ROF Glascoed
Encyclopedia
ROF Glascoed was a UK
government-owned, Royal Ordnance Factory
. It was designed as one of 20 munitions filling factories
. It was planned as a Permanent Royal Ordnance Factory with the intention that, unlike some other similar facilities, it would remain open for production after the end of World War II
. After privatisation of the Royal Ordnance Factories in the 1980s it became part of Royal Ordnance
PLC
and later a production unit of BAE Systems
. It was served by the Great Western Railway's
Coleford, Monmouth, Usk and Pontypool Railway
from its opening in April 1940 until 1993.
which were felt to be especially vulnerable to bombing from the air. As a result the Ministry of Supply built a number of Royal Ordnance Factories and satellite factories.
A munitions-filling factory was sited at Glascoed in a valley between Pontypool
and Usk
in Monmouthshire
. The site was chosen for its seclusion and sheltered topography
surrounded by hills and its damp micro-climate was suited for the handling of explosives. Mostly agricultural land was acquired by compulsory purchase. In addition, the large workforce needed would benefit a region of the UK hit by particularly heavy unemployment in the 1930s Great Depression
.
The new factory was designed at The Royal Arsenal
, Woolwich
(Woolwich Arsenal), based on its long experience in munitions production. Safety considerations were paramount. The design, style and spacing of individual production buildings meant that they were separated by wide open spaces as well as approx 20 feet (3 m) high grassed embankments and extremely thick reinforced concrete
walls and overbridges, called traverses. The purpose of the traverse was to deflect any explosion skyward rather than outward to any adjacent buildings or structures.
The site was built with extensive underground magazines, comprehensive lightning protection and individual buildings linked by paths, roads and railways.
Building work on the 1,000 acre (4 km²) site started in February 1938, with the Ministry of Works acting as Agents; and was undertaken by a construction company from Cardiff
. The factory was officially opened in April 1940 and full production was achieved in 1941-1942.
and, until more recent years, its own 17 mile (27 km) standard gauge
railway system. This included a dedicated passenger station and freight marshalling yards. It was linked to the Great Western Railway
(GWR) branch line that ran between Pontypool Road
and Monmouth
. This rail link enabled the three-times daily movement of up to 13,000 workers in and out of the site as well as the receipt of raw materials and components and the despatch of finished munitions. A small housing estate was built close-by to accommodate managers and staff who had to respond quickly in emergencies.
Initially it was intended that ROF Glascoed would produce sea-mines
for the Royal Navy
. However as well as these, heavy bombs and pyrotechnics
(such as target indicators and skymarkers) were supplied to the RAF
. Among the weapons filled and assembled by ROF Glascoed were the bouncing bomb
, designed by Barnes Wallis
and delivered to the Ruhr
area of Germany
by the Dambusters, RAF 617 squadron
.
Contemporary ARP
planning was largely based on Stanley Baldwin's
assertion that "the bomber will always get through
". So, near Glascoed, the local Folly Tower
on a hill top at nearby Pontypool was seen as an aiming-off point for the Luftwaffe
to attack the ROF factory. The Tower was demolished at the start of the war and not rebuilt until 1994 when it became a minor tourist attraction. As it was, ROF Glascoed was bombed only twice during the war. On one occasion, a worker was killed and several injured by a lone bomber which caused minor damage. Post-war debriefing records show that the bomber's crew were convinced they had bombed Filton
aerodrome in Bristol
, some forty miles (65 km) away.
As demand for weapons and ammunition declined with the end of the war, many Royal Ordnance Factories were closed. ROF Glascoed was retained and supplemented its output by manufacturing concrete building products and by scrapping surplus munitions. The growing hostility of the Cold War
as evidenced by the Korean War
saw a much wider range of munitions assembled, filled and packed at ROF Glascoed. These included munitions for field guns and howitzers, tanks and other fighting vehicles, mortar
and aerial bombs, warhead
s for missiles and torpedoes, flares, pyrotechnics and smoke bombs.
