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ELIZABETH
M
C
CULLOCH
worked in the nitrating plant, where the
cotton was mixed with nitric acid and sulphuric acid. This work
was very dangerous and no metal could be worn – the uniforms had
no buttons, the boots were made of rubber and women could not
wear badges or hairpins.Elizabeth was the supervisor of a group of
the girls and was responsible for searching them before each shift
– including their hair and corsets! – to make sure no one brought
metal in with them.
ANNIE
CORRIN
came from Port St Mary on the Isle of Man and
began working at Gretna in 1917, aged 19. She first worked in the
Cordite Section separating large trays of cordite into individual
strands.This was done by taking a small handful of the cordite and
smashing the end to separate out the strands, which were then put
into boxes and weighed before having lids nailed on.
After six months, she was transferred to work outside in the
Loading Sheds.She was providedwith an oilskin coat and sou’wester
hat to add to her uniform of tunic and trousers. Her supervisor, a
man called‘Geordie’, instructed her and her co-workers on the best
methods of lifting and loading the boxes of cordite sticks onto the
trucks.The girls then pushed the trucks along rail tracks for around
a mile, until they reached another shed. The secret nature of the
factory meant she never knew what happened in these sheds but she
always remembered that there were usually girls lounging outside
this shed,seemingly drunk,because of their exposure to cordite.
26 materials of war