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Old 19-09-08, 09:28
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David_Hayward (RIP) David_Hayward (RIP) is offline
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Default Vauxhall Motors Ltd

I thought that I ought to start a new thread about Vauxhall's Dunstable Plant.


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In 1937, Vauxhall Motors Limited built a new Engineering facility at Luton, which meant that a considerable sum was invested in what was very up-to-date machinery and facilities. However, although these arguably lagged behind the impressive facilities at Rüsselsheim, the Company were so impressed with the new department’s facilities that they commissioned a small book with photographs and information on new designs such as independent front suspension that had originated in Detroit and been adapted by Opels. This book proved so popular that the first printing in the spring of 1938 was duplicated with more copies being available. The department went on to design, for instance, a special “flat” tank engine for the A.22 “Churchill” heavy tank, and other war projects. In 1938, a further 10-acre expansion enabled Vauxhalls to build 60,111 vehicles: 35,415 cars and 24,696 commercial vehicles with 8,589 employees. Exports totalled 20,271 units out of the British total of 84,000. Vauxhall’s workforce represented 18.5% of Luton’s, with another 10,000 or 12% of the population reliant on those jobs in turn.

Vauxhall Motors Limited also acquired vacant land in nearby Dunstable in 1938,a short distance away from the AC-Sphinx Sparking Plug factory, as the precursor to building a new dedicated Bedford truck plant, on the lines of Brandenburg Plant. The reason quoted was that the Luton plant apparently had logistical problems, being unable to cope with expansion, though nothing was said about the true Government supported intention as an equivalent of a “Shadow Factory”. The new site was intended for purely truck production, but no building took place until 1940, when buildings were erected under the auspices of the Ministry of Supply for the “Churchill” Tank factory, and then from 1943 refurbished military vehicles for the Ministry of Supply as did Limited’s Cleckheaton facility. Luton also produced thousands of military trucks from 1940, and used the Limited-owned Hendon Plant in addition for assembly and repair works. It is suggested that this proves that the purpose of the acquisition at Dunstable was as part of the government efforts to ensure that essential production was placed away from London and future air raids. The land was finally used to build a new dedicated Bedford truck plant in 1953, the largest truck plant in Europe. A fortiori, in 1940 the Ministry of Supply arranged for Delco-Remy & Hyatt to relocate their electric motor and other essential war work transferred from London to premises in Dunstable because of concern at air raids on production.
Under the Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Regulations, a code was stamped on all reconditioned engines so that any defective units or assemblies could be traced to their source. A code reference number consisting of symbols, indicating the repairer, followed by numerals indicating the month and year of overhaul.

D.Ds.M.E. of Commands were to allot a serial number to each Command workshop in their Command which used the above reference letters. The appropriate number was to be stamped on repaired assemblies imediately following the reference letters, e.g. NOR/4/- which would indicate, say, Scorton workshops.

The standard position for the code reference numbers on engines was agreed with the Ministry of Supply. In the case of other engines or assemblies where no special position was specified, the reference number was to be stamped adjacent to the makers’ serial number. E.g. AEC were to be stamped on the offside of the engine at the front end of the cylinder block.



The following reference letters had been allotted to workshops and commands [by 1944]:

COMMAND WORKSHOPS, ROYAL ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL ENGINEERS:
ALDERSHOT: ALD/-
CATTERICK: CAT/-
HIGH WYCOMBE,.BUCKINGHAMSHIRE: HWB/-
MILL HILL [LONDON] MHL/-
BOVINGTON: BOV/-
CHILWELL: CHL/-
BICESTER: BIC/-
LINWOOD: LIN/-
GREENFORD/- GRE/-
DONNINGTON: DON/-

R.C.E.M.E. WORKSHOP, BORDON: BOR/-
G.M.C., CLECKHEATON: G.M.C./-
ROLLS-ROYCE LIMITED: RRN/-
VAUXHALL MOTORS LTD., DUNSTABLE^: VMD/-
SELF-CHANGING GEARS LIMITED: SCG/-
DAVID BROWN LTD., HUDDERSFIELD: DBH/-
MINISTRY OF SUPPLY REPAIRERS,OTHER THAN THE ABOVE*: MS/-
WORKSHOP DETACHMENT, R.E.M.E., D.H. WICKHAM AND CO., WARE: DWW/-
WORKSHOP DETACHMENT, R.E.M.E., L.P.T.B.,ACTON]: LPTB/-
COMMAND WORKSHOPS, R.E.M.E. OTHER THAN THE ABOVE:
NORTHERN COMMAND NOR
SOUTHERN COMMAND SOU
EASTERN COMMAND ECO
WESTERN COMMAND WES
SCOTTISH COMMAND SCT
LONDON DISTRICT LON
NORTHERN IRELAND DISTRICT
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  #2  
Old 19-09-08, 09:39
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Default Vauxhall Motors Ltd 2

The other important wartime facility was the Hendon Plant, owned (freehold) by General Motors Ltd.

