Wartime heroines

THEY were a vital cog in Britain's war effort, but for years they were the secret victims of a home front tragedy.
Leeds First World War factory given protection.

BarnbowLeeds First World War factory given protection.

Barnbow
Leeds First World War factory given protection. Barnbow

In December 1916, an explosion at a Leeds munitions factory killed 35 women – but the truth about what happened was hushed up and kept out of the headlines for fear of damaging the nation’s morale during the First World War.

It was only years later that details started to emerge over what occurred at the Barnbow factory in Cross Gates. Most of the buildings at the site were demolished by the mid-1920s but the remains of the factory – which show its near-complete layout – survived and now they are being added to the national heritage list by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

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It is a fitting tribute to these brave women, known affectionately as the “Barnbow lasses”, who not only kept the home fires burning but played a crucial part in helping the Allies win the war.