Giant ship build hall for Navy frigates named after female pioneer from WW2
A new huge shipbuilding facility in Glasgow has been named after a "pioneer" Second World War shipyard electrician.
It was officially named the Janet Harvey Hall, in honour of the electrician, who at the age of 18 was just one of the women who took on industrial jobs when the country needed them most during the war.
Once complete, the facility will be large enough for two Type 26 frigates to be constructed side by side and will be constructed of more than 6,000 tonnes of steel and 20,000m3 of concrete.
Janet Harvey and just a handful of women worked alongside a 100,000-strong male workforce at the River Clyde's shipyards in a crucial role in the UK's war effort.
At the age of 96, Janet was awarded an Honorary Degree as a Doctor of Engineering from Glasgow Caledonian University in recognition of her outstanding contribution to Glasgow's shipyards during the war.
She died on 11 November last year at the age of 101.
"Naming the hall after Janet not only honours her contribution but also the efforts of all the women who stepped up and became electricians, welders, engineers and platers when the call came," said BAE.
The hall is currently still under construction at BAE Systems' site in Govan and is a key element of the £300m transformation of the firm's shipbuilding facilities.
Jen Blee, business operations director of BAE Systems' Naval Ships business, said: "It's fitting that a pioneer such as Janet will remain synonymous with our efforts to re-imagine complex shipbuilding on the upper Clyde."
She added: "We owe so much to generations past and will use the wisdom they gave us to create our own legacy for generations to come."
June Cofflet, Janet's niece, said that as a family they are delighted for her name to go on the ship build hall and called it "a real honour".
Janet would have been "absolutely delighted", she said.
June added: "She was so very proud of the work she did during the war. She had great memories of her time working on the Clyde and felt that the work she did made a difference."
BAE says that once complete, the hall will help enable "efficient and safe shipbuilding for decades to come with future work unaffected by adverse weather".
They add that with two 100-tonne cranes and two 20-tonne cranes, the facility is designed to accommodate up to 500 workers per shift.
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