In 1941 premises at Warrington were equipped for the manufacture of Cutanit sintered carbide, then in growing demand for tool tips. Soon, however, they were diverted to the production of armour-piercing shot in the same material, and by 1943 production had spread to an M.O.S. factory at Risley in the same area. These two factories for sintered products, both operated by M-V, achieved an output hitherto undreamed of.

Other manufacturing premises were taken over temporarily and often put to unexpected uses. A furniture factory at Sandon near Patricroft provided a tool room, cabinet shop and automatic pilot assembly shop; the Valpercy clothing factory in Longsight made miniature instruments and control gear; a printing works at Park Road, Timperley, produced radar equipment, and a garment factory at Sharston near Wythenshawe made paints and varnishes. At Legh Street, Patricroft, cotton spinning gave place to central stores, files and records. A newlycompleted factory at Fitzwarren Street, Pendleton, started work on gun carriages. A factory at Bamford in Derbyshire turned out altogether 45,000 aircraft generators and provided a remarkable example of the accuracy and reliability obtainable from previously untrained labour.

PERSONNEL IN WAR-TIME
Works management problems were naturally intensified by the impact of war. The Company attained record numbers, employing over 30,000 men and women in 1943 and 1944, but it had lost many of the most skilled and experienced. However, in spite of this vast increase and the dilution of skilled labour very high outputs were achieved, and the works and staff committees were successful in avoiding major labour disputes. A. Walmsley, the superintendent of labour, was also the chairman of the Stretford and District Employment Committee; he received the M.B.E. in 1943.

The works was scheduled a 'protected place' by the Admiralty on October 2, 1939, and in June 1940 the Company became a 'controlled undertaking'. The delegation of inspection to the Company's staff, which had been started by the Aeronautical Inspection Department in 1932, was extended during the war by the Chief Inspector of Armaments and later by the Admiralty (Engineer-in-Chief's Department). Early in 1942 'joint production consultative and advisory committees' were constituted as agreed between the engineering employers and trade unions. The committees, which are departmental, are representative of all concerned with production; delegates other than from the management are elected by ballot. At their monthly meetings views are exchanged, thus helping to maintain a friendly atmosphere on the floor of the shops, and ideas to improve production are put forward.