The Bulletin of the Birmingham Branch of the WFA

Compiled by Bob Butcher

December 2009

THE REAL SPOOKS

Official records show that at one time or another during the Great War, Germany sent at least 120 agents to Britain and that sixty-five were arrested. This does not mean that there was a large and efficient German espionage network in Britain. On the contrary, Germany considered Britain to be a very hard espionage target.

Pre-war MI5 had indentified all the German spies in the country but delayed rounding them up until the outbreak of war when it would be more difficult for Germany to replace them. The imposition of various wartime aliens control measures recommended by MI5 meant that Germany had to rely mainly on poor quality replacements, mostly bogus commercial travellers from neutral countries. Many of these promptly left Britain and others dropped out altogether, doubtless influenced by the knowledge that a number of spies had been executed! It is known that enemy spymasters lost contact with at least twenty of their agents. It is also believed that those remaining sent back little information of value.

This satisfactory state of affairs resulted from the internment of certain aliens, the requirement for aliens to report to the police and their exclusion from 'prohibited' areas near naval and military installations. Certain persons were kept under surveillance. Perhaps most important of all, MI5 was empowered to examine letters to neutral countries or to certain persons in this country. For example it was early learned that a particular address in Holland was used as a post box for mail from German agents in Britain so that any letter so addressed was automatically suspect. A cable from a bogus cigar salesman sent from Southampton to that address purporting to order 4,000 Sumatra cigars meant that four large cruisers were docked there. An order for 4,000 Havanas indicated that there were four torpedo boats docked in Southampton. In fact a large section of MI5 was devoted to steaming open letters, examining their contents and testing for invisible ink.

Not a bit like the TV rubbish is it?

The above is based on the authorised history of the Security Service to give MI5 its modern title.

Bob Butcher

 

 

PAPER BOXES

On 27 August 1917 two girls asked the Birmingham Munitions Tribunal for leaving certificates from their paper box making factory jobs as they wanted better paid work. Their employer objected arguing that as half his work was for munitions packaging his factory was doing vital war work. Professor Tillyard who was chairing the tribunal explained that the laws tying workers to their jobs only applied to armament workers, ammunition and explosives workers, engineering workers, shipwrights and other government controlled work. He said that if the employer put his firm under government control he could legally stop his workers leaving.

The employer then asked why in this case did the girls need leaving certificates at all and Professor Tillyard explained that all workers starting new jobs needed them. Employers who took workers on without asking for leaving certificates faced heavy fines. Professor Tillyard decided for the two girls. If their employer still refused them a leaving certificate the tribunal would give them a declaration that they were free to get work elsewhere.

Also on 27 August a twenty-four year old woman doing war work asked the Birmingham Munitions Tribunal for a leaving certificate. She said that her employer only paid her twenty-seven shillings a week and younger women at the same firm were better paid. The employer admitted that this was true but said that the applicant was paid the standard rate for her work and would earn more if she kept better time. In this case Professor Tillyard sided with the employer.

John Lethbridge

 

THE STOKES MORTAR

So far as I know, all modern mortars are refinements of the original Stokes 3 inch Trench Mortar. In fact, though, the British Army entered the war without any mortars but it was not long before it desperately needed them. Some were improvised locally and Ordnance factories at home produced various models in a hurry. These were mostly as dangerous to their users as they were ineffective against the enemy and only one was satisfactory.

In January 1915, however, Mr Wilfrid Stokes (managing director of a firm of agricultural machinery manufacturers), put forward a proposal for his soon to be famous weapon.

This was rejected, principally over difficulties regarding the ammunition. However these were overcome by adapting the Mills grenade fuse for the mortar bomb and in June an order for a thousand together with the necessary ammunition was placed. However it was not actually accepted as a weapon by the Ordnance Board until September and production commenced. Over 300 were ready by the end of the year and a further 800 by 12 January 1916. Over 3,000 were produced in total and at the end of the war there were more than 1,400 in France alone,

The Stokes was adopted as the standard light mortar and a battery of eight mortars was provided for each infantry brigade. It was manned by infantrymen.

The Stokes consisted of a smooth bore barrel socketed into a base plate with the other (open) end supported by a tripod with simple elevating and traversing gear. The 10 lb bomb was dropped down the barrel and on hitting a striking pin at the bottom, the propellant charge on the bomb was ignited. The bomb could reach up to about 400 yards. This range was subsequently increased to 825 yards with the prospect of doubling that.

A 4 inch version was produced for gas warfare and making smoke screens. A high rate of fire could be achieved and there was rivalry between crews to establish which could get most bombs in the air at one time.     The three components were easily manhandled and the mortar could be rapidly brought into action in a little space. Extensive training was not required by the crew.

The mortar was made by firms outside the armaments industry and apart from the steel tube for the barrel, practically any small engineering firm could make it. The design and manufacture of the mortar bombs, especially the fuses and propellant charges, however, was more difficult.

Thought impracticable at first, it proved to be one of the great successes of the war.

Frank Gardner