Saunders, "Ford at War", 1946

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Many years (ehm, actually decades ) ago I recall borrowing a book entitled "Ford at War" from the University library. It's subject is the Ford Motor Company's war effort; it was written by Hilary St. George Saunders and published by Ford Motor Company Ltd. in 1946.



Bart Vanderveen quoted freely from this book and many of it's pictures can be found in Wheels & Tracks magazine issues. While Wheels & Tracks issues may be difficult to get, I recently found that the entire text of the book is posted online at http://website.lineone.net/~thompsonb/war/ford.htm.

Enjoy!

[Hanno Spoelstra]

The last section of the book are "Brief Statistics of some of the British Empire - Ford Companies’ War Effort"

Missing in this overview is Ford UK (Dagenham) production, so here goes a table I found attached:


Hope this is of interest,
Hanno

FORD INDIA
Two-wheel drive vehicles •. .. •. •. •. 64,216
Four-wheel drive vehicles •. •. .• •. •. •. 45,213
Six-wheeler vehicles .. •. •. •. •. •. 3,088
Miscellaneous makes .. •. .. .• •. •. •. 9,876
Civil •. •. •• •• •. •. • 11,614

FORD CANADA
Universal Carriers .. •. •• .• •. 33,988
Total War Vehicles supplied •. •. •. 395,209
Total Investment by employees in 8 Victory Loans and in War Savings •. •. •. . Over $17,000,00
Total Blood donations to Red Cross by employees •. •. 24,650
Employees in Armed Services •. .. •. • •. 5,624
Highest average employment (employees) •. 15,637

FORD SOUTH AFRICA
Passenger vehicles •. •. •. •. •. •. •. 1,517
Truck deliveries •. •. • • • . • •. •. 31,336
Station Wagons •. •. •. •• •. •. .. 126
Light Deliveries •. •. •. •. .. •. 879
Various •. - - •• • . - • - •. 1,011

FORD NEW ZEALAND
Special War Department Vehicles .. •. •. 1,162
Conventional Type Defence Trucks . !-- .. 3,611
Defence Staff Cars •. •. •• . .• • - .. 164
Fordson Tractors ‘1. •. •. •. 21
Miscellaneous Units •. •. .. • •. 242

Vehicles recovered from Pacific War Zone and Re-conditioned---*
Jeeps •. •. .• •• .• •. •. 1,117

Munition Production
Grand Total of Grenades . .. 5,720,522
Mortar Bombs (Assembled and Filled) 1,205,400
Mortar Bombs Fuses (Filled) .1,165,103
Fuse 119 (Manufactured and Assembled) .1,140,174
Aircraft Bomb Striker Head (Manufactured) 70,857
Fuse 132 Striker Head (Manufactured) 173,400
Fuse 132 Striker (Manufactured) 63,766
Transceiver Condenser Shaft (Manufactured) 18,201
Transceiver Condenser Clamp (Manufactured) 15,019
Aircraft Drogue Targets (Manufactured) 680
Aerodrome Windsocks (Manufactured) . 100
Aircraft Wing Covers (Manufactured) 12
Aircraft Seat Covers (Manufactured) . 90
Grenade Boxes (Assembled) 175,290
Naval Engines (Reconditioned)) . . 110

[Lauren Child]

Interesting info in that table!

In that book, Ford UK is covered in the text of the chapter preceding.

I have a pamphlet that shows more stats from 1946. I imagine this was produced to support the book, celebrating the millionth vehicle off the line post-war.

Here's the cover

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Bart Vanderveen quoted freely from this book and many of it's pictures can be found in Wheels & Tracks magazine issues. While Wheels & Tracks issues may be difficult to get, I recently found that the entire text of the book is posted online at http://website.lineone.net/~thompsonb/war/ford.htm.

The linked website is no longer available, but Bill Kreiner sent me a printout so at least the text is saved:

Ford at War.pdf

[Hanno Spoelstra]

And the artwork can be enjoyed from online sources as well, e.g. https://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/fordatwar

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. The book, issued in 1946, is full of sketches and paintings by Helen McKie, an artist who produced a lot of 'Thames-side' material for the river boat operators, the General Steam Navigation Co., as well as commissions for the Southern Railway.

"A wonderful view of the Ford Works at Dagenham in Essex on the cover. The view looks across the Blast Furnace and other parts of the plant that formed the massive integrated vehicle production plant Ford had opened in 1931 on the marshes adjoining the River Thames. It replaced Ford's earlier UK factory at Trafford Park in Manchester. The camouflage used to try and break up the visual outline of the plant, and so distract enemy bombers, is very clearly shown. The subject of wartime 'camo' is brilliantly told in a book on the subject by Henrietta Goodden that was a relevation to me as it showed the work, and links, between so many mid-20th century graphic designers and artists whose names and work are so well known apart from their wartime service.
The quayside view shows the major production units of the wartime economy - few 'private' cars but numerous military vehicles, such as Bren Gun Carriers, and tractors - the Fordson tractor was one of the backbones of the huge increase in British food production that sustained the war effort and that was based on increasing mechanisation of agriculture at the time."



"Women grinding tank tracks - Large sections of Dagenham was turned over to military vehicle production as part of the war effort and this image also shows one of the great achievements of the wartime economy, the mobilisation of women into the workforce on a scale, and into industries, previously denied them. Sadly, in so many ways, this achievement was not continued in post-war years - a similar story to that of 1918/19 and the end of WW1. The picture gives an impression of the difficult, nosiy and dirty metal working that formed part of tank production."



"The view looks across to the camouflaged generating station that, along with the iron foundry, formed the massive integrated vehicle production plant Ford had opened in 1931 on the marshes adjoining the River Thames. It replaced Ford's earlier UK factory at Trafford Park in Manchester.



"The view looks across the Thames jetty that allowed delivery of raw materials and the dispatch of finished goods towards the main works dominated by the then camouflaged generating station that, along with the iron foundry, formed the massive integrated vehicle production plant Ford had opened in 1931 on the marshes adjoining the River Thames. It replaced Ford's earlier UK factory at Trafford Park in Manchester. The jetty view shows the major production units of the wartime economy - military vehicles, such as Bren Gun Carriers, and tractors - the Fordson tractor was one of the backbones of the huge increase in British food production that sustained the war effort and that was based on increasing mechanisation of agriculture at the time."



"What a splendid panorama of the then hugely commercialised River Thames from central London down to the PLA's eastern docks at Tilbury in Essex. This fine pictorial map was issue dinthe 1946 "Ford at War" publication, a record of the WW2 activities of the British branch of the American motor company and is illustrated (as is the book) by the artist Helen McKie. McKie (1889 - 1957) must have been well used to the River as she illustrated many editions of the Rover Steamer Service guides issued by the General Steam Navigation Co Ltd in the decade before the war and she also was frequently commissioned by the Southern Railway for publicity material, including the famous pair of "then and now" posters of Waterloo station issued in 1948. Anyhow, this map is packed with information, centred on the vast Thames-side works of the Ford Motor Company who still maintain a presence here, however a far cry from this almost integrated production plant seen here."