World War Two and the ESCC

The Executive Committee minutes from the early years of WW2 reflects a sense of minor panic. A war emergency stock of Sylko Machine Twist was set up, with 13,000 gross of finished goods being set aside. The stock was stored in Belper, hopefully off the Luftwaffe's radar. They weren't so sure about the safety of storing it in Manchester - rightly so. In October 1940 a roof spotter was appointed to watch out for incendiaries landing on Arkwright House. 

But there were also reports of a slackening off in the quality department.  In August 1940, the Committee declared themselves to be disappointed with the poor lustre of the Sylko samples. Earlier in the year, badly centred tickets were a cause for concern, and the issue of faulty ticketing also reared its head again in October. 

But the company recovered from early panic due to the ongoing need for large amounts of thread for the war effort. Belper produced khaki fabric for the army and upholstery thread for Austin Motors who were manufacturing war related vehicles. The introduction of forces themed shades of Sylko also demonstrates the need for thread to make and repair the wide range of uniforms that British men and women were wearing. Thread was still being produced for the domestic market at Skipton - and being wound on to dumpy reels to save on wood. The majority of wooden reals were made from Canadian Birch which became difficult to obtain due to u-boat activity in the Atlantic. 

It appears that the ESCC did make money from the war - but they were not mean with it. 500 guineas was given to the fund to rebuild Manchester Cathedral. A Spitfire was purchased for the war effort by the company. A welfare fund for comforts for those employees serving in the forces was also established. And the welfare hall at Skipton was turned into a hostel for servicemen travelling to and from their homes in the more remote parts of the Dales.






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