ROF Pembrey
Encyclopedia
A World War I
explosive factory, which was to be later known as NEF Pembrey was built, by Nobel's Explosives, with British
Government approval, near the village of Pembrey
, Carmarthenshire
, Wales
. The factory was built on a site consisting of mainly sandhills and sand dune
s to provide some protection against damage caused by an explosion. Its main product was TNT (Trinitrotoluene) used for shell
filling. The same site was used in World War II
to build another explosive factory ROF Pembrey, which also made TNT.
Like all explosives factories, they needed a guaranteed year-round supply of water and good transport links. The site was connected to the Great Western Railway
at Pembrey.
factory appears to have been built on a 155 acres (62.7 ha) site at Pembrey in 1882 by the New Explosive Company of Stowmarket
; it was bought by their competitors, Nobel's Explosives Company, in 1886 / 1887 and production was partially run-down. Ownership was then transferred to the South Wales Explosive Company, a subsidiary of Nobel's.
factory in 1914 with Government approval. Its construction was a response to the need to drastically increase the production of shells in World War I
(see Shell Crisis of 1915
). The Pembrey site was one of the first purpose-built TNT manufacturing sites, in the United Kingdom
, in World War I. The factory was initially owned by Nobel's Explosives, but in 1917 it was taken over by the Ministry of Munitions and it became a National Explosives Factory (NEF Pembrey).
It produced 15,000 ton
s of TNT and 20,000 tons of propellant. The site was described as some 760 acres (307.6 ha).
After the end of World War I, it closed and the administration building became a convalescence home for children from the families of unemployed miners. Its water supply works were taken over by the nearby town
of Llanelli
and used to supply the town with water.
Royal Ordnance Factories
making TNT. Unlike the other TNT ROF's, however, ROF Pembrey also made tetryl
and ammonium nitrate. Some 3,000 people were employed there in World War II.
After the end of World War II, it continued to manufacture TNT and tetryl for military use; and ammonium nitrate for agricultural
use as a fertiliser
.
From 1944 onwards, ROF Pembrey undertook breakdown of surplus ammunition
, such as 4.5 inch
anti-aircraft shells and 500 lb (226.8 kg) bombs. The TNT being steam
ed out and then burnt.
The chemical properties of explosive products manufactured or otherwise handled here, including TNT and ammonium nitrate, were continually sampled and tested in the chemical laboratory by technicians known as Junior Analysts. They included young women who were exposed to these hazardous materials on a daily basis. The title of Junior Analyst is still (2009) cited as a qualification for employment advertised in the region.
In July 1965 the majority of the site, 516 acres (208.8 ha) of leasehold land, was returned to the Forestry Commission
and now forms Pembrey Country Park
; and 96 acres (38.8 ha)of freehold land was sold to a construction company.
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
explosive factory, which was to be later known as NEF Pembrey was built, by Nobel's Explosives, with British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Government approval, near the village of Pembrey
Pembrey
Pembrey is a village in Carmarthenshire Wales, situated between Burry Port and Kidwelly, overlooking Carmarthen Bay.-History:The name Pembrey is an Anglicisation of the Welsh, Pen-bre...
, Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire is a unitary authority in the south west of Wales and one of thirteen historic counties. It is the 3rd largest in Wales. Its three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. The factory was built on a site consisting of mainly sandhills and sand dune
Dune
In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by wind. Dunes occur in different forms and sizes, formed by interaction with the wind. Most kinds of dunes are longer on the windward side where the sand is pushed up the dune and have a shorter "slip face" in the lee of the wind...
s to provide some protection against damage caused by an explosion. Its main product was TNT (Trinitrotoluene) used for shell
Shell (projectile)
A shell is a payload-carrying projectile, which, as opposed to shot, contains an explosive or other filling, though modern usage sometimes includes large solid projectiles properly termed shot . Solid shot may contain a pyrotechnic compound if a tracer or spotting charge is used...
filling. The same site was used in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
to build another explosive factory ROF Pembrey, which also made TNT.
Like all explosives factories, they needed a guaranteed year-round supply of water and good transport links. The site was connected to the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
at Pembrey.
Nineteenth century dynamite factory
A dynamiteDynamite
Dynamite is an explosive material based on nitroglycerin, initially using diatomaceous earth , or another absorbent substance such as powdered shells, clay, sawdust, or wood pulp. Dynamites using organic materials such as sawdust are less stable and such use has been generally discontinued...
factory appears to have been built on a 155 acres (62.7 ha) site at Pembrey in 1882 by the New Explosive Company of Stowmarket
Stowmarket
-See also:* Stowmarket Town F.C.* Stowmarket High School-External links:* * * * *...
