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MAUD
BRUCE
,
O
.
B
.
E
.
was 22 when she came to work at Gretna.
She became a forewoman and was in charge of a Women’s Fire
Brigade unit in the factory. Six months after she arrived, on 22nd
May 1917, a fire broke out in the gun cotton drying house where
she was employed. This was always a hazardous place, as there
were large quantities of loose dry cotton lying around.
At 8pm smoke began appearing out of one of the cotton drying
machines, and within a few minutes the room was full of it.
Flames began spreading rapidly to the layers of cotton within
the machinery, which would catch quickly. Maud climbed the
ladder beside the machine which was around 20ft high and cut
away the burning cotton to prevent the further spread of the fire.
The other girls,encouraged by her calm actions,operated the steam
and water sprinklers to extinguish the fire.
Her actions halted the spread of the fire and encouraged the rest
of the girls to carry out their fire-fighting duties. She was awarded
the O.B.E. by the Duke of Buccleuch at Gretna on June 21st 1918
when she was 23.
Male and female workers engaged in shell and bomb production at the Carron
Company, which during the First World War diversified into munitions work in
addition to its traditional production of cast metal goods such as stoves.