Mexborough and Swinton Times December 14, 1918

The Shell Girls
Merry Night At Kilnhurst
Story Of A Fine Performance
Mr Baker’s Tribute To Devoted Patriotism

Some hundred of women and girls employed until recently in the Shell Shop at the Kilnhurst Steel Works (Messrs J.Baker and Co Ltd.) gathered on Saturday evening for a final leave taking with the firm and with their workmates who are continuing in employment.

It was a bright joyous function and the girl shown any amount of enthusiasm from start to finish at the proceedings.

The main attraction was a dance, which was held in the Church Hall, Kilnhurst, but during the evening there was a mass of presentations, and the Cooperative Hall, Kilnhurst, was filled with a cheering, humorous throng, assembled to witness them.

The present were displayed on the platform, which was draped with bunting. On one side of the platform was displayed the very striking picture of the Shell Shop, recently pained by Mr. Stanhope Forbes, R.A., and on the other side was a reproduction of this picture, a copy of which is to be presented to every woman who has worked in the Shell Shop.

link to BBC Article : https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p01s4nvt

The Other Side of the Picture.

Mr. T. S. Clarke (night foreman) presided over the gathering. The Chairman said that when last he had the honour of appearing on a platform they were all very much excited about the 250,000 Russians who were then passing through England. (Laughter.) A great deal had happened since then. At that tune he was struck with the words of a very wise man.: “Let us so act during this war that when the crisis is past we can look back and feel proud of the part we have taken in it.” He believed the ladies present could look back and feel proud of the part they had taken in the war. (Hear, hear.) They had heard a good deal about the good time the munition girls had had, and the high wages they had enjoyed, but there was another side to the picture.

He had himself, while in charge of the night shift, seen as many as nine girls faint at their work within an hour, and yet those girls had stayed and finished the shift, keeping the presses going. He saw one poor woman knocked down by a locomotive engine. She was picked up, apparently in a dying condition. Although suffering extreme pain she said ” Never mind, the lads out there are going through worse than this.” (Applause.) He had seen girls saturated with water from burst pipers, go home to change their clothes and come back to finish the shift. He had seen a girl, severely and painfully injured at the press, sit down and work at the stamping machine until she had to he carried from the shop and sent home in a cab.

They knew how treacherous was the neighbourhood of the works in bad weather, owing to the proximity of th railways ant the canal yet never once had a shift been stopped by the failure of women to brave these dangers in fog, sleet, snow, or storm. He thought that was highly creditable. He had been in France, and had come across instances of heroism there, but he did not forget that the munition girls of England, and of Kilnhurst, had risen to a high level of heroism during the war. He had unbounded admiration of them, and should always feel proud to have had the privilege of working with them. (Applaii9e.)

Mrs. Diggle, On behalf of the work-girls, presented to Mr. George Baker, O.B.E., a director of the firm, a silver Inkstand.

The Pioneers.

Mr. George Baker, in reply, said: “I hardly know how to thank you for this ‘beautiful present. I feel that it is misplaced and that I ought to be making a present to you.. I have always tried to treat to treat you with the utmost courtesy, as your sex entitles you to be treated, and perhaps I have had some measure of success. (Hear, hear)

when I looked back at the work you have done and filled with wonder you have ever managed to do it. There was a time–it does not seem very long ago—when the call for men from the Army came, and the general comment was then: “Well, you can have either men or shells, but you can’t have both. Then the women of Britain stepped into the breach, in the country got both men and shells

The women have worked like Trojans, doing the work we thought only men could do. It may be that in some part of England women have done as much in the way of Shell forging as you have done, but if there is such a place I have neither seen nor heard- of it. (Laughter and applause.) ‘

The nearest approach I know was in Glasgow. It was in Glasgow that I first saw women forging shells. But we have gone better than Glasgow. We have employed a higher proportion of women here. Some places, even some national factories, have made nothing like our use of woman, power. I was in a national factory seine three months ago, and was astonished to find that the work you have been doing has been done there by men. At about the same time I got a letter from the Labour Department of the Ministry of Munitions, referring to a visit their representative had paid to our works. They asked us to employ more women. I wrote back and told them that, I was under the impression that we were pioneers in the employment of women on shell-forging. I told them how many women were employed, andi asked them ‘whether there was any place in the country where a higher proportion of women was employed. They did not reply, becamse they could not find such. A place. (Applause)

Wonderful Output

There was no place anywhere in England where women have done better than have the women of Kilnhurst. (Applause) I might perhaps give you a few figures on what you are accomplished.

Taking the Rotherham words and these together, made altogether over 5 ½ million shell forgings – (applause) and of that quantity over 4 million having made at Kilnhurst. (Cheers)

Of 4.5 forging we have made 1,114,000, of sixty pounders 660,000, of 6 inch nearly 200,000, of 8 inch  nearly 90,000, of 9.242 thousand, of 18 pounders h.e. 76,000, of 18 pounders shrapnel 7,000, of 4 inch 80,000. Of the base adapters of various times, the bulk have been made at Brinsworth.

The total is 1,300,000. We have also made half a million six inch “noses,” and 1,266,000 burst containing forgings. (Applause)

another thing I want to tell you is that we have had special visits to the works, and now visitors have all expressed admiration of the way the women were working. A party of Belgian, who came from Mexborough to look at the container forging, and no ice with them, can only look at the women working. (Laughter and applause.)

Mr Clarke had said something about the hardships you have had to endure. It has been a great matter of regret to us that that was necessary, but we could not have everything right, we pushed for the output, and I am sure that in that we only did what you wished us to do. (Hear, hear.) It has not been a dancing lesson: that it has been real hard work, and I appreciate it. There is very great credit due to you and to everyone who has taken part.

A Decoration for the Factory

I am wearing to-night for the first time the decoration bestowed upon me by the King – (loud and continuous applaud – and I want to say, as I’ve said all along, that I do not look upon that as a personal honour

I do not think mere civilians should have these honours; they should go to the fighting men. (Hear, hear). But as a mark of appreciation of the work done at our works—and in this every one of you may claim a share –I very highly indeed. It is not an honour to me, it is an on to every one in the works. There is just one thing more I want to mention, and that is the picture here. I am sorry we were unable to obtain a suitable frame in time, but it is going to be exhibited, to better advantage. I hope, in the Carnegie Hall at Swinton. (Hear, hear.)                You see here also a copy of the reproduction. We Hope to have those for you before Long (Applause.)

I wish. to thank you most utterly once more, for the very handsome present you have given me.” (Applause)

War Memorial Gift

Mrs. Diggle then handed to Mr. Baker a cheque for £30, the unexpended balance of the Women’s Sick Fund, and desired him to present it to the Swinton War Memorial Fund.(Later it was decided that if a, separate War Memorial Fiind was opened for Kilnhurst, half the amount should go to that fund).

Mr. Smith then presented to Mr. Edward Baker a silver ink stand. In acknowledging the gift, Mr. Edward Baker humorously protested that his brother had ” stolen his thunder.” He wanted to , say how very much he appreciated what had been done at the works, and he could tell them that it was just as warmly appreciated in London. (Hear, hear).

When he heard the figures of output recited, he marvelled that there was a German left alive. (Loud applause.)