Description
Object description
British civilian apprentice and toolmaker at Darlington Forge Steelworks in Darlington, GB, 1936-1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Darlington, GB, 1920-1936: father's engineering career; family; family home; character of local neighbourhood; religious and family life; passing clothing down through family; childhood games; character of education.
REEL 2 Continues: examinations; effects of Depression on area; soup kitchens; political activities in area; employment as errand boy, 1934; teenage activities; second job with engineering company, 1935. Recollections of period as apprentice with Darlington Forge Steelworks in Darlington, GB, 1936-1941: joining steelworks, 1936; working with experienced worker; nature of high precision work.
REEL 3 Continues: character of apprenticeship; early training; apprenticeship period; wage; need to acquire own tools; mentoring by experienced worker; nature of Admiralty work; work including shafting; training as tool maker; need for great accuracy and to read drawings; further education; tool working; move into Tool Room; description of work carried out in Tool Room; start of war work in 1937; work on guns; stages of training for apprentices; start of overtime, 1939; work on warships; start of blackout at steelworks, 9/1939; accidents; problems with blackouts; Air Raid Precautions training; working shifts; character of experienced craftsmen and foreman; tricks played on apprentices.
REEL 4 Continues: effects of lack of craftsmen after start of Second World War; arrival of women in the works; death of brother. Aspects of period as toolmaker with Darlington Forge Steelworks in Darlington, GB, 1941-1945: lack of information on what they were engineering parts for; making anchors and chains for Mulberry Harbour, 1943; casting 1000lb bombs; working on 80mm gun barrels; landing craft work and destroyer rudders; use of own furnaces; machining 2 Pounder Gun; use of reference number so work could be traced; instances of forging failure; skilled workforce; health and safety issues; factory inspectors; wages; unions; call up to armed forces and deferment; presence of unskilled workers in works.