Post WW2 Corporate Histories
 

After WW2 many companies published books about their contributions to WW2. The Bechtel-Price-Callahan book “Canol” about the building of the Canol Pipeline in the Yukon and Northwest Territories being an example. “Tanks are Mighty Fine Things” concerned the Chrysler Tank Arsenal production of M3 and M4 tanks. What are other examples of these corporate histories?

Hello Brian.

“The LMS at War” was an English Publication by the London Midland and Scottish Railway about its contribution to the war effort. My Mum’s Brother signed on with them at the start of the war at 17, with the help of a family friend.

A brilliant book about not just how a railway was kept running during a modern, total blackout war, but the related wartime production done as well.

David

Calling All Arms
 

A book that describes the wartime projects of the Nuffield group in the U.K. The book tends to ignore the not so 'exciting' stuff like trucks, instead ,there are long chapters on aircraft and tank production.

“Ford at War; booklet by H St. George Saunders, 1946 - illustrations by Helen McKie. A fascinating book issued by the Ford Motor Company of England to tell the story of the company's activities during WW2.”

http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...ad.php?t=23704

In the Service of America
 

Not post war, but published in 1943: "In the Service of America - Ford Motor Company, Dearborn Michigan"

Attachment 121461


There is also this 2009 publication: "Ford in the Service of America: Mass Production for the Military During the World Wars by Timothy O'callaghan". I am not sure if this is just a reprint of the 1943 publication, or whether it has added text and photos:

“Tanks are Mighty Fine Things”
 

Definitely worth a read if you're into tanks. Original copies can still be found, and it was reprinted at least twice.

Or you can read it here: https://archive.org/details/tanmightyfi00stou/

Bullets By The Billion
 

In addition to "Tanks are Mighty Fine Things" Wesley W. Stout also wrote "Bullets By The Billion" about production at Chrysler Corporation's Evansville, Indiana plant. Both of these books were published in 1946 by Chrysler Corporation. It would be interesting to know the print run and distribution of these books. .......... Brian

Marconi
 

"Marconi - A War Record 1939-1945"
Published by Chatto & Windus (1946)

In your own back yard Brain......
 

Smith & Stone had machinery with WD brass tags....... they were making the stretched brass casings for .303 during the war......... the same machines were still in operation, although slightly modified, in the early 80s stretching battery casings for AA and AAA batteries.....

Woods canvass in Hull PQ stopped making army tents and made football and hockey equipment......after all they had all the heavy sewing machines needed...

.....and E B Eddy and J R Booth helped the Federal Gov. burning surplus special war time money meant for the landing troups and allegedly fake German Marks meant to undermine the occupation economy in Europe..... after all the paper plant had the large boilers as incinerators. Again allegedly some employees got into trouble for raking out thightly rolled unburned currency until the RCMP got wise and posted guards by the ash pits...... the boilers were five story highs and powdered coal was dumped in at the top with truckloads of government papers....... my dad was a stationary engineer at the Chaudiere plant and I regularly visited his steam plant during downtime of high holidays. The story goes that certain extended families never ran out of rationed food when tons of expired food stamps booklets were destroyed.... on the positive side most of the post war crew were ex military and the majority had either limbs missing or disfigured facial burns but hard workers they were...... one Dutch DP ( displaced person) called De Hoog got caught between a massive capstan and a one inch steel cable and cut in half............. my Dad removed him and wrapped him in a tarp.....and was off for 3 days!!!!!!! During the war years my dad was exempt from service but worked 7 days a week and once a week worked 12 hours during shift changes.....24/7 365 days a year..... as a first class engineer he earned just over $1000 p.a. in 1939 even with all the hours.... and no union.

Small world......

Here is another book.."Of Tasks Accomplished, Dominion Bridge Company" a a 1945 publication described as " The story of the accomplishments of Dominion Bridge Company Limited and its wholly owned subsidiaries in World War II "
Much of it related to ship construction and Vicker AA guns, also cartridge cases and shells.. lots of photos.

While not a corporate history, Alvah M. Beatty (Publisher, Publications (1943) Limited 1075 Beaver Hall Hill, Montreal) published a book in 1944 called Canada's War at Sea. Part 1, written by Stephen Leacock is a general history of Canada and the sea. Part 2 by Leslie Roberts is what Canada was up to in the war, called Canada and the War at Sea. The next 100 pages is ads by all the companies that provided just about everything to the RCN from ships, to boilers to clothing to rope and propellers. It's amazing how much went into providing for the navy and to see all the firms involved. Some samples:

GM-H War Record
 

Holden Retiree’s Club - Publications

https://www.hrc.org.au/holden/publications.html

GM overseas
 

Overseas War effort20150806_40 OPT.pdf - Google Drive

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NUq...YB9TvNWf7/view

Interesting on the world map they have Adelaide marked as a manufacturing plant and the other Aust plants as assembly plants.

Great stuff, lots of reading do to.

I've already seen some interesting tidbits which I can tie in to other threads on here.

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Cockatoo Dockyard Sydney
 

Cockatoo Docks Sydney : war record, 1939-1945
 

Link to online version: https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1913018225/view