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The War Years and In Between - Part 4 |
The war years saw the creation
of some stirring and patriotic advertisements. In 1940
the company stated "Since 1885, through crises
and wars, depressions and good times, Avon has continued
to contribute its full share towards the evolution and
development of tyres and general rubber goods. Today,
the company is proud to use its resources in furthering
the common task. The demands of His Majesty's Government
receive absolute priority".
In 1941 an Avon advertisement depicting
a knight crusader on horseback declared "We believe
that nothing avails if tyranny prevails. That no sacrifice
is too great, no cost too high, to ensure victory and
freedom. The Avon workers and management are striving
to produce the goods the Nation needs and to maintain
the highest degree of quality."
In 1942 Oswald Swanborough was appointed
Managing Director, a position which he was to hold for
21 years, and Avon opened work centres which were set
up so that women could put in as many hours as they could
spare for the war effort.
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Gas mask production during
World War II |
An Avon advertising campaign that year was
based on Winston Churchill's famous question of the Germans
"What sort of people do they think we are?"
Referring to the struggle of our seamen manning both naval
and merchant vessels, the copy continued "Every
article you do without helps to reduce his work and his
risks. So save paper, save rubber, save everything to win.
Use your tyres as little as you can … and never misuse
them".
Throughout the war years turnover
and sales grew but, in the interests of National security,
very little was said or published about the work being carried
out by the company.
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It was not until his report to shareholders
at the Annual General Meeting in December 1945 that the
Chairman, Major R G Fuller, said "It is now permissible
to tell shareholders something of our activities during
the war. Of course, tyres formed the bulk of our work, but
we also supplied 20 million gas masks and over 6,000 tons
of general rubber goods for the Service departments of the
Government and the essential services of the country."
The war had caused a shortage of coal
and, therefore, electricity was greatly restricted. Meal
breaks and working hours were adjusted to allow the most
power-hungry machinery to be operated only in off-peak hours.
In a celebration carnival in Melksham
in May 1946 to raise funds for the town's "Welcome
Home Fund" for returning servicemen, Avon's prize-winning
float proclaimed "Avon workers did their full share
- victory moved on rubber."
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