Memories of the Matrix
ANOTHER former employee of the Coventry Gauge & Tool Company was inspired by last week's story on Sir Harry Harley, so much so, that Joe Monor decided to jot down a few more of his own 'Matrix Memories.'
"I thought that I might like to add a little more to the Matrix story published last week, setting out its arrival in Brechin.
"At 84 years old I might possibly be one of the few remaining ex-employees who started work there just after its opening in 1939.
"On September 3, 1939 at the age of 15 years I was working in Duke's factory at the Denburn Works when war was declared.
"Having heard the Prime Minister's broadcast on the radio (no TV for us in those days) I was sent down to the Matrix works where my dad was working on that Sunday laying cement floors for the factory to take the very heavy lathes and other equipment due to arrive urgently.
"I always remember that, when I told him the news that war had been declared, he said in his usual calm manner, "Never mind son, we beat them before and we can beat them again".
Shortly after that I left the factory to join the Matrix, then called the Coventry Gauge and Tool Company Limited. I got the job perhaps by a misunderstanding as, during the interview, they asked what my previous work entailed. I said I'd done 'Lapping' and they were delighted as they badly needed 'lapper' staff.
"The mistake soon came to light as 'lapping' in the cloth trade is folding the cloth but in engineering is smoothing metal with a paste a highly skilled job.
"I was quickly demoted to a class of apprentice engineers. With all the other teenagers I was taught to operate a lathe.
"We apprentices had to make gap gauges and use micrometers to bring the gap to thousands of an inch with micrometers. They then went to the skilled men to check and complete.
"We had hundreds by each worker, but, as learners made many, many duds, a lot of them were spirited out at lunchtime in overall pockets and thrown up the brae where Hillview now is. I bet a metal detector up there now would have a field day.
"I remember only too well the visits of Mr Harley. Terror reigned among the teenagers, and also among the more senior members.
"He was quite tyrannical in his ways, a very hard man who stood no nonsense and no mistakes. Walking along between the rows of machines he might stop, whip off his jacket and hand it to one of his retinue, roll up his sleeves and take over saying: "This is how it should be done, and this is how you will do it".
"The Matrix or Coventry Gauge had, at that time, a war department, whose staff wore a red lapel badge, and also a naval department, whose staff wore a blue badge.
"The naval department made and tested top secret installations for the big ships of our fleet including weapon guidance systems for HMS Vanguard.
"There was always a worry about Fifth Columnists and spies and security was very tight, controlled by Clare Bowman on the main gate. No one could enter without showing their badge, whether known or not.
"As time passed workers came from all over the UK and work was at full capacity. Many were skilled workmen drafted in from Coventry and Glasgow and others were in reserved occupations due to their skills.
"Many young girls from all over worked on the machines, the etching and other jobs. I remember that we worked on a two-week system 8 am till 8 pm days then 8 pm till 8 am nights. It was very tiring, but some of the key workers often did an 84 hour week over seven days.
"The worst times were during the pitch black nights on night shift, crawling out to the canteen, feeling your way across. When the sirens went the works had to be emptied in the blackness.
"Despite tiredness we still maintained a Fire Brigade trained by the Hardy brothers, Alex and Archie, and a Home Guard unit under Captain D. W. Stevens, head of the planning department. We were all volunteers giving our time for the war effort.
"As a 15-year-old I was too young for the Home Guard but joined the fire service and spent many a night firewatching on the roof of the canteen with only an axe a fire bucket and a small hose.
"When I became 19, however, I immediately transferred to the Home Guard, learning drill, Molotov cocktail throwing and had mock battles with the Black Watch (we let them win of course). We also waded the River Esk, all good fun though with a serious purpose in mind. There was a great camaraderie among all the workers of all ages then, a real war-time spirit.
"We even had our own monthly magazine of which I was sub-editor. Doug Mitchell, the grand-dad of the Brechiner's own Steve Mitchell, was editor. The magazine called the Covenanter, to show the link between Coventry and Brechin also had our cathedral on the cover.
"It had many stories of day-to-day events and local happenings, a few poems and so on and it was a popular interlude for all. I did an interview with boxer Freddie Tennent on war work at the Coventry
"I wish I could get hold of some of the copies as mine were all destroyed in the great flood in London years ago. Would there be any in the Matrix archives perhaps that could be copied?
"We also had, of course, many shows and dances in the large canteen with its lovely dance floor.
"We had visits from ENSA and Workers Playtime and many well known acts to the war factory to boost wartime morale. We even had Gracie Fields on one occasion.
"Dances were held every Saturday, fully attended by workers and their families, nurses from Stracathro along with ambulant wounded soldier patients having a welcome break, service men, many Polish soldiers and people from local towns and villages.
"There was always a great turnout despite blackouts, air raid sirens and other problems. I used to go every Saturday whilst on leave, especially embarkation leave, which lasted longer.
"However, to get back to basics, after a few months spent on engineering the management happily decided I was useless in that career and moved me to finance in the accountancy department.
"After a while I was called up for the army, and returned to the Matrix after demob until I got my dream job in the NHS at its formation at Stracathro Hospital, later moving to London where I spent my working life as an NHS administrator.
"And so ended my contact with the Matrix."
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Weather for Brechin
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 1 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 25 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 3 C to 4 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: South west
