Original planning for the site began at Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, with Sir Alex Gibson acting as consultant and Holloway Brothers the contractors.
[2] In July 1940 Lawrence Gale from the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, was appointed the Superintendent, taking 9 staff with him, and when the first shells rolled off the assembly line in September 1940 there were only between 50 and 100 employees.
[2] When the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich was bombed, it had to be closed down and many workers and a large amount of material were transferred to ROF Kirkby.
[1] Afterwards the site was developed by Liverpool Corporation as an industrial estate and played a large part in the growth of Kirkby from a population of barely over 3,000 in 1951 to over 52,000 by 1961.
It took three months of work to clear 4,000 bombs which were buried in the rubble after the second accident,[1] with a total of 37 awards for bravery and distinguished conduct made by the King.