​Coventry Ordnance Works​

​​Coventry Ordnance Works was founded in 1905 by a consortium of ship builders. During the First World War, the works produced howitzer guns, cannons and naval guns for the war effort. In 1925, due to recessions following the war, the works closed.

​In 1936, with the nation’s re-armament programme to address the threat of war, the works once again began production. With the outbreak of war in 1939, then the Blitz period in the UK, the works was a target for the Luftwaffe.

​The works itself was one of the largest buildings in the city, to this day it still stands out as a prominent landmark from the air. The main unit was 1000ft long and 250ft wide with a glass roof, the second largest in England after Crystal Palace, London. From a navigational point of view this assisted pilots with visual orientation.

​During the Second World War the Works employed a work force of approximately 9,500 people at peak production, which included around 3,000 women.

​On 28 August 1940, the city suffered its first Luftwaffe raid. The Coventry Ordnance Works was struck, with several bombs breaching the glass roof. The city’s first casualties of the Blitz were taken in this raid.

​Gordon Slater, a superintendent at the works, was on the roof on the night of this raid. “The first bomb to fall hit the old brick works in Stoney Stanton Road. The next one hit the tram depot. Then a string of seven dropped across the RN depot (works), one of them at the foot of the building.” He stated that some people were trapped in an air raid shelter on site and that they had to remain inside due to the falling glass from the roof. A rescue group was formed and had to use metal sheeting over their heads to protect themselves from the deadly falling glass.

​The factory was targeted in numerous other raids but was never destroyed. Gordon added that no employees were killed whilst working at the works during the Blitz. Sadly, one person, a man from the Pioneers Corp, took his own life following the raid in August.