WW1 1914-1918
The year before
1913 - The family moved to Baslow Hall in Derbyshire to escape the polluted air around Manchester and their youngest child Yvonne was born. For the first time in his life he had financial security, due to a steady flow of income from his patents. In family letters he describes this time- in particular the summer of 1914 - as the happiest the family had ever had
Saving Ferranti Ltd
1914 - On 29 May, Mr Anderson – managing Director of Ferranti died He was on a huge ship - The Empress of Ireland - which went down in the St Lawrence River, Canada. (1,476 passengers lost) (Titanic 1912 lost 1,500)
The board of Ferranti Ltd contemplated shutting down the company altogether because of this and because of falling exports (due to the build up to war).
Sebastian thought otherwise, seeing that the government would need artillery support (Munitions)
1914 June The last happy family summer all together
The year before
1913 - The family moved to Baslow Hall in Derbyshire to escape the polluted air around Manchester and their youngest child Yvonne was born. For the first time in his life he had financial security, due to a steady flow of income from his patents. In family letters he describes this time- in particular the summer of 1914 - as the happiest the family had ever had
Saving Ferranti Ltd
1914 - On 29 May, Mr Anderson – managing Director of Ferranti died He was on a huge ship - The Empress of Ireland - which went down in the St Lawrence River, Canada. (1,476 passengers lost) (Titanic 1912 lost 1,500)
The board of Ferranti Ltd contemplated shutting down the company altogether because of this and because of falling exports (due to the build up to war).
Sebastian thought otherwise, seeing that the government would need artillery support (Munitions)
1914 June The last happy family summer all together
The last happy summer - all the family at Baslow
1914 July 28 War declared
His sons Basil and Vincent were eager to join up as soon as possible
Sebastian -
Dr Ferranti returned to Ferranti Ltd after a 10 year absence.
He realised that there was 2 ways to fight the enemy
One was directly on the battle field
The other was in trade
He said;-
“It should be as much of our policy to permanently cripple our enemies in trade as it is to defeat them in war, and all means to that end should relentlessly pursued"
He had 2 immediate battles
1. With the board of Ferranti
2. With The Government, who refused to admit to a shortage of shells.
1915 Feb 28 - in a letter to Gertrude he described how he had – managed to persuade the board of Ferranti and was therefore able to make an offer to The War Office to make large quantities of shells. This fell on deaf ears - initially.
However
1915 March 1915 - There was The shell crisis – The Great Shell Scandal - followed
By a fall of government as a result.
Asquith fell - replaced by Lloyd George.
After that Ferranti was able to persuade the new Ministry of Munitions.
The 'Shell Scandal', as it became popularly and widely known, was generated by publication of the British Commander-in-Chief's view that a shortage of munitions led directly to the failure of the British offensive at Neuve Chapelle in March 1915.
Ferranti invested £50,000 of his own money (an expensive bank loan) to convert a large part of the
Works into a place suitable for the manufacture of munitions.
The main work was forging, machining and finishing
6-inch and
8-inch HE shells.
18-pounder HE shells
Fuzes and Gaines
1915 September Ferranti became almost entirely engaged in work for the Ministry of Munitions
His wife Gertrude approved of his involvement in munitions. Both of their older sons where away fighting and in need of
ammunition, particularly Basil, who was in The Royal Artillary.
The company needed to employ many woman as most men were abroad with the army. Miss Forbes was brought from
Scotstoun near Glasgow to be lady supervisor. She and Gertrude employed the first woman when they went together to the labour exchange. It was Miss Forbes' home that the boys had stayed in, whilst getting engeering training at Yarrow in
Scotstoun Glasgow
Women and Belgian refugees (Royton Hall Oldham) were employed.
It is fascinating to think of women doing such work
His sons Basil and Vincent were eager to join up as soon as possible
Sebastian -
Dr Ferranti returned to Ferranti Ltd after a 10 year absence.
He realised that there was 2 ways to fight the enemy
One was directly on the battle field
The other was in trade
He said;-
“It should be as much of our policy to permanently cripple our enemies in trade as it is to defeat them in war, and all means to that end should relentlessly pursued"
He had 2 immediate battles
1. With the board of Ferranti
2. With The Government, who refused to admit to a shortage of shells.
1915 Feb 28 - in a letter to Gertrude he described how he had – managed to persuade the board of Ferranti and was therefore able to make an offer to The War Office to make large quantities of shells. This fell on deaf ears - initially.
However
1915 March 1915 - There was The shell crisis – The Great Shell Scandal - followed
By a fall of government as a result.
Asquith fell - replaced by Lloyd George.
After that Ferranti was able to persuade the new Ministry of Munitions.
The 'Shell Scandal', as it became popularly and widely known, was generated by publication of the British Commander-in-Chief's view that a shortage of munitions led directly to the failure of the British offensive at Neuve Chapelle in March 1915.
Ferranti invested £50,000 of his own money (an expensive bank loan) to convert a large part of the
Works into a place suitable for the manufacture of munitions.
The main work was forging, machining and finishing
6-inch and
8-inch HE shells.
18-pounder HE shells
Fuzes and Gaines
1915 September Ferranti became almost entirely engaged in work for the Ministry of Munitions
His wife Gertrude approved of his involvement in munitions. Both of their older sons where away fighting and in need of
ammunition, particularly Basil, who was in The Royal Artillary.
The company needed to employ many woman as most men were abroad with the army. Miss Forbes was brought from
Scotstoun near Glasgow to be lady supervisor. She and Gertrude employed the first woman when they went together to the labour exchange. It was Miss Forbes' home that the boys had stayed in, whilst getting engeering training at Yarrow in
Scotstoun Glasgow
Women and Belgian refugees (Royton Hall Oldham) were employed.
It is fascinating to think of women doing such work
Female Ferranti member of staff at Hollinwood making munitions
917 May There was a short strike of skilled men who were frightened of being called up
1917 July Basil Died of wounds –“On Flanders Fields”
1918 Dr Ferranti sent a letter to Vincent which is a perfect example of crazy government
“Just before leaving, we had a letter from the Ministry signed by Churchill asking us to use every endeavour to make all the 6” we can produce. By the same post, and of the same date, we also received a letter from the Ministry telling us on no account to exceed our 3,000 per week! We sent a copy of this last to the Minister and asked what he thought about it”
1918 November Vincent returned
1018 December Vincent became engaged to my grandmother Dorothy
The nightmare was over?
No
1919 January Dr Ferranti's daughter Yolanda age 16 died of appendicitis
There were two children less than in the photo at the top of the page
1917 July Basil Died of wounds –“On Flanders Fields”
1918 Dr Ferranti sent a letter to Vincent which is a perfect example of crazy government
“Just before leaving, we had a letter from the Ministry signed by Churchill asking us to use every endeavour to make all the 6” we can produce. By the same post, and of the same date, we also received a letter from the Ministry telling us on no account to exceed our 3,000 per week! We sent a copy of this last to the Minister and asked what he thought about it”
1918 November Vincent returned
1018 December Vincent became engaged to my grandmother Dorothy
The nightmare was over?
No
1919 January Dr Ferranti's daughter Yolanda age 16 died of appendicitis
There were two children less than in the photo at the top of the page