Sirens Silk and Spitfires
Letchworth and the Second World War

Wartime Industry

Spirella
The production of under-garments continued at Letchworth until Spring 1942 when all corset manufacture moved to the London Factory.

The factory was used by other local enterprises: The British Tabulating Machine Company and The Irving Air Chute Company - which took over the ballroom.

Shelvoke and Drewry
Shelvoke and Drewry produced 30 ton tank recovery trailers and components for many other important wartime resources such as Churchill Tanks, anti-tank guns and bombers.

But their most spectacular production was the complete miniature submarine ‘The ‘Wellfreighter'. Six of these submarines were made in the Letchworth Garden City factory in 1944. They held just four crew members and were designed for special operations and reconnaissance work. They were shipped to Australia at great expense but the needs of war had changed and they were never used. They were destroyed after the war.

Kryn and Lahy
K & L's production for WWII included: - 2½ million mortar bombs and shells, 500,000 cast steel bombs and many thousands of steel castings for tanks and artillery equipment. In addition, the aircraft section made over 10,000 components and over a 1,000,000 parts for such aircraft as Lancasters, Hurricanes, Tempests, Whirlwinds, Typhoons etc.

They also made hundreds of Paravanes, anti-mine devices used on submarines.

The size of bombs varied from three inch trench mortar bombs to 4000 lb cast steel bombs - the same weight as around 29 people!

Jones Cranes
Jones Cranes also played an invaluable part in the war, producing over 1000 mobile cranes. These were used in many international locations including unloading the first barge to land on the beaches at Arromanches, Normandy on D-Day. To meet the demand for cranes needed for D-Day, Jones produced 180 cranes in just 25 weeks.

British Tabulating Machine Company
Also present on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day were Hollerith Machines made by the British Tabulating Machine Company. These machines stored large amounts of data that could be printed out on cards, for example, personnel details of soldiers. They were used by many government departments throughout the war and were also vital for storing covert information at Bletchley Park (see info on BTM and The Bombe).

BTM also sub-contracted for the government making aeroplane parts for Wellington and Halifax Bombers, computing units to improve aim in the 40mm anti-aircraft gun and stabilizing units.

But perhaps the most fascinating contribution to the war by BTM were the ‘Bombes', decoding machines that played such a huge part in turning the tables of war in the allies favour. Click here to read about the Letchworth Enigma.

Irving Airchute Company
Irving Airchute's produced thousands of parachutes for the war effort which saved many lives. So great was the military need that, in addition to their factory on Icknield Way, they also moved production to the Spirella Factory.

In 1941, the company's director, Leslie Irvin and Letchworth Irving Airchute employees Ivy and Eric Bucknall, spent a year in India instructing on parachute manufacture. These went into immediate use by the Indian Army on the Burma Front. He also returned in 1944 to assist with operations to increase production of chutes in aid of the besieged Allied Forces in Imphal. Later, when thanking him for his assistance, the Viceroy of India was to claim that every man in that army owed his life to Leslie Irvin.

The Caterpillar Club
The Caterpillar Club was founded by Leslie Irvin in 1922 to honour all whose lives had been saved by parachute. The Irving Air Chute Company administered applications to the club and members received a certificate and a golden caterpillar brooch. Membership was not restricted to those saved with an Irving chute.

A running total of the number of badges that had been awarded was displayed at the

Spirella factory of Irving Airchutes during the war; a good source of morale for the workers who were making parachutes at the factory. By VE Day the total displayed at the factory was 20,538.

There are over 23,000 letters to the European branch of the club for the Second World War alone. Many include detailed descriptions of what happened as well as a wealth of gratitude and thanks to Leslie Irvin and his employees.

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