Elisabethville Prefabricated Buildings

This site was added to the Gateshead local list in 2023. The local list description reads:
'Former food store and butchery, now two garages and a tyre store (Elisabethville) In the early stages of WW1 Britain was facing a munitions shortfall and more factories were needed to provide armaments; by the spring of 1915 the British Government began to build factories all over the country, known as National Projectile Factories (NPF), whereby private firms built and managed the factories, but the government covered all costs and manufacturing expenses. The north-east was a favourable location to build a factory, so in July 1915 an agreement was made between the Government and Armstrong-Whitworth to build two factories at Birtley; one to produce shells and another separate factory to produce cartridge cases. However, as most able men had gone off to war there was a severe labour shortage. The Belgian government in exile was contacted for help, and the Belgian administration agreed to manage the shell factory and provide the necessary labour, while the British agreed to pay all expenses and provide materials. Armstrong-Whitworth would therefore relinquish control of shell production but retain control of the adjacent cartridge case factory, which would be staffed in the main by young women from throughout the Northeast region. To house these Belgian workers and their families, accommodation was built next to the NPF, separate from English workers on the grounds of culture and language (French speaking Walloons and Flemish). Slowly Elisabethville was born, named after the Queen of the Belgians. The shell factory started production in the summer of 1916. It employed refugees, Belgian soldiers with the necessary skills and expertise to work in the factory who had been withdrawn from the front, and wounded soldiers who had re-trained to work in the munitions factories. Birtley factory was one of the most productive in the country, exceeding all expectations. The arrival of civilians, and both women and children, eventually brought the settlement numbers up to around 6,000. Elisabethville was a self-contained village, cut off from the rest of Birtley by an iron fence. Entrances were guarded, and movement strictly controlled. It was self-sufficient, with its own church and cemetery, food store, shops, post office, hospital, laundries and baths, school, community dining halls, police station and prison, all staffed and run by the Belgians. The accommodation had electric lights, flushing toilets, and gardens, luxuries many people in Birtley had never experienced. The Belgian authorities insisted the workers were still regarded as soldiers, and subject to military discipline and they wore their uniforms at work during their 12-hour shifts, six days a week. The restrictions placed upon their movements and daily life saw the emergence of groups, clubs and societies in the settlement including social, literary, sport, music, drama, and a scout group in addition to societies for aiding soldiers at the front and prisoners of war in Germany. It was a place where the Belgians could live and work together with their own language, habits, customs, and traditions. There was some initial resentment and hostility from local people, often caused by incorrect or exaggerated reports in local newspapers; 09/2022 55 accusations of high wages, plentiful food, and the implication that fit and healthy young Belgian men were working in the factory and avoiding military service, while local men were fighting for their lives in the trenches. However, the work force comprised of 85% war wounded, and many had been decorated for their bravery. There are also accounts of integration, friendship, and generosity. The local newspaper also carried reports of Belgian workers donating money from their wages to the poor children of Birtley. Offers were given by some of the Belgian clubs and their brass band to participate and co-operate in local events such as Birtley Sports, and a Belgian concert in the Co-operative Hall was given to a mixed Belgian and British audience. Swimming clubs and football leagues also helped to forge friendships. At the end of the war production came to a sudden end and the Belgians quickly returned home, the vast majority leaving December 1918. Soon the village of Elisabethville had ceased to exist, the furniture and contents were sold at auction and many local people moved into the now vacant properties. A few Belgian men had married into the local community, and while some chose to stay here, others returned to Belgium with their new wives. Very little now remains of Elisabethville, most of the village was demolished shortly before WW2. A piece of iron fence, the Elisabethville RC Cemetery, and two prefabricated buildings (now two garages and a tyre store) are the only surviving remnants to indicate Elisabethville ever existed. The prefabricated buildings were the former food store and butchery in the settlement. A plaque denoting them as buildings of historic interest was erected in 2015. This was a shared venture by Gateshead Council and The Birtley Heritage Group. There can be no mention of the history of Birtley without the Belgian refugees, and their profound and lasting effect on the area and its people. A sovereign Belgian enclave on British soil, Elisabethville was a unique, purpose built and self-contained village for its Belgian community. Descendants of the ‘Birtley Belgians’ can still be found in the area, and their story continues to attract interest. The Birtley Heritage Group has endeavoured to preserve their story through exhibitions, talks and presentations, and it also offers a guided walk around the site where Elisabethville once stood, which is popular with both adults and school groups. Belgian visitors and descendants continue to visit.'