Open Writing

An early project passed down to Reyrolle from the shipyards, was the construction of Wireless/Telegraphy (W/T) cabins for the Royal Navy. By 1943, a total of 38 Corvettes and 16 Frigates W/T cabins had been completed and installed. The wireless telegraphy work was so complicated that a section of the Admiralty Signals Establishment was stationed at Hebburn for final inspection purposes.

It was also not uncommon for work to be re-directed to Reyrolle from bomb damaged factories or shipyards throughout the country. An example was a two-inch rocket project that was being manufactured in the midlands. Many essential drawings were lost in a raid and new drawings had to be prepared by Reyrolle draughtsmen. A prototype was prepared in four weeks and during acceptance trials, was inspected by no less a person that the Prime Minister - Winston Churchill.

Reyrolle's work for the Royal Navy expanded so much that before the end of the war, the Company was doing near-complete ship refits. The work included over 200 staff working on main engines, auxiliaries, boilers, steering gear and numerous pieces ofequipment.

In February 1942, Reyrolle was asked to help the Royal Air Force with a programme to increase fighter aircraft production. As there was no space or labour available at Hebburn, it was necessary to establish new manufacturing facilities at another site. The location chosen was an industrial building then used by the C.W.S. at Pelaw, about two miles away. After negotiation, the C. W. S. released half the building and Reyrolle added another 20,000 square feet extension. By June 1942 - only four months after the initiation of the project - the first machines were in place and 500 new operators, mostly women, were being trained to produce De Havilland variable pitch constant speed propellers.

A similar thing happened again in October 1942, when Reyrolle was approached by the Ministry of Aircraft Production, concerning the manufacture of a gyro-gunsight. This was an automatic apparatus that used optics, mechanics and electro-magnetics, to enable a pilot or gunner to determine the range and speed of an enemy plane for a gun target. It had been developed by the Royal Air Force, who were now looking for a manufacturing site. Ashington was selected as the new site and as it required a complete new set of buildings, it was nearly a year before the first components were produced. One of the main reasons for the location of the new factory was the availability of female labour. Over one hundred and fifty women were sent to schools in Newcastle, to learn the elements of turning, drilling, milling, inspection and other trades, while the factory was being built. Production began in 1943 and eventually the Ashington Reyrolle factory employed over 700 personnel.

The Bushing Company was not to be outdone by these additional activities and opened two factories at the Team Valley Trading Estate, Gateshead, to produce various moulded fabric aircraft parts.

The work Reyrolle did for the Army was more varied and perhaps not so successful. By the time the Company was manufacturing Sound Locators, they had been replaced by Radar - although the same turntables were used for both pieces of equipment.

The Company was also involved with several other production programmes which never came to fruition before the end of the war. One was the "Reyrolle Gun." Originally perceived as a twin six-pounder at a time when there was a dearth of ball-bearings, forgings and appropriate alloy steels. As a consequence, plain bearings, weldings and mild steel were utilised in their place. The use of less than ideal materials, necessitated the development of particular manufacturing techniques, which introduced delays in production and eventually only one was produced. The "Reyrolle Gun" passed the firing trials but nevertheless, was never used in anger and made a quick trip to the scrap yard.