Beachley and the First World War by Carol and Richard Clammer

Lightmoor Press  2017 £25  Members £24

In the early months of 1917 German U-Boats were sinking Allied merchant ships at a much faster rate than they could be replaced. To boost shipbuilding capacity three new shipyards on the banks of the Severn Estuary were planned, the largest of which was to be located on the rural Beachley Peninsula in Gloucestershire. At the end of the war the yard was still unfinished and the plan was abandoned, amidst accusations regarding its cost and alleged mismanagement. This book details the construction process and its impact on the local community. One chapter is devoted to the railway that was laid to serve the yard and an appendix lists all the locos employed. It is illustrated by a wide selection of photographs and documents.