin of the area? It was created by young people many years ago and is still well worth a look if you would like to learn more about Eastriggs township. Find the History Pin tour of Eastriggs by clicking here> )
Marriage
Following his time at the factory, we know that Hector continued to work as a chemist. However, he didn’t stay in Scotland indefinitely!
In 1926, we found records indicating that he departed from Liverpool to Valparaiso, Antofagasta in Chile and why did he travel so far? It seems that Hector travelled for work, as he worked for Anglo Chilean Nitrate as a chemist in Chile. It seems that this company made fertiliser.
However, this was not all that Hector did in Chile. During his time there he met Marieta Rendic, who he later married in Antofagasto. Unfortunately, we do not know the exact date of their wedding, but we do know it must have been after 1926 and prior to 1929 when their son was born in the September of that year.
Chemistry and Further Travels
Seemingly, Hector must have returned to Liverpool at some point after his wedding, for in 1932 we have found a record of him departing Liverpool again. This time he headed to Tocopilla in Chile.
It appears that the Anglo Chilean Nitrate company (supposedly Hector worked for the Anglo-Chilean Consolidated Nitrate Corporation, given that he started working there 1926) had a railway in Topcopilla that served some nitrate mines. [2] Maybe this could be one of the reasons behind Hector’s travels, especially as the Anglo-Chilian Nitrate & Railway Company Limited, was previously in procession of that location prior to 1925 and was founded in London. However, the Anglo-Chilean Consolidated Nitrate Corporation seemed more focused increasing the scale of the areas nitrating process.[2]
By October 1936, we found that Hector was in the USA, as he is recorded as departing from New York to Southampton on SS Normandie. At this point Hector is still describing himself as a technical chemist, as he was when he worked at H.M. Factory Gretna.
It seems that Hector’s stay in England was not long, as by December 1936 we find him departing Southampton to Chile via New York on the SS Georgic; most probably returning to his family there.
His travel records also show us that he appears to have been promoted from his past role as a technical chemist by 1941. Hector had progressed to become the General Manager of The Lautaro Nitrate Company Ltd.
In November 1941 he seemed to have departed Antofagasta, Chile to Miami, USA. Unusually, this time Hector appears to have travelled by air. Presumably, this could have been on a return flight arranged by Mimi airport, which started to operate in around 1928 and offered passenger and Air Mail, regularly to many locations including South America. [3]
It appears that Hector spent the majority of World War Two in the USA. The United States appear to had an arrangement to import nitrate from Chile for fertiliser. This helped the USA continue to grow food and use their own nitrate for munitions. [5] Therefore, it could be likely that Hector was involved in through his work.
In fact, it is August 1948 before we find him departing New York to Southampton on the SS Queen Elizabeth. At this point Hector is described as being the assistant general manager.
However, by January 1949 Hector was returning to the USA again. Departing again from Southampton, Hector returned to New York aboard the SS Queen Mary. Although we have no record of his return to the UK, we know he must have done, as in October 1952 we find Hector departing Southampton to New York again aboard the SS Queen Elizabeth. By this point it seems like Hector had become a director of the company.
Hector’s travels continued in July 1955 when he departed New York to Southampton aboard the SS Mauretania.
By 1958, Hector had received another promotion. This time becoming the Vice-President of the company he worked for. In the October of 1958, was aboard the SS Untied States, departing New York for Southampton again.
In 1959, Hector had become the Executive Vice President of the company. We come across yet another journey, this time aboard the SS Queen Mary from Southampton to New York. It is unclear if Hector is still working for the Lautaro Nitrate Company Ltd, as this organisation appears to have gone into voluntary liquidation in 1951 [4]. However, the Lautaro Nitrate Company’s assets appear to have been acquired by Anglo-Lautaro Nitrate Corporation [4], so it is highly likely that Hector was working for them from 1951.
Not only did Hector gain quite a few promotions in his employment, but he also appears to have travelled first class in all his post wartime travels that we have found records of!
Later Life
Although, we have found no further records of his travels it seems like Hector also appears to have travelled to Spain.
In 1990 Hector appears to have died in Madrid, Spain.
Sources and Further Reading
[1] Levinstein Ltd – Wikipedia Page – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levinstein_Ltd
[2] Tocopilla Railway – Wikipedia Page – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tocopilla_railway
Find Hector McIver Crozier’s Worker of the Week blog by clicking here>
Do you have a relative who worked at H.M. Factory Gretna? We would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact us by emailing info@devilsporridge.org.uk. You never know maybe your relative feature in a future Worker of the Week blog post! You can also have a look at some more H.M. Factory Gretna workers on our online database here>
