 |
| Copyright Fox Photos / Hulton Archive / Getty Images |
The terrible fate that befell Coventry on the night of 14th / 15th November 1940 is etched in the minds of all that lived and worked there, but also in the minds of millions who have only read about it.
It was, in the context of WWII however, unexpected only in its ferocity, since as early as 1936 the Government had realised that rearmament was a necessity and had implemented a plan by which aircraft production would be enormously and quickly increased. This required the building of numerous new factories and in May 1936 the government met the leading motor manufacturers in the Midlands to discuss how they could help achieve this dramatically increased production. This led to the urgent construction of enormous 'shadow ' factories around Coventry. And on 23rd July 1936, Sir Alfred Herbert himself was told by the defence services that the planned rearmament drive would require almost 18,000 new machine tools costing in the region of £10m (about £500m today). This meant the huge expansion of Alfred Herbert's already massive works at Edgwick so that it would eventually occupy 22 acres. Sir Alfred himself clearly saw that war was inevitable following the Munich Crisis of September 1938 and had given instructions for the works to be 'blacked-out' and a night shift added.
During the lull that extended through the first winter of the war, The Times published a series of articles under the heading 'Great Britain in War-Time' and one of these appeared on 8th February 1940 entitled 'Coventry's Task'. "Coventry', it read, 'is a great centre of the machine tool industry which in war-time might almost be termed a master-key industry. Coventry makes machines that make the munitions. It is, therefore, contributing to the production of war supplies not only directly, its own munition factories, but by equipping engineering shops all over the country with precision tools. The principal war task allotted to Coventry is to turn out aeroplanes, aero engines and aircraft accessories, besides machine tools. The so-called shadow factories for aircraft construction are today things of substance; the eight of which are in or near Coventry will all be in full production within the next few months'.
This 1200-word article, highlighting Coventry's rapid and continuing expansion and it's crucial importance to British wartime armament production reads (with hindsight) practically as an invitation for Germany to bomb the city. And indeed less devastating bombing did begin in early 1940 continued until 1942, actually killing more people in the city than the November raid itself.
During the terrible raid of November 1940, Sir Alfred and Lady Herbert were fortunately in Leamington. The citation for Sir Alfred's induction into Coventry's 'Walk of Fame' records:
'They maintained a simple flat ‘over the works’ at Edgewick and used to stay there in the week. However during the war when bombing was expected, they were persuaded to stay with his granddaughter June Vapenik and her husband at Leamington Spa. On the awful night of 14th / 15th November 1940 they were there, and she can remember him watching in agony from the windows, pacing up and down saying ‘My poor men, my poor men’. His granddaughter later took in five refugees from the city, as many did.'
There is no available record of how many of Alfred Herbert employees died or were injured in the raid, or how badly damaged the Edgwick works was. Both were probably war-time secrets. But the works continued to turn-out crucial machine tools throughout the war and Sir Alfred continued to spend much of his time there, often visiting the shop floor at night, talking to the men, cigarette in hand. He cared greatly for his employees and their families.
Return to Index
