Monument record 0944601000 - The Firs, Whitchurch
Summary
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Map
Type and Period (1)
- MUNITIONS FACTORY (Modern - 1940 AD to 1946 AD)
Description
'The Firs' was requisitioned during WWII for development of secret munitions and known as 'Churchill's Toyshop'. The 'Sticking Bomb', Blacker Bombards and PIAT were devised here (B1).
'The Firs' was built in 1897 on the site of an earlier building of the same name. Between September 1940 and October 1946 it was a workshop of MIR(c) [Military Intelligence Research] (later MDI) and produced 26 different types of weapons including Sticky Bombs, the Blacker Bombard and PIAT (B2).
At least one workshop outbuilding, presumably part of the wartime complex, was still visible on the site in 2005.
February 1946. Here they developed the ‘Spiggott’ Mortar, the ‘Sticky’ bomb, and the ‘Piat’ gun. There were 250 employees including some 120 women (B3).
It was reported in January 1947 that over 60 employees were being dismissed from this Armaments Design Department of the Ministry of Supply. It was rumoured that The Firs would be used to accommodate German scientific workers employed at Westcott (B4).
Sources (4)
- <1>SBC22299 Digital archive: Council for British Archaeology. 2002. Defence of Britain database. Non ant- invasion record ID 5633.
- <2>SBC22380 Bibliographic reference: Ian Beckett & Ron Adams. 1989. Whitchurch in Camera. pp10,14.
- <3>SBC22808 Article in serial: 1946. A Whitchurch Diary.
- <4>SBC22809 Article in serial: 1947. Westcott Establishment Rumours.
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SP 80459 20449 (99m by 76m) (2 map features) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | WHITCHURCH, Aylesbury Vale, Buckinghamshire |
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (1)
Related Events/Activities (0)
Record last edited
Sep 30 2022 10:32PM
