Lancaster 1914-1918
The Peace Celebrations Parade was held in Lancaster on the 19th July 1919.
The following accounts are extracted from a Lancaster Guardian two page supplement in their newspaper dated the 26th July 1919 & describe floats & a number of local industrial companies contributing to Munitions work during the Great War.
The National Projectile Factory was represented by 2 gaily decorated cars, the first bearing a lathe & a number of girls turning 6inch shells, of which the factory turned out some millions during the war. The second car displayed some of the products produced at the factory, shells, various sizes, bombs & grenades.
The National Filling factory displayed bombs & shells, flying pigs, a 12inch trench mortar projectile of 8cwt, aircraft bombs, one for dropping from aircraft weighing 5cwt, 5ft high & 48inch circumference fitted with fins for steadying purposes.
The Lune Valley Engineering Co. displayed a military field cooker. 400 were made cooking sufficient food for 350 men at a time & had been used in Gallipoli, Egypt, Mesopotamia, India & France. The food could be stewed, boiled, baked or fried.
Messrs Waring & Gillow Ltd. were responsible for the decoration of a number of cars in the procession. The company was represented by two cars, the first illustrating aircraft work. The exhibits included wings, aelrons, propellers, struts & cross- pieces, all surmounted by a 12 foot scale model of a fighting plane. The firm have been responsible for an output of 9,036 wings, 79,937 propellers, centres, aelrons, tails, struts, engine beddings & fusilage. 430,787 tables, ammunition boxes, bedsteads, forms, poles, tables. instrument cases, etc.
The second car was framed with aeroplane cross pieces and roofed with spars and was equipped with four power sewing machines. Other branches of their war work was displayed including the manufacture of mule ammunition carriers, nosebags, machine gun cartridge belts, water buckets, pom pom cartridge belts, Lewis gun ammunition carriers, kitbags, valises, 9in & 15in gun breech covers, waterproof gun cotton bags, bolsters, rifle slings, mosquito headcovers, and tents, serge tunics, knickers for Indian troops, ordinary tents, instrument cases, gas mask haversacks, packs, jacket shell carriers, ammunition cuirasses, horse rugs, marquees and housewives!
Messrs Wm. Goodacre & Sons Ltd. Albion Mills. Their car displayed a mat weaving loom & samples of: warship deck, gunlayer, shrapnel splinter, field gun protector, fabrics were also used in hospital ships, filling factories, screening, camouflage work, horse transport & Red Cross mats.
The finale was assembled on the Giant Axe Field. Several thousand people were assembled there & the scene was an imposing & inspiring one. The Celebrations finished with the National Anthem & cheers were given for the King & Queen, the Mayor & Mayoress and the discharged soldiers.
Peace Celebrations Parade, Market Street, Lancaster 19/7/1919