BMARC
| Private | |
| Industry | Arms |
| Founded | 1937 |
| Headquarters | Springfield Road, Grantham, NG31 7JB |
|
Area served
|
Worldwide |
|
Key people
|
William Denis Kendall Founder |
| Products | Weapons |
| Parent |
Hispano-Suiza (Suisse), Geneva (1937-71) Oerlikon-Bührle (1971-88) Astra Holdings (1988-92) |
BMARC (The British Manufacture and Research Company) was a UK-based firm designing and producing defence products, particularly aircraft and naval anti-aircraft cannon. It was based on a 60-acre (240,000 m2) site on Springfield Road, (part of the A607), in Grantham, Lincolnshire.
Created and funded under the Air Ministry's Shadow factory plan headed up by Herbert Austin, the company was founded by William Denis Kendall. Shortly after start-up during the Second World War rearmament period, Kendall became MP for Grantham from 1942–50.
By 1943 its two production units fulfilled 46% of the UK's demand for the Hispano-Suiza 20 mm cannon. The remainder came from The Birmingham Small Arms Company Limited (BSA) shadow factory in Newcastle-under-Lyme, 25%; Poole Royal Ordnance Factory, 25%; and the Royal Small Arms Factory Enfield, 3%. At the time of the Battle of Britain in 1940, 20mm cannon were only just starting to arm the Spitfire and Hurricane. By 1943, the RAF had converted entirely to cannon armament for its fighters. Grantham received 21 raids by the Luftwaffe for precisely this reason, which killed 70 people in 1941-2 (many around the Commercial Road and Norton Street area on 9 January and 4 February in 1941). One notable raid was on 24 October 1942 when 30 people were killed when bombs destroyed most of Stuart Street and its air-raid shelter. The Ministry of Aircraft Production site on Springfield Road was hit on 27 January 1941, when a plane was shot down. The factory was also attacked in daylight on 3 December 1940, but the plane was damaged by the 3rd Kesteven (Grantham and Spittlegate) Battalion who had an anti-aircraft battery at the factory.
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