The London Passenger Transport Board 'Makes-Do-And-Mends'
What equipment did the London Passenger Transport Board manufacture? What materials were salvaged to support production?
Make-do-and-mend: "Repair, re-use, and re-imagine"
Educational film created by the Imperial War Museums (2020) exploring a news reel trailer created by the Ministry Information in 1943 on how the public can re-purpose old clothes (3mins 48s)
During World War Two, British citizens were innovative in the face of shortages. The British government’s intervention into the everyday included food and clothes rationing, and the public had to 'make do and mend' with whatever they had available.
Making cleaning brushes using horsehair and linen from former window blinds (1943-03)TfL Corporate Archives
Horsehair blinds salvaged to make brushes
Horsehair was salvaged from window blinds off former Metropolitan line carriages. These were made into brushes at Acton Works which were used to clean machinery and dust materials in LPTB workshops
This ethos was embraced in the sphere of manufacturing. Why build lots of manufacturing facilities and work out how to train thousands of staff when industries such as transport already had the factories and were already used to training?
An officer and soldiers from the 84th (LT) AA (Anti-Aircraft) Regiment (1939-08-18) by Topical PressLondon Transport Museum
LPTB contributed to the output of equipment
20,000 gun components, 80,000 sea mine components, 101,000 parts for Bailey bridges, and 158,000 2 inch shells were just some of the war items manufactured at LPTB factories, by LPTB staff
897 lorries were assembled and tested; 49 breakdown lorry bodies were designed, constructed, and equipped; 55 bridging pontoons were constructed for the campaign in North-West Europe; 510 armoured fighting vehicles were overhauled
42 tanks were altered and equipped for mechanical bridge laying; 20 Sherman tanks were modified to work in 10 feet of water for use in the D-Day landings; over 250,000 assemblies and components were constructed for armoured fighting vehicles
Factory workers at Plessey wartime factory, Central line tunnels (1941-07-23) by Topical PressLondon Transport Museum
Factory in the tunnels: Plessey Company Limited
Nearly 5 miles of new tube tunnel, intended for the Central line between Leytonstone and Gants Hill, were converted and equipped as an aircraft component factory for the Ministry of Aircraft Production
The tunnels were used by the electronics manufacturer Plessey. Items assembled in the factory included wiring sets for Halifax and Lancaster bombers, field telephones, and Enigma Code-breaking “Bombes”. 4,000 people worked in the tunnels for the 4 years that it was in use
Volunteers were also requested to support production of aircraft supplies.
LPTB volunteers work to make aircraft parts
Following an invitation to staff to do war work at the end of their duties, 160 volunteered at once. A photograph shows female volunteers trimming electrical wire to specified lengths
Story compiled by TfL using information in records at the Transport for London Corporate Archives. The Corporate Archives seeks to preserve and make accessible records, not to interpret them. A wider range of material is available for physical consultation.
Permission is granted to reproduce for personal and educational use only.
This story has been enhanced using some images from the collections of the London Transport Museum, LIFE Photo Collection and the Imperial War Museum. All enquiries regarding these images should be made directly to those institutions.
