History
Imperial Chemical Industries
The site was set up in 1951 for ICI by Sir St John Elstub CBE; he had been a bomber pilot in the Second World War, being knighted in theImperial Metal Industries
The site was later run by Imperial Metal Industries (IMI), on behalf of the Ministry of Technology. The 200-acre site was later owned by the Ministry of Defence. It was a high-security site; local firemen had been prevented from attending incidents at the site.1980 explosion
On 4 March 1980 there was an explosion at the Worcestershire site, that severely damaged local houses, making them uninhabitable. The body of one of the dead workers was thrown 40 metres from the blast, landing in the garden of one of the damaged houses. It was the first accident in 28 years of the site.Royal Ordnance
By the 1980s, Royal Ordnance was Europe's largest producer of ammunition.''Times'' Thursday 12 September 1985, page 7 The Propellants, Explosives and Rocket Motor Establishment, in south-west Essex, was also bought by Royal Ordnance.Roxel
The Worcestershire site is now owned by Roxel Group, an Anglo-French company, and a main employer in Worcestershire.Structure
It was at a site in Worcestershire. In the 1980s the site had around 600 workers, with around 560 in the 1990s. Rocket propellants were tested nearby.Products
Missiles that it made rocket motors for include * M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System, Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) * Seacat (missile), SeaCat * Swingfire * Vickers Vigilant The site also made solid-propellant rockets for satellites.See also
* British AerospaceReferences
External links