The Cocoa Works becomes ‘County Industries’

As the tide of WW2 turns, the Cocoa Works is very much part of the war effort.

The office block on Haxby Road has been requisitioned by the Royal Army Pay Corps & the Cream Department is reconfigured for the production of munitions, dried egg and Ryvita.  The Gum Department is converted into a secret fuse factory, named ‘County Industries’. It employs over 900 staff, who work 12 hour shifts, filling fuses with TNT. This is dangerous work but fortunately there are relatively few accidents.