麻豆社

Kynoch, based in Witton, was a munitions manufacturer. One of its products was the .303鈥� cartridge.

During the war seven billion of these were produced for British forces. Almost two thirds of all .303s produced were made by Birmingham manufacturers, and Kynoch produced half of those 鈥� 2.4 billion rounds.

At the peak of the war effort, some 18,000 people were employed at the Lion Works factory 鈥� and many of them were women. They became known as the 鈥淜ynoch Angels鈥�.

Various types of the cartridge were produced, including armour piercing, tracer and incendiary rounds.

The incendiary rounds were produced to attack Zeppelin airships. These rounds penetrated the Zeppelins鈥� canopies and ignited the hydrogen gas within.

Location: Witton, Birmingham B6 7ES
Image: King George V visits Kynoch in 1915, courtesy of IMI plc