People who work in a dangerous job often become complacent about the danger of their environment believing that they are somehow protected from injury. It would have only taken a small raid and a few well placed bombs on to the ROF Factories and Bridgend would have been wiped off the map. But many local people believed that the factories were hidden from the air due to a constant early morning and late evening mist which hangs over the surrounding area.
After the war, a Bridgend RAF man studied the Luftwaffe air reconnaissance mosaics taken over Britain and came across a perfectly clear photo of the area taken on the 24th August 1940. The photo was so clear that it shows a complete layout of the factory and part of the town of Bridgend and clearly states, in German at the top of the photo Staatliche Munitionsfabrik - National Ammunitions Factory!
THE ADMIRALTY
22nd July 1940Click image to enlarge |
Luftwaffe Photo of Bridgend
24th August 1940Click image to enlarge |
THE ADMIRALTY
German labelling of factoryClick image to enlarge |