; it was bought by their competitors, Nobel's Explosives Company, in 1886 / 1887 and production was partially run-down. Ownership was then transferred to the South Wales Explosive Company, a subsidiary of Nobel's.
World War I: NEF Pembrey
The site was then used by Nobel's Explosives to build a TNT / propellantPropellant
A propellant is a material that produces pressurized gas that:* can be directed through a nozzle, thereby producing thrust ;...
factory in 1914 with Government approval. Its construction was a response to the need to drastically increase the production of shells in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
(see Shell Crisis of 1915
Shell Crisis of 1915
The Shell Crisis of 1915 was a shortage of artillery shells on the front lines of World War I, which largely contributed to weakening public appreciation of government of the United Kingdom because it was widely perceived that the production of artillery shells for use by the British Army was...
). The Pembrey site was one of the first purpose-built TNT manufacturing sites, in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, in World War I. The factory was initially owned by Nobel's Explosives, but in 1917 it was taken over by the Ministry of Munitions and it became a National Explosives Factory (NEF Pembrey).
It produced 15,000 ton
Ton
The ton is a unit of measure. It has a long history and has acquired a number of meanings and uses over the years. It is used principally as a unit of weight, and as a unit of volume. It can also be used as a measure of energy, for truck classification, or as a colloquial term.It is derived from...
s of TNT and 20,000 tons of propellant. The site was described as some 760 acres (307.6 ha).
After the end of World War I, it closed and the administration building became a convalescence home for children from the families of unemployed miners. Its water supply works were taken over by the nearby town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
of Llanelli
Llanelli
Llanelli , the largest town in both the county of Carmarthenshire and the preserved county of Dyfed , Wales, sits on the Loughor estuary on the West Wales coast, approximately west-north-west of Swansea and south-east of the county town, Carmarthen. The town is famous for its proud rugby...
and used to supply the town with water.
World War II: ROF Pembrey
Work started in July 1938 to build a new factory on the site, with the Ministry of Works acting as Agents. It opened in December 1939 under the control of the Ministry of Supply as one of several explosiveExplosive ROF
An Explosive ROF was a UK Government-owned Royal Ordnance Factory , which specialised in manufacturing explosives during and after World War II...
Royal Ordnance Factories
Royal Ordnance Factory
Royal Ordnance Factories was the collective name of the UK government's munitions factories in and after World War II. Until privatisation in 1987 they were the responsibility of the Ministry of Supply and later the Ministry of Defence....
making TNT. Unlike the other TNT ROF's, however, ROF Pembrey also made tetryl
Tetryl
2,4,6-Trinitrophenylmethylnitramine commonly referred to as tetryl is a sensitive explosive compound used to make detonators and explosive booster charges....
and ammonium nitrate. Some 3,000 people were employed there in World War II.
After the end of World War II, it continued to manufacture TNT and tetryl for military use; and ammonium nitrate for agricultural
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
use as a fertiliser
Fertilizer
Fertilizer is any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin that is added to a soil to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants. A recent assessment found that about 40 to 60% of crop yields are attributable to commercial fertilizer use...
.
From 1944 onwards, ROF Pembrey undertook breakdown of surplus ammunition
Ammunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
, such as 4.5 inch
4.5 inch (114 mm) gun
The QF 4.5 inch gun has been the standard medium-calibre naval gun used by the Royal Navy as a medium range weapon capable of use against surface, aircraft and shore bombardment targets since 1938. This article covers the early 45-calibre family of guns up to the 1970s...
anti-aircraft shells and 500 lb (226.8 kg) bombs. The TNT being steam
Steam
Steam is the technical term for water vapor, the gaseous phase of water, which is formed when water boils. In common language it is often used to refer to the visible mist of water droplets formed as this water vapor condenses in the presence of cooler air...
ed out and then burnt.
The chemical properties of explosive products manufactured or otherwise handled here, including TNT and ammonium nitrate, were continually sampled and tested in the chemical laboratory by technicians known as Junior Analysts. They included young women who were exposed to these hazardous materials on a daily basis. The title of Junior Analyst is still (2009) cited as a qualification for employment advertised in the region.
Closure and disposal
ROF Pembrey closed towards the end of 1964.In July 1965 the majority of the site, 516 acres (208.8 ha) of leasehold land, was returned to the Forestry Commission
Forestry Commission
The Forestry Commission is a non-ministerial government department responsible for forestry in Great Britain. Its mission is to protect and expand Britain's forests and woodlands and increase their value to society and the environment....
and now forms Pembrey Country Park
Country park
A country park is an area designated for people to visit and enjoy recreation in a countryside environment.-History:In the United Kingdom the term 'Country Park' has a special meaning. There are over 400 Country Parks in England alone . Most Country Parks were designated in the 1970s, under the...
; and 96 acres (38.8 ha)of freehold land was sold to a construction company.