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North British Rubber Works, Edinburgh

 
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David McNay
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Joined: 14 Dec 2006
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Location: Lanarkshire, Scotland

PostPosted: Tue Aug 04, 2009 11:35 pm    Post subject: North British Rubber Works, Edinburgh Reply with quote

I am unaware of the original location of this memorial, but it is now on display on the sixth floor of the National Museum of Scotland in Chamber Street, Edinburgh.

Itr forms part of a display on wartime, which includes a display of some items belonging to a nurse in the First World War, as well as Piper Laidlaws VC group from the Battle of Loos. I thought that they were on display in the War Museum in Edinburgh Castle - perhaps they are on loan.

I was quite pleased to see this memorial on display, as I hate to think of memorials like this gathering dust in a store room.

The memorial looks as if it was originally mounted in a frame, and that only the metal parts have been retained.



Closeups of the names. My apologies if these are hard to read.







Last edited by David McNay on Fri Feb 07, 2020 11:06 pm; edited 1 time in total
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ADP



Joined: 13 Jun 2008
Posts: 467
Location: Edinburgh

PostPosted: Wed Aug 05, 2009 2:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The North British Rubber Company were based in Viewforth / Fountainbridge, Edinburgh. In 1966, by this time part of Uniroyal, they moved out of Edinburgh to Newbridge (just west if Edinburgh Airport). Uniroyal became part of Continental in 1997. That factory closed in 1999.

The original factory produced the likes of waterproof clothing and wellington boots. At some stage the production of tyres became the dominant product, certainly the product that was with them to their end.

The Viewforth / Fountainbridge site was sold off to Scottish and Newcastle who were there until some time about five years back. The site awaits redevelopment having been put on hold in the current economic climate.

Going back to the subject here, I would expect that the memorial came from the Viewforth / Fountainbridge site.

ADP
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Adam Brown
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 05, 2009 7:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It looks like there is a French soldier of Le 269 e Régiment d'Infanterie listed here

Knurr, L. 269e INFrie

Adam
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ADP



Joined: 13 Jun 2008
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Location: Edinburgh

PostPosted: Wed Aug 05, 2009 5:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

And also A Billard of the 210e Infrie (presumably 210th Infantry).

ADP
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spoons



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PostPosted: Wed Aug 05, 2009 10:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

perhaps the brass panels were saved because the main memorial suffered from woodworm? Just a thought.

\Paul
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Adam Brown
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 2:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This article from 1922 confirms the location on the memorial when unveiled and that the original mount for the memorial was marble

From ‘The Scotsman’ - Friday, 14th April 1922, page 3

NORTH BRITISH RUBBER CO. (LTD.)
A memorial to the employees and members of the staff of the North British Rubber Co. (Ltd.), Castle Mills, Edinburgh, who gave their lives in the war was unveiled by Lieutenant-General Sir Francis Davies yesterday afternoon. The ceremony was attended by a large representation of the firm's employees and their friends.
The memorial, which, occupies a prominent position to the left of the main entrance gateway, takes the form of a bronze mural tablet in a marble setting, designed in Neo-Greek style by Mr F. E. B. Blanc, and carried out by Holmes & Jackson, sculptors, Glasgow.
It perpetuates the memory of 106 employees. Mr Alexander Johnston, managing director, in the course of a few introductory remarks, said they had erected the memorial in order that they might not forget what they owed to those who had made the supreme sacrifice. At the beginning of the war over 440 of their fellow-workers had joined the colours. Later another 500 men joined. It was gratifying to remember that when the Derby scheme was introduced every man attested.
General Davies, in unveiling the memorial, said they had done well to record the memory of those men and what they had done. He was glad the memorial had been placed at the entrance, where they would, see it every day as they passed in and out. He would ask them as they passed through the gate to give one thought to those men -their fellow-workers -and remember what they had done. Future generations would see the memorial, and it would be an inspiration to them to do their duty faithfully to their country.
The Rev. Dr A. Wallace Williamson officiated at the dedicatory service. A platoon of the Castle Mills Cadet Battalion provided the guard and sentries, General Davies inspecting the boys prior to the ceremony.
At the close a large number of wreaths were placed on the memorial.


