Recollections of R. J. Rutter, written during May 1985:
How many can recall the wartime contribution of the now defunct West Country Creamery (a Cow & Gate subsidiary company) adjacent to the railway station at Warminster?
I was factory manager there for the latter years of the Second World War when the main activity was cheesemaking (10,000 gallons per day).
Like many other factories during the war years, “the Creamery’ augmented its normal production by undertaking assembly and packaging operations for the “War Office.’
To make this possible, cheesemaking was concentrated into the top and middle floors and the “basement’ was given over to the “War Effort’ -vitaminised chocolate, boiled sweets, anti-malaria tablets, salt tablets and lemonade crystals in plastic wallets and aluminium tubes were packed into hermetically sealed “Compo’ cans.
In addition rifle pull-throughs were “plaited’ from special cord and camouflage nets were “garnished’ (interwoven) with brown, green and “earth’ coloured Hessian strips. Additionally large tarpaulin camouflage covers were painted to a prescribed pattern and colours and this work was done when weather permitted, in the adjacent cattle market run by A. Dart & Son (“Algy”). The market operated each Monday so that no camouflage work could be undertaken on that day. Incidentally at a later stage cheesemaking was discontinued and increased war requirements took up almost all of the available floor space.
The commemoration of V. E. Day, 1985, prompted me to recall these wartime activities and one happening in particular but not publicised at the time, will perhaps be remembered by former employees.
General (later Field Marshall) Montgomery had occasion to visit Imber Road barracks, Warminster, and the “Plain’ in company with American “top brass.’ During the afternoon of the visit they walked the short length of Station Road to the GWR station (adjacent to the Creamery) where those staff who could be spared were permitted to observe the spectacle and raised a cheer which was acknowledged by “Monty.’ A special train had been shunted into the siding alongside the station and “Monty’and his entourage remained in it for several hours before departure.
A number of the “Creamery’ spectators queried whether it might be possible to obtain General Montgomery’s autograph and I asked the stationmaster, the late Mr. Launchbury, if I could speak to the General’s aid-de-camp and through Captain Allison (R. T. A.) this was agreed to and resulted in Monty indicating he would provide 12 autographs. I supplied 12 factory letterheadings which were taken to his carriage and if I recall right, a “draw’ took place to decide which of the factory personnel should receive an autograph.
I wonder whether any of those autographs are still in existence and who, in fact, received them?