GECO Employee Database

 

During ten years of research in writing Bomb Girls: Trading Aprons for Ammo, author Barbara Dickson began recreating a GECO bomb girls employee database. Drawn from eighty-four issues of the ammunition factory’s employee magazine, GECO Fusilier, as well as from other sources, Barbara has extracted approximately eight thousand names, or about one-third of the original employee base. In addition to names, she has been able, in many cases, to recover other vital information such as job titles, individual shop locations, and personal events like marriage, birth and death announcements. Circumstances of loved ones overseas have also been recovered in some cases. Deemed a labour of love, the database has become a vital, well-respected, one-of-a-kind addition to the legacy of GECO in Scarborough, a poignant repository of archival information for family and descendants of these incredibly courageous Canadians.

 

Technical drawings and specifications, as well as employee records were ordered destroyed by the Canadian government after the end of the Second World War. The only records still in existence today are GECO President R.M.P. Hamilton’s personal and professional documents along with his photograph collection. Upon Bob’s death, his wife, Betty donated the historically-important records to the Archives of Ontario in an effort to make available to the public the incredible untold story of GECO’s presence in Scarborough, Ontario.

GECO bomb girls prepare bullets for tip lacquering © Archives of Ontario

GECO bomb girls prepare bullets for tip lacquering © Archives of Ontario

 

The database can be searched and sorted by criteria including Surname, Department, Job Title, Shop No., and Keywords such as “birth,” “death,” or military rank/arm of service, etc. In addition, Barbara has created other lists including all known GECO employees who enlisted during the war and those who had loved ones fighting overseas (which may contain pertinent details from the soldier’s service record.)

GECO "truckerettes" transporting filled munitions © Archives of Ontario

GECO “truckerettes” transporting filled munitions © Archives of Ontario

If you had a loved one who served his/her country at GECO during the Second World War, and would like to inquire if he/she is part of the recreated employee database, please fill in the form below. Response times may vary based on Barbara’s public speaking schedule, writing deadlines, and personal health circumstances.

Sampler from Recreated GECO Employee Database

Issue No. Name Article Job Title/
Bldg. #
/
Job Desc.
Details
Vol. 3 No. 3 P. 7 Clara Brown H.E. Line 60A Son Sgt. Harold Brown, Tank Regiment, wounded in Sicily Campaign; back in active service in Ital
Vol. 3
No. 23
P. 3
Clara Brown Tribute to a Soldier 60A Son killed in Sicily, 1944; Left GECO as at March, 1945
Vo. 3 No. 12
P. 7
Florence Walker Change Houses 39F, 18 Son Lieut. Frank Walker, POW at Dieppe, repatriated fall, 1944; Florence died unexpectedly end of Jan., 1945; 4 sons; one killed at Dieppe
Vol. 1
No. 15
P. 4
Doris McMann The Listening
Post
Supervisor, R&D, 137F Promoted from Shop 137 to R. & D., as of Sept. 1942
Vol. 1
No. 17
P. 2
Ivey Munday The Listening Post 43B Husband MIA after Dieppe – then POW
Vol. 1
No. 19
P.2
Peggy Hamilton The Listening Post 33B2 Red Diamond; green diamond as of October, 1943; Left GECO Sept., 1944
Vol. 1
No. 19
P. 4
Barbara Stewart The Listening Post Purchasing Married Edward Whyte, Multigraphing on August 21, 1943
Vol. 1
No. 20
P. 6
Ivy Harris The Listening Post 39E Red Diamond; Celebrated 25th wedding anniversary as at Dec., 1944
Vol. 1
No. 21
P. 3
Jerry Deniord Christmas Party H.E. Group Office Captain, H.E. Group Office Bowling team; Referee, GECO Hockey; Photo; 7th Victory Loan Campaign Canvassing Committee
Vol. 1
No. 21
P. 4
Lyda Audsley The Listening Post 33B Husband, a railwayman, seriously injured during a “blackout”
Vol. 2
No. 1
P. 1,2
Peggy MacKay War Very Real to Mrs. Peggy MacKay 35B Photos; Bust “War Worker” sculptured of her; helped fundraise for Salvation Army mobile canteen
Vol. 2
No. 1
P. 5
Capt. Joe Trimble GECO Operators Demo Security Guard Owned goats, donkey, mule
Vol. 2
No. 5
P. 8
Phyllis
Bloomer
Textiles   Bronze button – three blood donations; Helped young boy Roy Innis when he was in an accident on Dawes Rd.
Vol. 3
No. 3
P. 4
Florence Trowell Untitled Medical First Aider; Green diamond as of October, 1943; Photo; Earned voucher from St. John’s Ambulance, June, 1944
Sample from GECO bomb girls employee database