A vital role in our
WHEN Brenda Coats married into the Bird family she had no idea how their work in the war years affected history.
Brenda’s husband was Tom, son of Thomas Griffin Bird, who became a managing director of one of Tyneside’s major employers. When the Second World War broke out, Thomas was in charge at engineering firm Armstrong Whitworth, which had factories in Newcastle and Gateshead.
The firm as a whole were general engineers, shipbuilders and iron-founders, with particular interests in the development of transport by rail, sea and road.
But part of it turned to producing 500lb armour-piercing bombs and played a vital role in our victory. The firm had already made a major contribution in the First World War, with the first ever tanks deployed at the Battle of the Somme having guns made by Armstrong Whitworth.
By 1918, and the end of the World War One, Armstrong Whitworth
was easily the biggest employer in the region, providing work for around 60,000 people.
And in 1927, the defence and engineering businesses were merged with those of Vickers to create a subsidiary company Vickers-armstrongs.
And now, following the 75th VE Day anniversary, Brenda, now 90 years old, wants to tell this North East generation the importance their ancestor factory workers played in us winning the war.
She has dug deep into her family archives to share a private government letter sent to her fatherin-law by Minister for Air Production JJ Llewellin thanking him and his dedicated employees for their efforts after producing 50,000 bombs.
Dated October 27, 1943 it says: “Dear Major Bird, I write to congratulate you and all your people on the production of your 50,000th armour piercing bomb. You may well feel proud of this achievement. I know that you had great difficulties to overcome. You started an entirely new system of production for bombs and have made of it a triumphant success. I write to send my personal thanks and congratulations to you, Mr Scott, the works manager and all your workers who have contributed to this splendid result.
“You have played a most valuable part on our bomber offensive against the enemy. Yours sincerely, JJ Llewellin.”
Brenda, who was only nine years old when war broke out, was evacuated from her home in Tynemouth to Alnwick Castle. At this time her future husband Tom, 10 years her senior, was already