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Charlesfield Incendiary Bomb Munitions Factory, St Boswells

A selection of images of the remains of the munitions factory.

The factory was built c. 1942 with bomb production ending in 1945. The site was later given over to the Royal Navy and used as an Armaments Depot, thus becoming RNAD Charlesfield from 1948 until 1963. Thereafter, the site was used for agricultural purposes before an industrial estate was established in the mid 1970s. Today, it is a thriving industrial site, with large and small businesses alike utilising the site's central Borders location and easy access to the A68.

Charlesfield was one of only two factories producing the 4lb thermite incendiary bomb, used so effectively against the enemy during World War II. The factory was controlled by the Ministry of Aircraft Production (MAP) and operated by Nobel Explosive Company/ICI. Incidentally, the second factory was at Bowhouse, near Kilmarnock in Ayrshire, controlled by the Air Ministry. An item in the 'Glasgow Herald' on 28 May 1945 stated that 4,000 Scottish workers at the two sites mentioned above and ICI Linlithgow made more than 90,000,000 incendiary bombs - 'one for each of the inhabitants of greater Germany', with magnesium for them being manufactured at Bellshill. Nearby Charlesfield Halt to the west served the factory, as did a siding from the east.

See the RCHAMS Canmore site LinkExternal link for further information and aerial images. An interesting interview with Margaret Cessford, a worker at Charlesfield during the war, can be found at LinkExternal link whilst a diagram of the 4lb incendiary bomb can be found on this page: LinkExternal link
by James T M Towill

Created: Tue, 1 Apr 2014, Updated: Thu, 3 Apr 2014


21 images use this description:

NT5829 : An Old Factory Building At Charlesfield by James T M Towill
NT5829 : Derelict Building At Charlesfield by James T M Towill
NT5829 : Pillbox At Charlesfield - Image #2 by James T M Towill
NT5829 : Pillbox At Charlesfield - Image #1 by James T M Towill
NT5829 : Deteriorating 'G House' At Charlesfield by James T M Towill
NT5829 : 'G House' by James T M Towill
NT5829 : A Mix Of Old And New by James T M Towill
NT5829 : Roof Detail Of A 'G House' by James T M Towill
NT5829 : X Bombs Only by James T M Towill
NT5729 : Remains Of Charlesfield Halt by James T M Towill
NT5829 : Pillbox At Charlesfield - Image #4 by James T M Towill
NT5829 : Interior Of A Former Munitions Factory Building by James T M Towill
NT5829 : Loading Bay by James T M Towill
NT5829 : Fire Door Warning Instructions by James T M Towill
NT5829 : Another Loading Bay by James T M Towill
NT5829 : Pillbox At Charlesfield - Image #3 by James T M Towill
NT5829 : Underground Access by James T M Towill
NT5829 : 'G House' Passageway by James T M Towill
NT5829 : A Disused Fire Door by James T M Towill
NT5829 : Looking Across The Rooftops At Charlesfield by James T M Towill
NT5829 : Up On The Roof by James T M Towill


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