Aycliffe Angels Unique and Local Primary Sources Home Learning Booklet 1 Contents Introduction ...................................................................... 3 Durham County Record Office ................................................ 4 The Aycliffe Angels ............................................................. 5 Sources used in the Worksheets .............................................. 7 Finding New Sources ............................................................ 8 Worksheet ....................................................................... 10 Glossary ......................................................................... 18 Worksheets with Answers ..................................................... 19 Sources can be printed for home education use only. Any further use will require additional permission 2 Introduction This home learning booklet is designed for use by children working with parents or teachers to find out more the Aycliffe Angels, munitions workers in Aycliffe during the Second World War. It investigates what life was like for those women using archives, reports and records from the time. These are also known as primary sources and are a fantastic way to find out about history for yourself, discovering real people who lived and worked in Durham in times past. It can be challenging, people in the past often use words that seem strange to us, but the worksheet takes a step by step approach and there is a glossary to explain any difficult terms. The booklets are designed to be used by schools or parents for home learning, but could equally be used in class. Each contains: • Historical background – you can read this through in advance or with your child, as you prefer • Suggestion for websites to find out more • A worksheet for the child to work through, which introduces and explains the sources one by one • Glossary – explaining some of the words and terms contained in the sources • Worksheet with answers Finally, we would love to hear about your experience of using this booklet. Please complete the questionnaire on our website or email your comments to [email protected]. 3 Durham County Record Office Our records tell the story of County Durham, its people and places, from soldiers to suffragettes and from coal mining to the World Wars. They are a fantastic way for children to investigate their local history for themselves. Ordinarily, we operate a public searchroom and research service to help people access our records. We also run workshops and produce resources for schools. In the current lockdown situation, we are offering online learning worksheets to assist both teachers and parents with home schooling. For further information, please contact our education archivist at [email protected]. 4 The Aycliffe Angels During the Second World War, over 17,000 people worked at a munitions factory in what is now Newton Aycliffe. They came from all over County Durham and Teesside and were known as the ‘Aycliffe Angels’. The factory, known officially as Royal Ordnance Factory, R.O.F., Aycliffe or R.O.F. 59, opened in April 1941 and closed in May 1945. Its peak operating period in terms of output and numbers of staff was in 1943. It was one of 16 filling factories, where explosive powder was put into casings. Different powders were used, including TNT and cordite. In line with contemporary working practices, the workers were given minimal protective equipment. Many angels spoke of the ‘yellow powder’ (possibly TNT), which made their hair and skin yellow, even years after the war ended. The workforce was organised into three shifts: 6am – 2pm; 2pm – 10pm; 10pm – 6am. This enabled the factory to operate around the clock. In addition, many workers spent several hours commuting to and from the factory each day. Rules were strict, especially in areas where explosive powder was used. Workers had to change out of their outdoor clothes and into their factory uniforms every time they went in or out. Many people smoked in those days and the rules made cigarette breaks very difficult. One worker was given a prison sentence for smoking in a restricted area! Secrecy was paramount and, even today, much is not known about the factory. Women who worked there were told never to talk about their 5 jobs, much less reveal where they worked. In fact, the location was chosen because, at the time, it was a marshy area, often surrounded by fog. The factory received its share of famous visitors. Winston Churchill visited in May 1942 to thank workers for their contribution to the war effort. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, our present queen’s parents, also visited, as did actress Gracie Fields. After the war, with the building of Newton Aycliffe, the site became an industrial estate. Even today, some of the original buildings still stand. 6 Sources used in the Worksheets The sources are taken from a range of archives and are either items in our collections or documents to which we have access. The images of the factory are taken from our D/X 1822 collection, which was created by a journalist from the Northern Echo who did a lot of community work with the Aycliffe Angels in the mid-2000s. He collected a lot of archives in the process, which he later donated to us. The two images used are: DCRO Ref: D/X 1822/60/1/8 Group photograph of unidentified employees at R.O.F. Aycliffe, n.d. [c.1945] DCRO Ref: D/X 1822/23(22) Copy photograph of a group of workers at R.O.F. Aycliffe on stage in costumes, n.d. [1941-1945] The extracts from interviews with Aycliffe Angels are taken from our collection D/X 1250. We have transcripts and recordings of 70 interviews. 7 Finding New Sources The Record Office has many more archives like these, including photographs of Winston Churchill’s visit to the factory in 1943. You can also find more online. There is no single website for the Aycliffe Angels, but there are a few accounts to be found by women who worked at the factory. Please note that many of these resources are still under copyright. Dorothy Addison’s Story Given to BBC – World War Two, the People’s War https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/00/a8103700. shtml Dorothy was an Aycliffe Angel from Gateshead. The account is taken from a speech she gave to the Middleton Women’s Institute, describing her experiences working at the factory, including her work, air raids, as well as visits by Gracie Fields and the King and Queen. Dora Mattrick’s Story https://careindustrynews.co.uk/2019/07/aycliffe-angel-recalls- making-munitions-during-ww2 Dora was an Aycliffe Angel from Newcastle. Trained as a mechanical engineer, she started work soon after an accident had killed six 8 women. Despite that, she describes not being scared and says that ‘we just did what we had to do’. Joan Davis’ and Vera Stobbs’ Stories Article in the Northern Echo https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/13619766.aycliffe-angels- return-work Joan Davies and Vera Stobbs, two former Aycliffe Angels, return to the site of the factory and describe their experiences of working there. You may also find the following useful for giving a broader overview of the Home Front in the North East North East War Diary https://ne-diary.genuki.uk This website sets out the Second World War in the region day by day, including where bombs fell, with an index so you can easily find references to your town or village. 9 Worksheet Have a look at this photograph. Let’s investigate what may be happening here. Start by listing all the things you can see in the photograph. For example, women wearing headscarves. 10 What questions do you have? For example, When was the photograph taken? Now look back at the photo. Can we find any clues that might help to answer your questions? For example, if you wondered what the women were doing, they are all wearing protective overalls, which might mean they do dirty or dangerous work. 11 The photograph was taken in a munitions factory in Aycliffe during the Second World War. A munitions factory is a place where bombs and bullets are made. The workers at Aycliffe were known as Aycliffe Angels. Let’s see what else we can find out about the factory. In the 1980s, Durham University interviewed many former Aycliffe Angels and recorded the interviews. This was what one angel had to say about her work. You may find the grammar a little strange because it’s a record of what someone said and we don’t always speak in careful sentences when we talk! There is a glossary on page 18 to explain words you may not know. We were all partitioned off, there was about eight or ten lines of women (I've forgotten how many there would be in a line) and they were all partitioned off, and if it exploded - which my machine did - it didn't hurt anybody else because we were all in separate cubicles. Make a list of all the facts in the extract. For example, the machines were all partitioned [separated off from each other in cubicles]. 12 Take a look at this article from the Northern Echo on 23 February 1942. Where did the explosion happen? Is the factory named? Why do you think that might be? How many women were killed? What do we know about Phoebe Morland? 13 Have a look at this photograph of Phoebe Morland. Does it tell us anything more about her? 14 Have a look at this photograph. The women here are all Aycliffe Angels What do you notice? 15 Why were Aycliffe Angels dressed like this? What are they doing? We can find clues in another extract from an interview with an Aycliffe Angel. Well, the concert party really started off when different people were giving [performing] the odd items on a night.