Scottish Charity Number SC031616
This amazing exhibition tells the story of the Greatest Munitions Factory on earth. During 1915, Britain was losing the Great War through the lack of munitions supplies. That is, until 30,000 women and men came from all over the world to work in this massive factory. It was purpose built by the government to manufacture Cordite, a smoklees propellant used for firing artillary shells. The factory was built on the northern shore of the Solway Firth, specifically to manufacture Cordite, a substance made from nitro-glycerine and nitro-cotton. H. M. Factory, Gretna was an important part of David Lloyd George’s master plan to kick start munitions manufacturing in Britain during 1915.
Please feel free to print a copy of our leaflet.
Devil's Porridge 2009 Leaflet.
What is the 'Devil's Porridge'?
When Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes, visited H. M. Factory, Gretna, one of the Government's new National Factories, during 1916, he described the highly explosive paste that was being mixed by women workers, as the ‘Devil's Porridge.’
An appropriate name for the highly explosive propellant, a mixture of nitro-glycerine and nitro-cotton. When finished the dried paste, or Cordite, looked very similar to ‘uncooked spaghetti.’
Website Maintained by: Iain R. Scott. Bryntallone Partnership.
Copyright 2009 The Devil's Porridge.
The Devil's Porridge!
