My Memories of Malmesbury WDU During The War Years

By Alan Moltino - January 2007

I came to work for E.K. Cole in a rather unusual way because when I reached the age of 14 in January 1940, my mother, who worked for Mrs Spencer - the wife of the assistant chief engineer (Richard Spencer) showed them various items I had made in the metalwork class at school the result being that I was later asked around to their house and had a chat with Mr Spencer.

The upshot of this was that an interview was arranged with Fred Ellis - who was the foreman of the 'model shop' for the research and development department at Southend where I was offered a job as a 'trainee' when I left school at the Easter. The wage being 17/6d (about 87p) for a 5 ½ day week, which was good money for my age in 1940.

I started work immediately after the Easter break and at first was given the menial jobs like cleaning the machines and sweeping up the floors etc. but I soon got to know the engineers and quickly found myself being asked to help them and shown how to do jobs. This is when I first met Cyril Lingwood (who I was to work with for the rest of the war).

Because of the skilled manpower shortage, it was not too long before I was given responsible work to do myself working directly from engineering drawings making turned parts and other metalworking such as working milling machines although under the watchful eye of one of the skilled men.

Although I did not know the details at the time, in May 1940 Fred Ellis and Jack Leggett went off to Malmesbury to supervise the conversion of the properties in the high street since the floors needed reinforcement and electrical power etc. for the installation of machinery and equipment for the workshops at what would become WDU.

Over a period of time the Southend Model Shop was dismantled and equipment moved. I seem to remember that eventually, as the equipment was moved out, it came to a point where there was little work to do so we were all employed in helping with the break down and packing of equipment etc. which included some new 'South Bend' lathes, which came from America, a new milling machine and some 'pillar drills'

The main workshop of WDU was situated on the ground floor at the rear of Number 43a High Street Malmesbury where a new brick built building had been erected out the back of the workshop, which was equipped as 'spray shop'.

As you entered WDU from the High Street, there were small offices at the front and along the corridor; on the left there was a small parts store and at the end of the store was a staircase leading to a small room above, which housed a workbench and some lightweight equipment. This is where Mr Hutchings (Alec?) and Bob Breach - the Chargehand - worked. Opposite the store the sheets of mild steel and aluminium were kept leaning against the wall and held in place by a length of rope stretched across them and tied to an 'eye end' bolted to the wall at each end.

Further down the corridor was the entrance to the workshop where in the right hand corner were the stairs that led up to the drawing office and the laboratories. Adjacent to the stairs was a 'double door' that opened onto the rear of Mr Martins (Chief Engineer of WDU and Cowbridge) garden and house.

View North along the High Street from WDU

Across the road at No. 46a was another smaller workshop on the ground floor, which extended into No. 47. Here was housed an amount of small machinery and 'Fly Presses' and above these on the first floor was another small model shop where Cyril Lingwood and others worked.

In June 1940 I moved along with the others by coach to Malmesbury. It was a Sunday morning and if I remember correctly, some of our personal effects were taken in advance - items such as cycles and some clothing etc.

The young and the single lads went to Rodbourne House in the village of Rodbourne about 3 miles away from Malmesbury from where we cycled to and from work each day helped by the introduction of Double summer time, which gave an extra hour of daylight. I think this was mainly to help the farmers' as it was apparent that the country had to become as self sufficient as possible but this also helped industry who introduced longer working hours.

I remember that a short walk away from Rodbourne House was the 'Plough' pub and because I was a tall lad for my age, which made me look older, I was served 'Stroud' beers with no questions asked. I believe that they only sold Mild or Bitter straight from the barrel since they did not have a license for spirits despite being in the middle of nowhere. Notwithstanding this they had plenty of trade what with lots of troops stationed in the area and the Irish labourers who worked on construction of the airfields, army sites and roadworks etc.

Not long after we had all arrived and settled into our various departments, Jack Leggett who had been working with Fred Ellis in overseeing the setting up of the workshops returned to Southend in order to be moved to Aston Clinton to act as Foreman of the model shop there where a similar but smaller operation than that at WDU was set up.

Jack and Fred had been staying at the 'George' Hotel in the high street and had a great time after work over a few beers so we understood. After Jack moved, Fred was joined by his wife and son and they moved to the 'Priory' where there were other married couples and personnel from WDU.

The Priory was a very good house with comfortable surroundings, for example it had a large lounge with a Grand Piano as well as a radiogram in the corner, a snooker room complete with a full size table, a very nicely kept large garden and a separate walled garden with a vegetable plot.

From the Priory it was just a short walk past the Silk Mills into the High street and work.

We had only been at Rodbourne House for a while when one morning the young men who were on their way to work at Cowbridge (for an 8.00am start) discovered a hole in the drive from the house to the road, which turned out to be an unexploded bomb. Another was then discovered in the Orchard and a third nearby. At this point everybody was evacuated.

Looking back, everybody living in the house was so lucky and I don't think anybody heard anything during the night when the bombs were unloaded.

It seemed that the Germans would come across to bomb an airfield (although there was some suggestion that in this case it was either Bristol or Swindon - editor) and any unused bombs would be dumped on the way back to the homeland.

Those of us who worked at WDU (8.30am start) went to live at the Priory on Burton hill at the corner of the Swindon road and opposite the 'Black Horse' pub (nicknamed the Kicker) behind which a small 'pre-fab' estate was built for the Ekco workers. I remember Jim Smith lived in one with his family of three sons.

View South along the Chippenham Road from Priory House

Us WDU workers stayed at the Priory for the duration although the Cowbridge workers retuned to Rodbourne House after the bombs were removed and blown up by the Army on Malmesbury common and I remember the house shook when this happened.

I don't remember any other bombs falling on or near Malmesbury at all although there were airfields all around the vicinity and from time to time Swindon was bombed and Bristol was badly blitzed. From the top of WDU I could see the sky at night glowing red when looking towards Bristol, which was 25 miles away and showed what a pounding Bristol took.

Part Two

Bombs