New shipbuilding hall named after woman who served in industry during war

A cutting-edge shipbuilding hall has been officially opened, named after one of the many women who served in the industry during the Second World War.

The Janet Harvey Hall was declared open at a special ceremony at BAE Systems in Govan, Glasgow, on Wednesday, with the ribbon-cutting led by nieces of the facility’s namesake.

Ms Harvey was just 18 when she was drafted in to work on the ships as an electrician.

Despite her integral work during the war and her flare for the occupation, she was made redundant after the conflict ended as many of the men who had been fighting on the frontlines returned to their old jobs.

The hall, which will help improve schedule performance and reduce the time between ship deliveries, forms a central part of the £300 million modernisation and digitalisation of BAE’s facilities in Glasgow, playing a role in the delivery of eight Type 26 frigates for the Royal Navy.

Measuring 170m long and 80m wide, the hall has capacity for two Type 26 frigates to be constructed side-by-side, with two 100-tonne cranes and a two 20-tonne cranes inside.

HMS Belfast and HMS Birmingham are currently being built in the hall, while HMS Glasgow and HMS Cardiff are being outfitted at BAE’s Scotstoun site further up the River Clyde, and steel has been cut on HMS Sheffield.

Jennifer Blee, manufacturing and facility director, said: “Janet Harvey was an 18-year-old woman who was drafted in during WWII. Like many women, she served as an electrician and helped when the men went to war.

“When the war ended, she was made redundant and the hall itself was named after her to serve as a memory to those women that played a part in the war effort, but also kind of a beacon to signal the future in the diversity of shipbuilding.

“We are currently building the Type 26 programme, an eight ship programme with the UK Royal Navy.

Dave Cave, head of real estate and infrastructure at BAE, said: “This facility is proof of what can be delivered when we communicate, collaborate and work as a team.

“I’m proud of the contribution we’ve made to the great endeavour, and to the amazing history of shipbuilding on the Clyde.”

Simon Lister, managing director of BAE’s naval ships business, said: “The Janet Harvey Hall marks a major step forward for shipbuilding in Glasgow and will help enable efficient and safe shipbuilding for decades to come. It’s a symbol of pride not just for our skilled workforce who bring these ships to life, but for the entire city.”

Stephen Charlick, MoD Defence Equipment & Support Type 26 resident project officer, said: “Protecting the United Kingdom and its interests from evolving global threats requires state-of-the-art vessels like the Type 26 frigate and the investment by our industry partner, BAE Systems, underscores the commitment to equipping our armed forces.

“The Janet Harvey Hall brings an improved approach to warship assembly and outfit, driving quality throughout the build, and this approach supports regular delivery of vessels in line with the Royal Navy need.”