(MoD). Glascoed now employs about 400 people and is investing heavily in R&D and improved production facilities.
In recent years, Glascoed has developed an expertise with Insensitive Munitions
in artillery shells and other warheads. These employ PBX
compositions such as Rowanex 3601 (booster) and Rowanex 1100 (main charge) designed to minimise the risk of accidents e.g. inadvertent detonation by dropping, heat, friction or impact. One such accident occurred on the USS Forrestal in 1967.
Until the mid-1990s, in the interests of security, British Ordnance Survey
maps omitted the details of all ROF sites; and showed the sites as they existed before the ROF's construction, although it was sometimes possible to identify the site boundaries. More recent editions show the detail of the buildings, internal roads, and rail links, labelled simply as "Depot" or "Works".
The site is also used by Gwent Constabulary for firearms and dog training, having its own kennels and firing range.
On the 20 August 2008 the Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom) announced a 15 year £2bn contract with BAE Systems to supply British forces with medium calibre and small arms ammunition.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
government-owned, Royal Ordnance Factory
Royal Ordnance Factory
Royal Ordnance Factories was the collective name of the UK government's munitions factories in and after World War II. Until privatisation in 1987 they were the responsibility of the Ministry of Supply and later the Ministry of Defence....
. It was designed as one of 20 munitions filling factories
Filling Factories
A Filling Factory was a munitions factory which specialised in filling various munitions, such as bombs, shells, cartridges, pyrotechnics, screening smokes, etc...
. It was planned as a Permanent Royal Ordnance Factory with the intention that, unlike some other similar facilities, it would remain open for production after the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. After privatisation of the Royal Ordnance Factories in the 1980s it became part of Royal Ordnance
Royal Ordnance
Royal Ordnance plc was formed on 2 January 1985 as a public corporation, owning the majority of what until then were the remaining United Kingdom government-owned Royal Ordnance Factories which manufactured explosives, ammunition, small arms including the Lee-Enfield rifle, guns and military...
PLC
Public limited company
A public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
and later a production unit of BAE Systems
BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...
. It was served by the Great Western Railway's
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
Coleford, Monmouth, Usk and Pontypool Railway
Coleford, Monmouth, Usk and Pontypool Railway
The Coleford, Monmouth, Usk & Pontypool Railway was a standard gauge railway of which ran between Monmouth to Pontypool. It was opened in 1857, passenger services were withdrawn in 1955...
from its opening in April 1940 until 1993.
Early history
In the late 1930s leading up to the outbreak of war in 1939, the British government developed a strategy to disperse armaments and munitions production away from major cities and the southeast part of EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
which were felt to be especially vulnerable to bombing from the air. As a result the Ministry of Supply built a number of Royal Ordnance Factories and satellite factories.
A munitions-filling factory was sited at Glascoed in a valley between Pontypool
Pontypool
Pontypool is a town of approximately 36,000 people in the county borough of Torfaen, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire in South Wales....
and Usk
Usk
Usk is a small town in Monmouthshire, Wales, situated 10 miles northeast of Newport.The River Usk flows through the town and is spanned by an ancient, arched stone bridge at the western entrance to the town. A castle above the town overlooks the ancient Anglo-Welsh border crossing - the river can...
in Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire is a county in south east Wales. The name derives from the historic county of Monmouthshire which covered a much larger area. The largest town is Abergavenny. There are many castles in Monmouthshire .-Historic county:...
. The site was chosen for its seclusion and sheltered topography
Topography
Topography is the study of Earth's surface shape and features or those ofplanets, moons, and asteroids...
surrounded by hills and its damp micro-climate was suited for the handling of explosives. Mostly agricultural land was acquired by compulsory purchase. In addition, the large workforce needed would benefit a region of the UK hit by particularly heavy unemployment in the 1930s Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
.
