Montgomery watches a GEC mine detector, 9 March 1944

General Montgomery watches a demonstration of the 'Widesweep' mine detector at the General Electric Company works, Birmingham (probably GEC Witton), 9 March 1944.

War Office official photograph from the series 'General Montgomery in Birmingham'. The original caption reads: 'General Montgomery sees a demonstration of the Widesweep Mine Detector at the General Electric Co. Works.'

Notes

Date: 9 March 1944 (IWM production date; the caption card reads 'Taken by Sgt. Morris. 9.3.44'). Place: the War Office caption says only 'the General Electric Co. Works' on Montgomery's Birmingham tour. It is probably GEC's Witton works (Electric Avenue, Witton, about 2.5 km south of Kingstanding Circle). The evidence: a Birmingham History Forum history of Witton Kramer (post by 'The Baron', 21 Feb 2007) records 'the personal visit of General Montgomery who came to the Witton Kramer works on 9th March 1944'. It lists mine detectors among the works' wartime products, which matches the 'Widesweep Mine Detector' in H 36451. GEC Witton was a major wartime employer of people from the Kingstanding and Perry Common estates. Norman Plant, 20, was killed at GEC Witton in the raid of 20 November 1940 (CWGC). Other photographs from the same tour show Metro-Cammell, BRC&W, Hallam Hospital, the Council House and Montgomery Street (IWM H 36445–H 36464). Identification confidence: confirmed (Montgomery, GEC works, date); probable (Witton site).