Quote:
On the 28 June 1932, General Motors Limited leased part of the Hendon plant to VAUXHALL MOTORS LIMITED, for the period of 21 years from 1 May 1932.
They then leased another portion on 21 November 1932 to GENERAL MOTORS ACCEPTANCE CORPORATION for the period of 7 years from 1 May 1932.

From May 1932, therefore, the Hendon Plant however, continued as a major boxing plant for C.K.D. Vauxhalls and Bedfords, initially for Australia, and then a myriad of other countries. However, the plant became Vauxhall Motors Limited’s Sales and Service Depot as well, so the former Chevrolet Plant became, so far as commercial vehicles were concerned, a solely Vauxhall Plant, though General Motors Limited retained the freehold, had their offices in the building still, and also sold spare parts for Chevrolets.
The Hendon Plant continued to be a CKD Boxing Plant until spring 1940 when it went over to vehicle assembly, eg the ex-French order Whites that were diverted. Also repair and other war work. We also know that they assembled Canadian vehicles: 1943:224 and 1944: 97, Total: 321.

It was closed around 1946 and handed back to GM Ltd. The rest of the building continued to be a Frigidaire Ltd plant though. They dod a lot of war work including blood cooling equipment and aircraft fuel tanks.
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Old 19-09-08, 13:01
ted angus ted angus is offline
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David many thanks, Now I know why I joined MLU rarely a day goes by without learning something !! Thank you.
I remember the Delco factory, another place I used to cyle as a child was to Dunstable mostly to look at the fire engines and there were also some good vantage points to watch construction of the M1. There were lots of little units around both the town and in its rural district which I suppose we could term shadow factories. Hat factories making gun parts. All manner of diversity. I lived on the north of the town very close to the Sundon Park works of Skefco bearings. As an 7 year old it was no mean cyle ride to Vauxhalls and then up to the Airport.
Reading between the lines the Dunstable shadow facility was in respect of trucks a repair/ refurb centre ?? in addition to churchill work. So can we say truck assembly was confined to Luton until the 1950s plant came along. I suppose the Dunstable facility remained dormant from 45 til the new plant opened ??

I recently read the history of Luton in WW2 It reminded me there were several raids on Vauxhall. But the worst atteck was the V2 on Biscot road that hit Commer's, My Dad had been called up to the REs early 44 so luckily was away. A couple of families in our street lost people in that attack. Sorry I digress. I wonder if my parents ever realised how far I used to wander to see the trucks and planes.

On a totally seperate tack where can I obtain a 1944 or similar Census number list please //
thanks again David
regards TED
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Old 19-09-08, 13:16
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Default Census Nos

I have Chevrolet, Ford, Dodge and Fargo listings but for a complete >1944 DOMESTIC theatre listing contact Groucho:
http://www.milweb.net/go/groucho/

The Vauxhall Dunstable Plant was built near the AC-Delco Plant of course (then AC-Sphinx Spark Plug Co Ltd). During the war some associated company, Delco-Reny & Hyatt Ltd, production was moved from the DRH factory in Grosvenor Embankment next to the Victoria railway bridge over the Thames to part of the AC-Sphinx Plant. This was basically tank electrical wiring looms etc. moved by the Ministry (of Supply?) away from the vulnerable Thames-side location to somewhere inland, safe from bombing. DRH used to manufacture electric motors for hanger doors, and Hyatt bearings for the doors! AC-Sphinx produced sparking plugs for the war effort and contact-breakers, etc.

After the war negotiations started in earnest in 1948 to allow General Motors Ltd to build a dedicated truck plant as Luton did not have the capacity to expand. They forced the exchange control comittee's hands and GM invested £25 million in dollars in the end to acquire more land next to that bought in 1938.
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Old 20-09-08, 21:38
ted angus ted angus is offline
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Thanks David, I look forward top the day when yopu cann publish your Vauxhall Motors photos,
re the listing of census numbers awaiting word from groucho
regards TED
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Old 20-09-08, 22:59
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I am hoping that it's going to be in an issue next year.

Saw a flat-front Bedford 'RAF' tanker at Goodwood Revival today. Nice one!
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Old 03-10-08, 04:21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by David_Hayward View Post
I thought that I ought to start a new thread about Vauxhall's Dunstable Plant.




Under the Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Regulations, a code was stamped on all reconditioned engines so that any defective units or assemblies could be traced to their source. A code reference number consisting of symbols, indicating the repairer, followed by numerals indicating the month and year of overhaul.

D.Ds.M.E. of Commands were to allot a serial number to each Command workshop in their Command which used the above reference letters. The appropriate number was to be stamped on repaired assemblies imediately following the reference letters, e.g. NOR/4/- which would indicate, say, Scorton workshops.

The standard position for the code reference numbers on engines was agreed with the Ministry of Supply. In the case of other engines or assemblies where no special position was specified, the reference number was to be stamped adjacent to the makers’ serial number. E.g. AEC were to be stamped on the offside of the engine at the front end of the cylinder block.