The new factory was designed at The Royal Arsenal
Royal Arsenal
The Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, originally known as the Woolwich Warren, carried out armaments manufacture, ammunition proofing and explosives research for the British armed forces. It was sited on the south bank of the River Thames in Woolwich in south-east London, England.-Early history:The Warren...
, Woolwich
Woolwich
Woolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...
(Woolwich Arsenal), based on its long experience in munitions production. Safety considerations were paramount. The design, style and spacing of individual production buildings meant that they were separated by wide open spaces as well as approx 20 feet (3 m) high grassed embankments and extremely thick reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...
walls and overbridges, called traverses. The purpose of the traverse was to deflect any explosion skyward rather than outward to any adjacent buildings or structures.
The site was built with extensive underground magazines, comprehensive lightning protection and individual buildings linked by paths, roads and railways.
Building work on the 1,000 acre (4 km²) site started in February 1938, with the Ministry of Works acting as Agents; and was undertaken by a construction company from Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
. The factory was officially opened in April 1940 and full production was achieved in 1941-1942.
World War II and Korean War activity
At its peak, ROF Glascoed boasted nearly 700 separate buildings, each designated for a particular process and used as required. It still has in excess of 10 miles (16 km) of roads, an 8-mile (13-kilometre) perimeter fencePerimeter fence
A perimeter fence is a structure that circles the perimeter of an area to prevent access. These fences are frequently made out of single vertical metal bars connected at the top and bottom with a horizontal bar. They often have spikes on the top to prevent climbing. Residential perimeter fences are...
and, until more recent years, its own 17 mile (27 km) standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
railway system. This included a dedicated passenger station and freight marshalling yards. It was linked to the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
(GWR) branch line that ran between Pontypool Road
Pontypool and New Inn railway station
Pontypool and New Inn railway station is situated to the south east of Pontypool town centre between the town and the suburb of New Inn.It is part of the British railway system owned by Network Rail and is operated by Arriva Trains Wales...
and Monmouth
Monmouth
Monmouth is a town in southeast Wales and traditional county town of the historic county of Monmouthshire. It is situated close to the border with England, where the River Monnow meets the River Wye with bridges over both....
. This rail link enabled the three-times daily movement of up to 13,000 workers in and out of the site as well as the receipt of raw materials and components and the despatch of finished munitions. A small housing estate was built close-by to accommodate managers and staff who had to respond quickly in emergencies.
Initially it was intended that ROF Glascoed would produce sea-mines
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
for the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. However as well as these, heavy bombs and pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the science of using materials capable of undergoing self-contained and self-sustained exothermic chemical reactions for the production of heat, light, gas, smoke and/or sound...
(such as target indicators and skymarkers) were supplied to the RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
. Among the weapons filled and assembled by ROF Glascoed were the bouncing bomb
Bouncing bomb
A bouncing bomb is a bomb designed specifically to bounce to a target across water in a calculated manner, in order to avoid obstacles such as torpedo nets, and to allow both the bomb's speed on arrival at the target and the timing of its detonation to be pre-determined...
, designed by Barnes Wallis
Barnes Wallis
Sir Barnes Neville Wallis, CBE FRS, RDI, FRAeS , was an English scientist, engineer and inventor. He is best known for inventing the bouncing bomb used by the RAF in Operation Chastise to attack the dams of the Ruhr Valley during World War II...
and delivered to the Ruhr
Ruhr
The Ruhr is a medium-size river in western Germany , a right tributary of the Rhine.-Description:The source of the Ruhr is near the town of Winterberg in the mountainous Sauerland region, at an elevation of approximately 2,200 feet...
area of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
by the Dambusters, RAF 617 squadron
No. 617 Squadron RAF
No. 617 Squadron is a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron based at RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland. It currently operates the Tornado GR4 in the ground attack and reconnaissance role...
.
