Ransome & Marles Bearings

Ransome and Marles’ Factory Newark-On-Trent was bombed On Friday 7th March 1941

We will Remember them Ransome and Marles’ Factory Newark-On-Trent was bombed On Friday 7th March 1941. Let’s Preserve and share any Memories As a result of this raid 29 men and 12 women were killed. If anyone has stories , photos or information regarding family members. Next Friends meeting will be held at Newark town hall on Wednesday 9th June 2010 first floor in the pickin room at 5:30pm.

Ransome and Marles’ Factory was Bombed. We will Remember Newark-On-Trent was being bombed at the ball bearing factory, and also the pump factory Worthington Simsons in Balderton. Newark was attacked regularly because of its significance to airfields and war work carried out within the area. The most significant attack was on 7th March 1941 when two German planes dropped a series of bombs on and around Ransom and Marles who made ball bearings for naval gun turrets. A total of 41 people were killed with a further 165 being injured.

The 1st Alert was sounded at 13.35 when a Heinkel 111 made its 1st pass over the factory at 1,000 feet dropping 4 bombs. 2 hit the works, 1 hit the edge of the works and 1 hit the works shelter at the rear of Stanley Street. The works was also machine gunned. The plane made a further 2 passes over the factory causing more damage although one of its bombs failed to explode. Shortly after that the All Clear was sounded and rescue work began. The plane made a further 2 passes over the factory causing more damage although one of its bombs failed to explode. Shortly after that the All Clear was sounded and rescue work began. At 14.24 the Alert was sounded and another enemy plane attacked the works while rescuers were assisting the casualties. It dropped 5 bombs but only 1 exploded causing a number of casualties and some damage, 4 bombs failed to explode. The All Clear was sounded at 14.51.

70th Anniversary. Greater Love Hath No Person Than This That To Lay Down His Life For His Friends. Our Heroes in memory to the fallen, Though they are hidden in the shadow of Death. Their lives for others in the love of Freedom that never dies.

Full list of the 41 names that were killed.
1, George Harold Henry Adams, aged 45
2, Wilfred Evelyn Andrew, aged 39
3, Olive Ash, aged 31
4, Edward Beaver 26
5, Bertie Augustus Ball, aged 18
6, Ernest Patrick Beale aged 27, Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment) (Private)
7, Harold Vincent Brown, aged 44
8, Vivian Maud Castle, aged 18
9, Enid Winifred Hall Cooper aged 30
10, Edna May Cottam, aged 19
11, Gladys Cummings, aged 21
12, William Joseph Dixey, aged 62
13, Frederick Flowler, aged 39
14, George William Godridge, aged 29
15, Robert Grant, aged 47, his son Chris was only five when his Father died, he became Newark town mayor 50 years later in 1991-1992
16, John Henry Green, aged 55, Volunteer Home Guard, 11th Nottinghamshire (Newark)
17, Horace Grocock, aged 47
18, Albert Robert Gyde, aged 42
19, Rose Ellen Hall, aged 30
20, James Hazelby Hanger, aged 29
21, Thomas McHallam Hardie, aged 26
22, Sybil Harriet Hayden, aged 34
23, Joyce May Kirton, aged 18
24, Lily Lambert, aged 22
25, George Felix Lambley, 39
26, Edith Makins, aged 21
27, Frederick William Mann, aged 46
28, Frederick Markwell, aged 50
29, Claude Ware Hannah Martin, aged 36
30, Edwin E. Martin, aged 46
31, Richard Naylor, aged 25
32, Frederick William Packwood, aged 52
33, William Thomas Pepper, aged 18
34, Frederick Richards, aged 32
35, Alfred Mayfield Ridge, aged 68
36, Reginald William Senior, aged 35, died on the 8th March,
37, George Swanwick, aged 38
38, Norah Trueblood, aged 34,
39, Esther Evelyn Varney, aged 19, (her body was never found)
40, William Warner, aged 51
41, Arthur Worrell, aged 31

28 are buried in Newark Cemetery,Nottinghamshire I have located 19 graves.

Laurence Goff
Friends of Newark Cemetery Chairman
http://newarkcemeteryuk.wordpress.com/

The feedback from the VP is that most aviation bearings were made at the Stonehouse factory (IIRC this is in Glos). Apparently he did pass some R & M literature to the NAM Archive – you might be best contacting the Curator directly details at the bottom of this page! 🙂

The P prefix should be a DH Propellers part. Don`t know about the C.
If you post some photos I could look in the parts books, but without a pic there are too many to start on!

Pete

No reply from the VP as yet; but RHP from the earlier post stands for Ransome, Hoffman and Pollard.

Another possible contact http://www.ahrinternational.com/rhp_bearings.htm

The only large bearing that I have from a Merlin engine is a bearing from the propeller reduction pinion which is made by ‘HOFFMANN’.

I have another bearing from a ROTOL propeller that I believe (due to a patent number marked on it) is made by BRITISH TIMKEN.

Curiously a propeller shaft bearing that I have from a later war Bf109G is not marked in any way that I can see and with the chances of intact bearings falling into enemy hands was this perhaps an attempt to hide the location of bearing production centres?

Overall I would think it was quite risky from a strategic point of view to have a single manufacturer for the total supply of a particular bearing for a particular engine due to the danger of enemy action interrupting supplies (which was certainly attempted by the allies).

Prompted by the above posts I would add the following.

IIRC in 1974 the apprentices at RHP undertook the restoration of a sectioned Hercules engine for NAM and displayed it at their Factory Open Day.

That year RHP also provided road transport to collect the Hurricane BoB replica from the Pinewood Film Studios (my first ever museum ‘aircraft’ movement). This was also displayed at the open day alongside the Spitfire BoB replica.

Could their bearings have been used in both types? :confused:

Not sure whether it was the same year but I also recall that Magister G-AKAT was displayed at a RHP Open Day!

One of NAM’s Vice-Presidents used to work at RHP so I’ll make him aware of this thread and try to jog his memory.

Bearings

They’re a roller bearing

What sort of bearings are they (ball, roller, taper) and what size?

I don’t know of any Ransome and Marles bearings used in propellers but I have some that were used in Bristol Hercules engines.

Bearings

Thanks Twinotter,

Have tried them alredy but their records have been lost in the mists of time.

The bearings may also be known as AJ8626. They come in a box of 5, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything………..

G

Ransome & Marles changed name many years ago and in one of their later guises, RHP they were a good supporter of NAM in the 1970s.

As a long shot you could try the spares department of the current company http://www.nsk.com/

Edit: Just remembered that the name lives on http://ransomeandmarles.co.uk/