The following reference letters had been allotted to workshops and commands [by 1944]:

COMMAND WORKSHOPS, ROYAL ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL ENGINEERS:
ALDERSHOT: ALD/-
CATTERICK: CAT/-
HIGH WYCOMBE,.BUCKINGHAMSHIRE: HWB/-
MILL HILL [LONDON] MHL/-
BOVINGTON: BOV/-
CHILWELL: CHL/-
BICESTER: BIC/-
LINWOOD: LIN/-
GREENFORD/- GRE/-
DONNINGTON: DON/-

R.C.E.M.E. WORKSHOP, BORDON: BOR/-
G.M.C., CLECKHEATON: G.M.C./-
ROLLS-ROYCE LIMITED: RRN/-
VAUXHALL MOTORS LTD., DUNSTABLE^: VMD/-
SELF-CHANGING GEARS LIMITED: SCG/-
DAVID BROWN LTD., HUDDERSFIELD: DBH/-
MINISTRY OF SUPPLY REPAIRERS,OTHER THAN THE ABOVE*: MS/-
WORKSHOP DETACHMENT, R.E.M.E., D.H. WICKHAM AND CO., WARE: DWW/-
WORKSHOP DETACHMENT, R.E.M.E., L.P.T.B.,ACTON]: LPTB/-
COMMAND WORKSHOPS, R.E.M.E. OTHER THAN THE ABOVE:
NORTHERN COMMAND NOR
SOUTHERN COMMAND SOU
EASTERN COMMAND ECO
WESTERN COMMAND WES
SCOTTISH COMMAND SCT
LONDON DISTRICT LON
NORTHERN IRELAND DISTRICT
My family lived at 233 Luton Road and I was born in a maternity home at Battlesden/Dunstable. How about that!

I wasn't a witness to the event but apparently the Lufwaffe targetted either the Vauxhall plant or the airport. Hitting neither, the bombs blew up a millinery and there were thousands of hats blowing in the wind the next day.

Our family scooted up to Scotland to avoid any more air raids. In late 1944 we moved back to London since the bombing was all over, right?

Wrong! I got blown out of a window into a coalbin suffering concussion, broken arm and an eye affliction which I still have.

Ironic...escape to Scotland to avoid raids, then get V1d or V2d on return to "safe" London.

Thanks for the thread, David.
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PRONTO SENDS
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  #8  
Old 03-10-08, 09:49
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Default Luton

Thanks for that Jon! I heard in the past from our now passed-on Vauxhall employee who rememebers the bombing of the plant. It is suggested that the Luftwaffe were heading for the Percival Aircraft factory at Luton Airport as it became. It is possible that they mistook the buildings.

From my notes:
"The Luftwaffe bombed the Luton Plant on 30 August, 1940, and 39 workers were killed and over 40 seriously injured. Despite extensive damage, production was delayed just three days."
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Old 04-10-08, 01:25
ted angus ted angus is offline
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Default Vauxhall Motors Ltd

The first air raid on Luton 30 Aug 1940 came without any alert and with no opposition.
Total toll was 59 dead 140 injured. With Vauxhall bearing the brunt. Interrogation of target maps post war didn't really clarify the actual target. Luton at that time was a pretty compact town, if you look at Google earth you will see only a boundary fence seperates the Airport from Vauxhall; that area was one big target. Luton Airport was the title even then, it was Luton corporation owned.
The incident mentioned by Jon was on 15 Oct 1940 where bombs fell on the Old Bedford Rd Area, The publication Luton at War shows the thousands of hats carpeting the surrounding streets including Fredrick St. the toll was 13 dead 35 injured. The Airport/Vauxhall area was a repeat target, later raids overshot the target and the Park square area took the brunt, including the Bus garage and one of the the AFS stations. In 1944 the Commer-Karrier Biscot Rd factory was hit by a V2,
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Old 04-10-08, 11:04
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Thanks. I knew that that there was another attack (at least). AN ACCOUNT OF OUR STEWARDSHIP mentions 39 lost their lives including one girl, and 40 others were seriously injured. Production resumed September 5th. A few weeks later in the warly morning of Sunday 6th October, more bombs weerd ropped and only one persom was slightly injured.

I have some I think if not all of the details of the Dagenham attacks, The one that I know personally about through my Godfather was that on 'Packards', actually Leonard Williams (19XX( Ltd in The Great West Toad at Brentford, Middlesex. A V1 hit it and killed a heck of a lot of people including women. The company were working on Packard Merlins at the time. Next door was Lincoln Cars Ltd who were at the time refurbishing Ford and Mercury V-8s. My G/father was not suppsed to be there but used to use Packard's canteen. He was injured when some roofing asbestos caught him in the leg. The Lincoln Cars' foreman led a rescue attempt and found that there had been a burst gas pipe and people were trapped behind flames. For this work the foreman was awarded the MBE.
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