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SCWS in Wartime

Glasgow City Archives, Photographic Series

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SCWS in Wartime

General Bernard Montgomery on a tour of inspection of the "Flying Dustbin" landmine production facilities at the SCWS sheet metal factory, Shieldhall, probably in the early months of 1944. "Monty" commanded the British and Canadian units in Normandy on D-Day in June 1944, when Allied forces mounted an invasion of German-occupied France.

The fact that Montgomery visited Shieldhall to see for himself the production of these specialist munitions is an indication of the vital importance of the work being done there. The "Flying Dustbin" was a mortar shell fired from tanks or landing craft to destroy pillboxes and other defences, and it helped clear the Normandy beaches of both mines and enemy fortifications. The SCWS manufactured 230,000 "Flying Dustbins" in just fourteen months.

Reference: P9091/23

Reproduced with the permission of Glasgow City Council, Libraries Information and Learning

Keywords:
D-Day, flying dustbins, landmines, mortar shells, munitions workers, Scottish Co-operative Wholesale Society, SCWS, Second World War, Sheet Metal Factory, women workers



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