D-Day landings, Wakefield, George Kellett & Peggy Taylor

We've revisited this blog ahead from 2014 ahead of the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings!

Discover Wakefield's role in the D-Day landings. Learn about the part played by local people Peggy Taylor and George Kellett, among others.

6 June was the 70th anniversary of the Second World War Normandy landings, known as D-Day.

Despite being far from the action Wakefield played a crucial role in the success of the operation.  

Drake & Warters

Some of the landing craft used in the D-Day landings were built in Wakefield.  The Landing Craft Assaults were made at joinery & shop fitters company Drake & Warters Ltd in 1943.

The first LCA to be made at the factory was the 1144.  This is an image of it being launched:

There's more information about Drake & Warters involvement in the production of the LCAs on Heritage Daily.

Peggy Taylor

Drake & Warters also employed 800 women and girls to enable them to meet the order.  

A British Pathe newsreel survives that shows the factory and introduces some of the workers.

One of the girls working at the factory and who features in the newsreel was Peggy Taylor, a former cinema usherette.

We'd love to know if Peggy Taylor or her family are still living in Wakefield.  If you think you know Peggy then please contact us at museums@wakefield.gov.uk.

George Kellett

George Kellett was born in 1894 in Wakefield. He worked as a joiner, and served in the Duke of Cornwall regiment in the First World War. 

He wrote a diary throughout 1918 detailing his experiences of serving in the war in France and Belgium. 

After the First World War, George returned to his work as a carpenter and joiner. At some point he became a Drake & Warters employee. He was still working there in 1943 when the company were busy producing the landing craft, and so it is very likely he was also involved in their production. 

George Kellett was a trusted and longstanding employee of Drake & Warters and is mentioned in a Wakefield Express newspaper article dating from April 1950, celebrating the firm's Silver Jubilee:

'Most of the people working there are local and many have been there since its formation.  “They are the people that made the business” says Mr Drake.  Six of them, Fred Mundy, George Kellett, Joseph Trantor, Ernest Blakey, John Beck and Edwin Thresh were presented with silver tankards…The firm’s employees are proud of their efforts in the Second World War… These included the building of 72 invasion craft in as many weeks'

This is an image of Drake & Warters staff from around 1930 - we believe that George Kellett is on the middle row, eighth in from the left.

Click here to read through George Kellett's First World War diary.