Contemporary ARP
Air Raid Precautions
Air Raid Precautions was an organisation in the United Kingdom set up as an aid in the prelude to the Second World War dedicated to the protection of civilians from the danger of air-raids. It was created in 1924 as a response to the fears about the growing threat from the development of bomber...
planning was largely based on Stanley Baldwin's
Stanley Baldwin
Stanley Baldwin, 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley, KG, PC was a British Conservative politician, who dominated the government in his country between the two world wars...
assertion that "the bomber will always get through
The bomber will always get through
The bomber will always get through was a phrase used by Stanley Baldwin in 1932, in the speech "A Fear for the Future" to the British Parliament...
". So, near Glascoed, the local Folly Tower
The Folly Tower
The Folly Tower - - is a folly located within Pontypool Park, Torfaen, South Wales . It is a prominent local landmark above the A4042 Pontypool to Abergavenny road and overlooks Pontypool to the west and rural Monmouthshire to the east...
on a hill top at nearby Pontypool was seen as an aiming-off point for the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
to attack the ROF factory. The Tower was demolished at the start of the war and not rebuilt until 1994 when it became a minor tourist attraction. As it was, ROF Glascoed was bombed only twice during the war. On one occasion, a worker was killed and several injured by a lone bomber which caused minor damage. Post-war debriefing records show that the bomber's crew were convinced they had bombed Filton
Filton
Filton is a town in South Gloucestershire, England, situated on the northern outskirts of the city of Bristol, about from the city centre. Filton lies in Bristol postcode areas BS7 and BS34. The town centres upon Filton Church, which dates back to the 12th century and is a grade II listed building...
aerodrome in Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, some forty miles (65 km) away.
As demand for weapons and ammunition declined with the end of the war, many Royal Ordnance Factories were closed. ROF Glascoed was retained and supplemented its output by manufacturing concrete building products and by scrapping surplus munitions. The growing hostility of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
as evidenced by the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
saw a much wider range of munitions assembled, filled and packed at ROF Glascoed. These included munitions for field guns and howitzers, tanks and other fighting vehicles, mortar
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
and aerial bombs, warhead
Warhead
The term warhead refers to the explosive material and detonator that is delivered by a missile, rocket, or torpedo.- Etymology :During the early development of naval torpedoes, they could be equipped with an inert payload that was intended for use during training, test firing and exercises. This...
s for missiles and torpedoes, flares, pyrotechnics and smoke bombs.
Post-war survival
The Royal Ordnance Factories were part of a government department until they were privatised in 1987. Today Glascoed is BAE Systems Global Combat Systems Munitions. With the closure of other ROFs, Glascoed remains the only ammunition filling facility in the UK and exports its products, as well as supplying the British Ministry of DefenceMinistry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
(MoD). Glascoed now employs about 400 people and is investing heavily in R&D and improved production facilities.
In recent years, Glascoed has developed an expertise with Insensitive Munitions
Insensitive munitions
Insensitive munitions are munitions that are chemically stable enough to withstand mechanical shocks, fire, and impact by shrapnel, but that can still explode as intended to destroy their targets.-Description:...
in artillery shells and other warheads. These employ PBX
Polymer-bonded explosive
A polymer-bonded explosive, also called PBX or plastic-bonded explosive, is an explosive material in which explosive powder is bound together in a matrix using small quantities of a synthetic polymer...
compositions such as Rowanex 3601 (booster) and Rowanex 1100 (main charge) designed to minimise the risk of accidents e.g. inadvertent detonation by dropping, heat, friction or impact. One such accident occurred on the USS Forrestal in 1967.
Until the mid-1990s, in the interests of security, British Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
maps omitted the details of all ROF sites; and showed the sites as they existed before the ROF's construction, although it was sometimes possible to identify the site boundaries. More recent editions show the detail of the buildings, internal roads, and rail links, labelled simply as "Depot" or "Works".
The site is also used by Gwent Constabulary for firearms and dog training, having its own kennels and firing range.
On the 20 August 2008 the Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom) announced a 15 year £2bn contract with BAE Systems to supply British forces with medium calibre and small arms ammunition.