The Locomotives, Railway and History 1915-1920 of National Shell Filling Factory No.6 Chilwell

This is the third book by Colin Judge dealing with World War One munitions factories. Chilwell produced over 50% of the shells used in France during WW1 and was one of the largest, most modern factories of its time. It was conceived, designed, and controlled by Lord Chetwynd, for the Ministry of Munitions. The book’s ten chapters cover subjects such as the identification of a suitable site, the factory’s construction, operation, and its employees’ conditions. It had a fleet of nine locomotives, and these are dealt with in a 32-page chapter. The catastrophic explosion that occurred at the heart of the factory on 1 July 1918, killing 134 people and injuring 246 more (many seriously), is studied in detail. It was the greatest loss in any of the munition’s factories during WW1. There are 144 softback pages, with 145 plates (many in colour) including 69 Imperial War Museum photographs, plus maps and plans, etc.