Morecambe, Lancashire: White Lund Explosion

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On the night of 1 October 1917, there was a series of huge explosions in Morecambe. People living in the popular seaside resort ran for their lives to the safety of the beach. The biggest blast could be heard 40 miles away in Burnley. Some thought it was the start of a German invasion. It wasn't. It was a huge fire at the shell-filling factory at White Lund. Work to build The National Filling factory Number 13 – as it was known - had begun in late 1915. Nearly three million shells had been made there. At the time of the fire, 22,000 shells were there waiting to be sent to the front. Ten people lost their lives in the disaster but it's believed the death toll would have been much higher had it not been for the bravery of some people at the scene that night. Four men were awarded the rare Edward Medal in Silver for their actions. The White Lund factory was almost totally destroyed in the fire. The munitions workers were quickly re-deployed to other depots across the country. Wartime secrecy meant the disaster went largely unreported at the time. It's thought the fire was started by a discarded cigarette. The site is now home to a large industrial estate. Location: Morecambe, Lancashire LA3 3PA Image: Morecambe Filling Factory (December 1915) courtesy of The National Archives