Dumfries and Galloway MP Russell Brown, who has campaigned for official recognition of munitions workers across the UK, hosted a special presentation event at the weekend (Sunday 29 March) to recognise munitions workers in his constituency.
Although munitions workers are yet to be formally recognised by the government for their efforts during the Second World War, Mr Brown wanted to offer his own token of thanks to his constituents.
Seven of the eleven surviving munitions workers who live in Russell’s Dumfries and Galloway constituency attended the event along with 24 families of deceased munitions workers who worked during the first and second world wars.
Family members were presented with a certificate of recognition from the local MP while the munitions workers themselves were presented with a specially designed silver brooch, commissioned by Russell and designed and made by local jeweller Natalie Vardey from Balmaclellan. The brooch is a shape of a bullet with a canary on the front. The Munition Workers were popularly called canary girls, due to the fact their skin often turned yellow due to the dangerous chemicals used in production.
Dumfries and Galloway MP Russell Brown said:
“For some time myself and a small group of MPs have been campaigning to seek official recognition for munitions workers from the Government in the same way that the Bevin Boys, the Land
Army Girls and the Women’s Timber Corps have been recognised. We are making progress and the government have agreed to erect a lasting memorial to munitions workers at the National Memorial Arboretum, and we have recently launched a campaign to raise the £100,000 needed. But so far the Government has not yet agreed to an individual recognition for munitions workers but our campaign will continue.”
“In the meantime, I felt it was appropriate to offer a small token of my thanks to the ladies for all their work to keep our frontline troops supplied. Munitions workers – the majority of whom were women – played a vital part in the war effort and deserve to be recognised. Our nation owes a debt of gratitude to these heroes on the Home Front, many of whom were seriously injured or even killed during their hard and dangerous work.”
“Our region was very much at the centre of munitions production during both world wars and it is great to bring the ladies and families together and hear some of their amazing stories.”
Families from right across Dumfries and Galloway were represented at the event.
Margaret Proudlock, a munitions worker from Shawhead who worked in the I.C.I from 1942 until 1945, said:
“It’s brilliant to finally have some form of recognition for the work we did all those years ago. It was great to share stories with all the ladies and my thanks go to Russell for organising this event and bringing us all together.”
