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Carlisle set up one of the first National Shell Factory's from scratch in five months as a response to the 'shell crisis' in 1915.

It wasn't a large enterprise but it demonstrated a determination to win the war that cut through red-tape and showed what local communities could do when they put their mind to it.

The city was fortunate in that it already had a large manufacturing base and the political leadership to harness it in an effort to win the war, because It soon became apparent that victory on the battlefield depended as much on the strength of the home front as it did on the strength of the front line. The artillery had a voracious appetite for shells and millions needed to be accurately made in workshops working flat-out across the country.

In record time Theodore Carr - patriarch of Carr's famous biscuit factory – headed a committee of businessmen and unions to secure the recently vacated Territorial Army Drill Hall on Strand Road. An appeal was made for lathes and milling machines and expertise to train a largely female workforce and they were soon making 18lb. artillery shells for the government.

Much to the delight of Theodore Carr; the enterprise was given the royal seal of approval with a visit by King George in May 1917 in recognition of the important effort that the city made to the war effort.

Location: Strand Road, Carlisle, Cumbria CA1 1NB
Image: Workers at the munitions factory, courtesy of Stuart Eastwood at Carlisle Museum of Military Life

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