大象传媒

My name is Jean Raymond (nee Wyper) and I worked in Ardeer Munitions Factory in Ayrshire for 2 to 3 years during World War II when I was aged 18-20. I originally started work there because my mother was a widow - with not much money. We lived in Galston in Ayrshire and travelled to the factory by train. My work involved making bombs and high explosives and each night we were searched for anything metal as the last thing you want in a munitions factory is anything that would create a spark. We also wore special clothing which tied rather than had metal fasteners. The factory employed large numbers of staff. One night in 1941 while travelling home on the train from the factory we were pursued by a German aircraft attracted by the lights of the train. The next day we learned that he had dropped his payload of bombs over Kilmarnock either side of the railway line - killing and injuring people on the ground.
Another scary night we had at the factory was during a thunderstorm. The factory was protected by barrage balloons and the lightning was setting the balloons alight and they were dropping in flames all over the munitions factory.

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