Springburn Virtual Museum

Railway industry

Stained glass panel: female munitions worker, 1921

Over 3000 men from the North British Locomotive works served in the 1914-18 war, and more than 300 died in the killing fields of Flanders and elsewhere.

A three-panelled memorial window was commissioned by the North British Locomotive company directors, and was executed and installed in 1921 by the firm of William Meikle. Two of the panels are conventional, the central one showing a soldier with Mars the God of war, and on one side of it the classical figure of a blacksmith forging a sword.

The third panel is very unconventional, representing a female munitions worker, one of the thousands who replaced the men who went off to fight. It is highly realistic, with the coolant and the swarf from the lathe shown, and her protective overall and headgear. Although Meikle had an accurate eye he was no engineer; the lathe as depicted would be operated with the left hand, whereas they were always right-handed. The woman looks sad; possibly she had lost her husband or other relative in the war.

Selections from the above image are shown below in greater detail.

Source: Ian R Mitchell