X-Nico

2 unusual facts about British shadow factories


British shadow factories

The major activity of the group was the production of Handley Page Halifax bombers for the RAF, ammunition, gun parts, armoured vehicles and spare parts for vehicles.

The Birmingham Small Arms Company Limited alone during the war controlled 67 factories from Small Heath, employing 28,000 people operating 25,000 machine tools.


Airspeed Oxford

A total of 8,586 Oxfords were built, with 4,411 by Airspeed at its Portsmouth factory, 550 at the Airspeed-run shadow factory at Christchurch, Dorset, 1,515 by de Havilland at Hatfield, 1,360 by Percival Aircraft at Luton and 750 by Standard Motors at Coventry.

Small Heath, Birmingham

The Government Ministry of Supply and BSA immediately began a process of production dispersal throughout Britain, through the shadow factory scheme.


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