The History of Ruddington Depot
HomeThe StoryInterviewsPhotographsResources
Wartime Operations
Overcapacity
One of the largest buildings on clean side was a white elephant. It was designed to produce shellite, an explosive compound, to fill both bombs and shells within the same building. Tools, cans and defective ammunition were washed under the same roof and the waste water was discharged into the Ruddington sewage system. When fully operational, 40,000lbs of shellite could be made and used for filling each week. This would have required a labour force of 3,200 people working 3 shifts per day, but maximum production never rose above 6,000lbs per week.
The plant began to produce shellite on 15th October 1942, but closed on the 30th October for three weeks alterations. It never worked continuously thereafter, and was out of action by July 1943. Technical problems may have been responsible for the closure, but the building was probably no longer required .
By 1943 the production of ammunition nationally reached a very high level of productivity, which was attributed in part to the commitment and skill of the female labour force. If the index of shells and bombs produced in 1939 is taken as 100 the index for 1943 was 1,023 .
From 1944 onwards output was reduced as stocks of surplus ammunition had built up. Some of the planned filling factories were never needed. The three-shift system continued unchanged in Ruddington and there was no obvious cutback in production, but R.O.F Ruddington never reached its planned size. The total workforce probably never exceeded 3,000 people, rather than the 6,000 originally envisaged. It is even possible that shell filling never actually took place in Ruddington.
It may be that the buildings were never used to capacity and that by the time the Depot became operational, the need for ammunition declined, but there may have been another reason for the closure of the shellite building. On three occasions between October 1942 and January 1944 cattle died, it was alleged, after drinking contaminated water from Gibson’s Dyke, downstream from the Depot. Subsequent investigation indicated a slight possibility of leakage and pollution by shellite waste water. The Ministry of Supply did not accept responsibility, but nevertheless paid compensation to the owners of the cattle .
The Story > Chapter 3 > Section 3.12