During World War Two, the production of sewing machines at Singer’s was replaced by material for the war effort, including guns, ammunition and components for tanks and other military vehicles. Meanwhile, in the shipyards along the upper and lower Clyde reaches, warship construction was now the order of the day. The presence of such key sectors of the war economy was to make Clydebank a target for the Luftwaffe.
In March, April and May 1941, Clydebank and Glasgow were amongst the key towns and industrial centres of Britain targeted by German bombing. While exact figures are difficult to find, it is estimated that around 1,000 people were killed and a further 1,000 seriously injured in the raids on Clydebank alone. From a housing stock of approximately 12,000 houses, only seven remained undamaged with 4,000 completely destroyed and a further 4,500 severely damaged. An estimated 35,000 people, from a population at the time of around 47,000, were suddenly homeless.
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Clydebuilt
Clydebank may no longer be a shipbuilding powerhouse, but the Queen Elizabeth 2 and others were constructed along the river Clyde.
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Clydebank and Singer's
Shipbuilding tied Clydebank into the British Empire, but the town’s global links were cemented by foreign-owned companies in the Clydebank area, especially the I.M. Singer Company.
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Clydebank - strife and strikes
Clydebank has a proud industrial and manufacturing past, with workers most notably providing hardware for textile production, ships for early travel and tourism for the leisured classes, and materials for the war effort. However, for the vast majority of Clydebank’s population, life has always been hard.
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Clydebank today
Clydebank's shipbuilding days are over, but the area's future is looking up.
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