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Barnbow was a munitions factory situated near the city of Leeds during World War I. It was officially known as National Filling Factory No. 1. In 1916 the factory suffered the worst tragedy in the history of the city (in terms of fatalities), when a massive explosion killed 35 of the women who worked there. After the declaration of war with Germany in August 1914, there was suddenly an urgent need for large volumes of arms and munitions. Shells were already being filled and armed at ''Leeds Forge Company'', based at Armley, which by August 1915 was filling 10,000 shells per week. However new factories were required to dramatically increase production. A committee, chaired by Joseph Watson the Leeds soap manufacturer, was established for the purpose and decided to build a munitions factory from scratch. A governing board was organized to oversee construction on the new site, which was earmarked for Barnbow, situated between Cross Gates and Garforth. Railway tracks were laid directly into the factory complex to transport materials in and transport goods out. Platforms of over were added to the nearby railway station to transport workers to and from work at the site. Massive factory buildings were quickly built, power lines were erected to bring power, and shell filling operations began in December 1915. A water main was laid and deliver 200,000 gallons of water per day, and changing rooms and a canteen were also rapidly built. The whole site covered , but due to security concerns there was a huge press blackout about the area. ==The work force== An extremely large work force was required so an employment agency was set up at ''Wellesley Barracks'' in Leeds. A third of the staff was recruited from Leeds itself, and other workers came from York, Castleford, Wakefield, Harrogate and many of the small villages nearby. For six days a week, a 24-hour three-shift system was set up, and by October 1916 there were 16,000 people working at Barnbow (over 130,000 people had applied). As the war progressed, the number of men on the site dwindled (due to the death rate on the war front), and the workforce ended up with around 93 per cent women and girls (affectionately known as "The Barnbow Lasses"). Workers earnings averaged £3 per week, though through a bonus scheme women handling the explosives could take home between £10-£12 per week. Thirty-eight trains per day were run, transporting the workers to and from work.〔http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/England-History/BarnbowLasses.htm〕 One of the managers at the factory was Leeds City manager Herbert Chapman, who went on to manage Huddersfield Town and Arsenal. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Barnbow」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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