Great War munitions workers in the canteen of the National Projectile Factory, Lancaster.

Potential Issuer:

It is possible that these canteen tokens were issued by the Munition Makers’s Canteen Committee (M.M.C.C.) for use in the munition works canteens they operated and/or managed around Great Britain and Ireland during the Great War.

The M.M.C.C. was established in 1915 by Lady Dorothy Lawrence who was the wife of Major Lord Lawrence of the London Regiment.

Lady Dorothy Lawrence. c.1917

The Committee was founded with the aim of promoting the good health of munitions workers via the provision of regular meals at canteens established within their places of work. Between 1915 and 1917 they ran a range of such canteens in both Great Britain and Ireland.  

An outline of the  operations and good work undertaken by the M.M.C.C. can be found in the self advertising article illustrated below. This is one of several the Committee posted in national and regional British newspaper during the course of the war in order to promote donations for their work as well as volunteers to join them.

Extract from “The Scotsman” Newspaper of 2nd October 1915.

The M.M.C.C. was one of several British government approved societies and charities who operated munitions works canteens during the Great War. For additional information regarding the development and role of the Munitions Factory Canteens during the Great War please refer to elsewhere on this web site.

Potential Usage Locations:

If this token series can be attributed to the Munition Makers’s Canteen Committee (M.M.C.C.) then they could have been used at a number of different locations within Great Britain and Ireland. The M.M.C.C.’s first canteen was established at the Royal Ordnance Factory in Woolwich. Additional canteens were later opened by them at the Royal Small Arms Factory in Enfield, the Royal Aircraft Factory in Farnborough, Vickers Limited in Sheffield, Portsmouth Dockyard together with munitions works in  Birmingham, Dundee and elsewhere.

Associated Token, Check & Pass Issues:

Type 1

Function:  Canteen Refreshment token

Material: Brass

Design: Uniface with a plain edge

Shape & Size: Circular,  29.2 mm

Obverse: Raised legend around outer edge reads MUNITION MAKERS’ . CANTEEN . and in centre field the mark of value 3D .

Reverse:  Blank

Date:  c.1915 to c.1917

Maker: Unknown

Published References:  Yarwood, J.F. – Military Tokens of the British Commonwealth. Private Publication. 2011. Token reference. MMT008.

Type 2

Function:  Canteen Refreshment token

Material: Brass

Design: Uniface with a plain edge

Shape & Size: Circular,  29 mm

Obverse: Raised legend around outer edge reads MUNITION MAKERS’ . CANTEEN . and in centre field the mark of value 1D .

Reverse:  Blank

Date:  c.1915 to c.1917

Maker: Unknown

Published References:  Yarwood, J.F. – Military Tokens of the British Commonwealth. Private Publication. 2011. Token reference. MMT007.

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