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Westfield
Manufacturing Company in World War Two
Westfield, MA
1915-2019
2019-Present as Columbia Manufacturing, Inc.
This page added 5-27-2022.
An American Auto
Industry in World War Two Special Edition
As early
as 1878, the first Columbia bicycles were manufactured in Hartford, MA.
Lieutenant-Colonel Albert Augustus Pope, who had a vision of marketing
the newly popular bicycle, negotiated with the Weed Sewing Machine Co.
about building bicycles rather than importing them. Only a few months
later the first bicycles, a replica of an English bicycle, began
production in Hartford, Connecticut. Through a number of acquisitions
and moves, the Pope Manufacturing Co. consolidated its manufacturing
into a plant in Westfield, Massachusetts. In 1915 the Pope Manufacturing
Co. filed for bankruptcy. The company was reorganized and renamed, The
Westfield Manufacturing Company. Throughout a number of subsequent
bankruptcies and name changes over the years, the company now called
Columbia Manufacturing Inc. has never ceased production for any extended
period of time; and the company that exists today is a direct descendant
of the original Pope Manufacturing Co. The company now makes
classroom furniture.
Westfield Manufacturing Company won the
Army-Navy "E" Award three times during World War Two.
Westfield Company
World War Two Production: Westfield is best known for its
production of Columbia brand bicycles during World War Two.
However, Table 1 demonstrates that the company's main product during
World War Two was ordnance items for the U.S. Army. These were
primarily shells, rockets, grenades, and fuze parts. Of the
total $8,428,000 in contracts, $7,212,000, or 85.6%, was for ordnance
items for the Army. The other $1,216,000, or 14.4%, was for
bicycles and parts. While Table 2 shows that Army Ordnance
accepted 51,195 bicycles, Table 1 shows that the Treasury Department and
the U.S. Navy also had placed their own orders for bicycles.
Table 1 - Westfield Manufacturing Company's Major World War Two
Contracts
The information below
comes from the "Alphabetical Listing of Major War Supply
Contracts, June 1940 through September 1945." This was
published by the Civilian Production Administration, Industrial
Statistics Division. |
|
Product - Customer |
Contract Amount |
Contract Awarded
|
Completion Date |
| Shells
- Army |
$98,000 |
1-1942 |
7-1942 |
| Shell Parts
- Army |
$245,000 |
3-1942 |
12-1942 |
| Shells
- Army |
$287,000 |
4-1942 |
9-1943 |
|
Bicycles - Army |
$405,000 |
7-1942 |
9-1942 |
| Ordnance Material
- Army |
$550,000 |
9-1942 |
8-1943 |
| Grenades
-Army |
$1,059,000 |
10-1942 |
5-1944 |
|
Rockets - Army |
$428,000 |
1-1943 |
12-1944 |
| Bicycles
- Army |
$80,000 |
1-1943 |
3-1943 |
| Practice Shells
-Army |
$224,000 |
4-1943 |
10-1943 |
| Bicycles
- Treasury |
$68,000 |
4-1943 |
7-1943 |
| Bicycles
- Treasury |
$181,000 |
5-1954 |
9-1943 |
| Bicycles
- Army |
$348,000 |
6-1943 |
1-1944 |
|
Bicycle Parts - Army |
$73,000 |
7-1943 |
1-1944 |
|
Practice Shells 37MM - Army |
$81,000 |
7-1943 |
6-1944 |
|
Rocket Fin Trap Assys - Army |
$58,000 |
1-1944 |
5-1944 |
|
Rocket Tube Assys M6A1 - Army |
$150,000 |
1-1944 |
6-1944 |
|
Rocket Pts HE M6A3 |
$473,000 |
3-1944 |
10-1944 |
|
Bicycles - Navy |
$61,000 |
4-1944 |
5-1944 |
|
Grenade Parts AT M9A1 - Army |
$298,000 |
5-1944 |
10-1944 |
| Fuses
PD M48A2 - Army |
$416,000 |
5-1944 |
6-1945 |
|
Grenade Parts AT M9A1 - Army |
$176,000 |
7-1944 |
12-1944 |
| Smoke
Rocket Pts - T26E2 - Army |
$319,000 |
8-1944 |
1-1945 |
|
Rocket Pts AT H3 M6A3C -Army |
$1,150,000 |
10-1944 |
4-1945 |
| Smoke
Rockets WP M10 - Army |
$172,000 |
12-1944 |
4-1945 |
|
Rockets AT HE M6A3C - Army |
$874,000 |
1-1945 |
8-1945 |
| Smoke
Rockets M10 - Army |
$58,000 |
1-1945 |
6-1945 |
| Fuze
Parts PD M48A2 - Army |
$100,000 |
3-1945 |
7-1945 |
|
Total |
$8,428,000 |
|
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Table 2 -
Westfield Manufacturing Company Bicycles
Accepted by Detroit Ordnance, US Army
The information below comes from "Summary Report of
Acceptances, Tank-Automotive Material, 1940-1945."
Published by Army Services Forces, Office, Chief of
Ordnance-Detroit, Production Division, Requirements and
Progress Branch,
January 21, 1946. |
|
Type |
Model Number |
1940 |
1941 |
1942 |
1943 |
1944 |
1945 |
Total |
| Bicycle |
|
|
|
19,094 |
25,417 |
6,684 |
|
51,195 |
Not included in Table 2 is the number of
bicycles built for the Treasury Department and the U.S. Navy.
This 1942 Westfield Manufacturing
Company-built bicycle is
serial number MG92217. There were several Army contracts and one
Navy contract for
bicycles. According to Table 1, the Navy contract did not
start until April 1944. If this bicycle were used by the
Navy, it would have come from an Army contract, or the owner
painted an Army bicycle in navy colors. Author's photo.
Author's photo.
Author's photo.
Author's photo.
This Columbia bicycle is on display at
Roberts Armory. Author's photo.
This is a second Westfield Columbia bicycle
on display at Roberts Armory. Author's photo.
Westfield had eight contracts related to the
manufacture of components for rocket parts and rockets for the 2.36 inch
rocket launcher, more commonly known as the bazooka. This was
38.6% of its major contracts. The two types of High Explosive,
Anti-Tank (HEAT) are shown here. Author's photo.
This is either an M6 or M6A1 and was the
first configuration used in the M1/M1A1 bazooka. Author's photo.
This M6 or M6A1 has a cut-away view of the warhead. Author's photo
from the Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum
added 5-27-2022.
Author's photo added 5-27-2022.
This M6A1 2.36 HEAT rocket is shown with the
M1A1 rocket launcher. Author's photo.
When the U.S. Army introduced the improved
M9 rocket launcher, it also introduced the new M6A3 rocket like this
one. The rounded nose gave better penetration; and the new
cylindrical fin assembly was more stable in flight. Author's
photo.
Westfield also made parts for the M9A1 rifle
grenade. Author's photo from the Veterans Memorial Museum in
Germantown, OH.
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