"Wood goes to War"

[dromia]

I got sent this link to the Scottish film archive for this half hour gem, a contemporary WW2 documentary, no sound, about the work of the Glasgow furniture-making firm of H. Morris & Co. during the Second World War making No4 furniture.

They also seem to do P14 furniture as well which is intriguing and there are views of what are said to be "bouncing bomb" casings in it as well. A very labour intensive process compared to the current robot, CNC manufacturing processes, nice to see the use of go-no go gauging and the final makers code stamp, N49 if I remember correctly, being applied.

I've seen excerpts from this film over the years but this is the first time I've seen it complete, thanks Joe.


http://ssa.nls.uk/film.cfm?fid=1509

[Chapuis]

You are right sir it is a little gem. I enjoyed watching that.

[knewmans]

Fascinating and a delight.

[Rearlugs]

Health & safety....? Er.....

Nothing like spending all day dunking your arms in vats of warm linseed oil and creosote...

[waterford103]

Excellent stuff ,I doubt there are the skills now to do all that .

[knewmans]

Not just the linseed oil. Sawdust is very carcinogenic. Not an extractor in sight.

[mas36]

Well done dromia, a great find.

[jjvc]

I read somewhere the P14 stocks were made by Morris & Co. for Patt 14 rifles undergoing the WRS. Around 11,000 sets of furniture being manufactured.

Joe

[dromia]

"P-14 stocks:- They had a contract for '6000 Stocks Mk.11 w/band stop pin' dated
21-11-40 (later increased by 100) at a unit cost of £1-4/8. The completion date
is not given, although there is reference to a 'CIA Completion Report 16/1/46'
which must have been tidying up the contact paperwork at the end of the war.
This may not have been the only contract."

Courtesy James West, HBSA.