Longbridge Factory

[mac UK]

My Dad worked in the stores department, he was a shop steward in the early 70's. is there any photos of the workers?. other than outside the Gates.

 

[superdad3]

Came across this phot for sale on Ebay. Said to be tank assembly at Longbridge Plant about 1941. Never heard of that before [I knew they made aeroplanes for the war effort] . Can anyone vouch for this or identify it as Longbridge from roof structure etc?

 

[Godber]

Came across this phot for sale on Ebay. Said to be tank assembly at Longbridge Plant about 1941. Never heard of that before [I knew they made aeroplanes for the war effort] . Can anyone vouch for this or identify it as Longbridge from roof structure etc?
View attachment 218955

By the look of it that’s a Crusader tank, apparently they were built primarily at the Nuffield factory on Drews Lane. Can’t find any evidence that Crusaders were assembled at Longbridge.

 

[superdad3]

Have now carried out a bit more research on line and yes Crusader tanks were made at Longbridge although as Godber mentioned the main production site was at Nuffield/Drews Lane. One site suggests that tank parts, specifically over 36,000 suspension units, were made at Longbridge rather than the complete assembly of the Crusader tank itself but the photographic evidence suggests otherwise.

Of course Longbridge was a major producer for the war effort - tanks, ammunition, planes, military vehicles, steel helmets and lots more. Birmingham initiative/metal working at its best.



Longbridge c1941.

Finally, my wife has just mentioned that her mother was directed to war work at Longbridge and mentioned tank production. Interesting bit of family history.