His Majesty's Ships
T.1962.5.c HMS Howe
“I started work during World War II. The shipyards were a target, but we were very matter-of-fact about the danger.”
George Greg, former shipbuilder
Comment by Jo Anthony
There were loads of people at the HMS Dragon launch – from kids through to retired shipyard workers. I kept losing my friends in the crowd. It was easy to forget that this was a ship destined for war.
From: Jo Anthony
Comment by George Kerr, former shipbuilder
It's saddening to see shipbuilding right down to a rump of 2 yards. One in Scotstoun and one in Govan.
From: George Kerr, former shipbuilder and union shop steward
Questions by Glasgow Museums
Do you remember the Clyde in wartime? Could the shipyards have survived without military orders - and does it matter so long as there is work?
Eyewitness by George Greg, former shipbuilder
The thing with working in a shipyard during the war was simply getting used to it, and getting on with things, it was just a fact of life. If the sirens went you just had to get out … I do remember the lighting being restricted, which was a problem because working inside the hull of a ship normally required extra lighting and without this progress would be slow, so to a certain extent the war held things up in the yards, however that pressure to get a warship completed quickly was still immense.
From: George Greg, former shipbuilder