That means out of nearly 1,000 men enlisting that one in ten died.

You can see a photo of the gates here:

http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/0_buildings_g/0_buildings_-_north_british_rubber_co_workers_departing_ed_s_1900_098.htm

I don't think many of those in the photograph are heeding Lt Gen Davies's advice to spare a thought for those listed. In fact if the memorial is that rectangle you can just above the heads of the workers then the names are obscured by the gate.

Adam


Last edited by Adam Brown on Mon Aug 10, 2009 3:03 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Adam Brown
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 2:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ADP wrote:
In 1966, by this time part of Uniroyal, they moved out of Edinburgh to Newbridge


There was a big fire at the plant in 1966 and a lot of burning rubber in central Edinburgh. I wonder if they were forced to relocate their production from Dundee Street to out-of-town Newbridge?

Maybe the memorial's marble was damaged during the fire?

Adam
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Adam Brown
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 2:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lots more here from the company's own magazine.

No clues to the memorial but in 1973 the plant was taken over by Scottish & Newcastle who had the site until fairly recently as ADP mentions above.

Some detail of what was produced during the wars from this website:

Great War
The mills were running night and day. Flooded trenches called for special measures, and the Company was asked by the War Office to construct a suitable boot, very strong and of the finest material. Eventually they were turning out 2,750 pairs of boots a day, and produced a staggering total of 1,185,036 pairs. Apart from trench boots, the Company supplied for the Admiralty and War Office 70,000 pairs of boots and shoes; 248,326 pairs of gymnastic shoes; and close on 47,000 pairs of heavy snow boots for the French Army.

Fabric used in making tyres for war purposed reached two million square yards; 863 miles of balloon cloth; immense quantities of hose for pumping out trenches, in connection with gas attacks. These, and many other items, were a tremendous part of the war effort, and a part of the Company’s history which will always command respect and admiration.

Second World War
During the 1939-1945 war, the North British Rubber Company again made an important specialized contribution. With the outbreak of war, 80% of their entire output consisted of war materials. The list is extensive. It included 7,000,000 gas maks, 10,000,000 air raid precaution sundries, 18,500,000 pairs of protective footwear, 1,000,000 rubber life belts, 8,000,000 yards of ground sheet, balloon and dinghy material, 7,500 miles of rubber tubing and 4,300 miles of hose.

In the active field of battle, the Company introduced many important items: for warships, a rubber composition deck covering which was jointless and non-slip. With the invasion of Holland and warfare that followed D-day, the Forces assigned to the task of clearing Holland of the enemy had to deal with flooded conditions. There was an urgent and imperative call to the North British Rubber Company to provide large quantities of Wellington boots and thigh boots. Vast quantities of “Q” hoses were sent to the Far East, where the fighting was often amphibious. Bullet-proof tanks for aeroplanes created a very large demand for sponge rubber in sheet form, and thousands of yards were produced in Castle Mills.
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Adam Brown
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Location: Edinburgh (From Sutherland)

PostPosted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 2:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just found this item on the same website. This explains what happened to the marble and how they ended up in NMS's care. Glad to see that the panels have been looked after by the employees all these years.

June 20 2008

We have to thank Stewart Segrott for updating us with regard to the War Memorial
The original memorial plates were moved to Newbridge from Castle Mills around the early 1970's where they were placed on a Granite plinth just inside the factory gates .In 2000 when Continental handed over the Newbridge site to the developers we arranged for the plates to be removed from the plinth and they were stored in a retained warehouse in Broxburn for another two years.

Stewart then arranged for them to be delivered to the The Scottish War Museum .Stuart Allan at the Museum has advised Stewart that the plates are still in storage at the Museum depot in Leith but they have been catalogued and photographed.

It is still proposed that they will now feature in a 20th Century Industrial heritage room which is to be opened at the National Museum for Scotland in Chambers Street Edinburgh at the end of 2008.
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