250 Sets of Cables for electing firing gear. This is the gear attached to 6 in. and 92 in. guns, to enable them to be fired by electricity. 24 Battery Boxes in connection with above. 500 Sets Rings and Discs protecting obturator. This is a contrivance in the breech of a gun to prevent the escape of the gases generated in firing. 35 Steel Crankshafts for the Motor Boats which were used for chasing submarines. 36 Magazine Barrows for transporting heavy shells from Magazine to Guns on board H.M. Ships. 160 Breech Rings for 18 pounder guns. 100 Clamp Bearings. 14,912 Shell Nose adaptors for correcting the thread in end of shell. 20,300 Dummy Shells for 18 pounder Guns. These were used in training new troops to handle guns and shells. To complete this contract in 1915 the Cunard Company bought all the mangle rollers that could be obtained and converted them into dummy shells. The Company’s Laundry, which before the war dealt with all the Linen, etc., from the Company’s steamers, was able during the last few years to assist many of the Military Hospitals and other institutions in the district by undertaking their Laundry work; at the same time, of course, they did whatever work was required for the Company’s ships and those under their management, whether acting as troop ships or hospital ships. [Illustration: A HOSPITAL WARD IN THE LOUNGE OF THE “MAURETANIA”] Nor did these activities exhaust the long list of the Cunard Company’s manifold contributions to the Nation’s improvised war industries. In 1916, realising the urgent need for aeroplanes, the Company’s Directors made certain suggestions to the Government, and placed their services at the Government’s disposal in this connexion. After some months consideration a definite scheme was formulated in July, 1917, providing for the erection of a factory at the Government’s expense, to be under the supervision of the Cunard Company, who would act as Managers under the Direction of the Ministry of Munitions. A site was selected near the race course at Aintree, the first sod was removed on the 4th October, 1917, and within less than nine months the factory was completed, many of the shops having been working at full pressure very much earlier than this. Although the Cunard Company had had no experience of aircraft work, and could not, of course, spare sufficient staff to man the factory, the arrangement of the various shops, and the selection of the machinery to be installed rested in their hands, and a certain number of the Company’s own officials were subsequently employed there.