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Wolverhampton's War

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Wolverhampton's War

Tag Archives: Russia

The “Star” at the Front: A great compliment to Wolverhampton enterprise

01 Friday Jun 2018

Posted by heidimcintosh in Daily life, Home front

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Tags

ambulances, chassis, France, lorries, Midland Counties Express, Red Cross, Russia, Star Engineering Company, vehicles

p0000081

The Assembly Shop at Star Engineering Co. Ltd, 1910

On 6 March 1915, the Midland Counties Express heralded the vehicles being produced by the Star Engineering Co., Ltd, and stated that “Wolverhampton’s products are giving splendid service to the nation under the stress and strain of war”.

 

The company received orders for chassis from the Russian Government “until the annual blocking of the White Sea by ice”, and large numbers of Star war lorrylorries similar to that in the photograph to the right were being ordered by the French Government. The British Government also ordered “as many vehicles as possible until further notice”. In addition, the Star Company also supplied Red Cross Ambulance vehicles. All these orders meant that the company were being tested to the limit of their output.

The article talks of a Marconi vehicle that had “rather an adventurous career”, being rushed across to Antwerp in a special boat. The car “gave excellent service, and remained on duty until the last moment, so that is was only removed out of the town just in time to avoid capture.”

There had been no complaints about any of the vehicles supplied; rather “testimonials of a glowing character have been received from both private and official sources.”

Star logo

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Samuel Hill

27 Wednesday Dec 2017

Posted by heidimcintosh in Front Line, Men who served

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Express & Star, France, Heath Town, Holly Bank Colliery, Oak View, Royal Fusiliers, Royal Scots, Russia, Samuel Hill, Scotlands, Thorneycroft Lane, Wednesfield

Samuel was born in Wolverhampton in 1897, the son of Samuel and Alice Hill. In 1901 they were living at 94 Thorneycroft Lane, Heath Town, Wolverhampton, along with Samuel’s siblings Thomas Alfred, Elisha, Alice Elizabeth and Harold. By 1911 they were at Oak View, Scotlands, and Samuel had an additional five siblings – William Henry, Emily, Beatrice, Herbert and Lily.

Samuel enlisted with the 4th Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers (service number 16690) and became a Lance Corporal. He later served as a Corporal with the Royal Scots (number 353176). He served in France from 7 December 1915 until 1 August 1916. On 26 July 1916, he received a gun shot wound in the right leg, and he was listed among the wounded in the Express & Star on 15 September 1916. He served at home from 2 August 1916 until 28 September 1918.At that point, he was transferred to Class P(T) Army Reserve, working in the Holly Bank Colliery in Staffordshire. He therefore survived the First World War. However, he appears to have rejoined his regiment at a later date, as he was killed in action in Russia on 10 August 1919, while serving with the 45th Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers. He is remembered on the Archangel Memorial, and the Wednesfield Village Roll of Honour.

The War and the Outlook: Courage and Cheerfulness of Captains of Industry

15 Wednesday Feb 2017

Posted by heidimcintosh in Daily life, Home front

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Bilston, building trade, enamelled hollowware, Germany, Hadley, iron industry, Joseph Sankey & Sons, Manor Ironworks, motor industry, railways, Russia, steel industry, trade, War Office, Wolverhampton Chamber of Commerce

At the end of 1914, on 31 December, the Express & Star reviewed the effect that the War had had on local trade. And, it seemed, things were generally positive:

Whether it be true or not that the Englishman takes his pleasures sadly, it can be confidently affirmed that he takes his wars with a sunny optimism that must surely be the envy of the Kaiser himself.

After an initial dip at the start of the war, when trade was disorganised and “some stagnation naturally resulted”, things picked up, and “the war has become simply a part of Britain’s daily business.” In terms of Wolverhampton and the local area, “it is frankly difficult to realise that elsewhere we are at grips with a foe whose only object is to crush us.”

The reasons for this increase in trade are given. The needs of the Army and the Navy ha brought a number of profitable orders to the area. Also, as the “imports of our Continental competitors” had been cut off, local businesses were able to pick up on new opportunities. Indeed, trade was so healthy that in “many of the large factories and workshops night shifts have been introduced to cope with the orders in hand.”

In terms of specific industries, the iron and steel trade had received a number of substantial orders from Government departments as a result of the war, “for which unlimited supplies will be necessary.” Russia, a big purchaser of construction and building materials, were likely to “make headway with the extension of her railway system”, which would give a further boost to the steel industry. Wolverhampton’s enamelled hollowware was an important business, but previously Germany had had “almost a monopoly” as their prices were cheaper. The war had caused this competition to collapse so Wolverhampton was able to benefit from orders both at home and abroad. The building trade was currently quieter, however the “housing question [was] being dealt with by legislation” so that should bring in additional work. Again, the motor trade had initially been badly affected by the start of the war, as many orders were cancelled or deferred. However, they started to receive orders from the War Office, paid for in cash “so the situation was saved”.

The only difficulty that was foreseen, as highlighted by Stephen Watkins, the honorary secretary of the Wolverhampton Chamber of Commerce, was that so many skilled men were enlisting in the army, so, despite the increase in trade, there was a drain on the workforce. This was highlighted at three firms in Bilston – J. Sankey and Sons., Ltd, the motor works at Hadley, and the Manor Ironworks, all had a full complement of staff and orders in hand likely to last well into the New Year. George H. Sankey “did not anticipate any slump in trade unless the war was unduly drawn own.” However, the firm already had 200 men serving with the colours and whilst “they would not place any hindrance in the way of others joining, they felt it would lead to difficulty in keeping some of the departments going.”

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