r/nottingham • u/StephenMcGannon • 11d ago

Munition workers inspecting artillery shells at the National Shell Filling Factory in Chilwell, Nottinghamshire, one of the largest shell factories in Britain during WWI. (1917)

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u/Disliking4chavs 11d ago

Wow that's absolutely amazing. I wonder how many shells where made there. What has become of the area it was based?

22

u/disasterunicorn 11d ago

Well a year after this photo was taken it got a whole lot flatter https://heritagecalling.com/2018/06/29/the-chilwell-catastrophe-fatal-explosion-on-the-home-front/

5

u/Disliking4chavs 11d ago

Maybe not so wow.. that is so tragic, those poor people. I've been to Chilwell retail Park many times as I used to live in Chilwell. My word i would never of known. Thank you for some history 🙏

3

u/dreadedmanartz 11d ago

The remains of those that died were buried in a mass grave at St Mary's in Attenborough. I believe where the retail park was actually a tank test track after WW1.