Multiplying the skill - life in the plant
Before 1939, most of the work in aircraft factories was done by trained expert craftsmen. With the outbreak of war, thousands of unskilled and semi-skilled people entered the industry. The factory also employed many women for the first time and trained them for engineering jobs. At Castle Bromwich, the workforce rose to an amazing 15,854 by 1943. Working round the clock, they produced almost half the Spitfires ever made: it was the only British fighter in continuous production throughout the war.
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Boring wing bolt holes. The production strategy was to team the experienced production workers with the new recruits.
Philip Insley -- CBAF Archive/ Vickers Archives |
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