It is certainly true to say that with the Hammonds it runs in the family for them to be British Bata Workers. There are no less than four members of the family at present working with the Company and at one time a sister and a sister-in-law were on the Company's payroll.
Possibly the best known of all the families who work with the Company, the Hammonds should have appeared earlier in this series but for the difficulty in contacting and obtaining a picture of George Hammond (below) at present assistant works manager at the Company's factory at Maryport. He came to East Tilbury on business a few days ago and the opportunity of getting the necessary picture was snapped up by the photographic department.

Like Ernie (right), his younger brother, he served in the Royal Navy, at first on minesweepers and trawlers, and then as paymaster-lieutenant on the Admiralty staff at Malta and Italy. In the latter country, he contracted dysentry, and was sent home.
Returning to the calculation department he was made a costing clerk, and, later, assistant calculation manager. He was transferred to Maryport seven years ago, first as accountant and now he has become assistant works manager. His one regret is that he is so rarely able to come south to see his many friends at East Tilbury.
Ernie who does rubber costings in the calculation department is the youngest of the Bata Hammonds, but has already had a varied career with the Company. He came to East Tilbury in January 1939, straight from school. At the start he worked as monthly statement boy, but was soon given more responsible duties, being first book-keeper and then chief wages clerk in the leather factory office. Before serving with the Royal Navy, he was a book-keeper in the accounts department.

When in the Navy, Ernie served on the cruiser London, visiting pretty well every area in the world - Iceland, the Mediterranean, Egypt, South Africa, India, Ceylon and Australia, and his ship escorted Winston Churchill to Alexandria, en route to the Teheran Conference.
It was at this port that Ernie, on the London, on his way back from Australia, passed within a cable's length of his elder brother "Wally" who was on a ship from England which drew up opposite on a journey to India. The brothers tried in vain to communicate with each other.
On his return to East Tilbury, Ernie was on stock control for six months, after which time he became a book-keeper in the rubber factory. He was transferred to the calculation department three years ago.
Between 1940 and 1942 he was a student of Bata Technical College, being one of the original students when it moved to its present building from Bata Hotel, and he won the John Tusa prize for being the best all-round student in both years he was there.
"My two elder brothers had made good at British Bata," he told Bata Record, "and I decided to follow in their footsteps."
Judging by the interest he takes in his work, he will succeed. He is a regular student at the National College of Rubber Technology, and an avid reader of textbooks on that subject. In fact rubber technology, in its wider sense and particularly from the technical and financial aspect, is by far his favourite - almost his only - subject for conversation and interest.

Starting as a supply clerk - he had previously worked in the office of one of the big oil storage companies - he went to Zlin for training and after five months, returned to take the position of despatch manager. After being promoted supply manager, he spent some time as district inspector of retail shops in order to learn the problems and requirements of the shops, returning to his position as supply manager until his call-up in 1943.
Demombbed in 1946, he continued as suply manager until his promotion to his present psoition as merchanise manager.
In that position he has visited Gibraltar and Nigeria on business and has also paid visits to Bata factories in Europe.
Married with two daughters, Bill Hammond has played circket for Bata Sports both before and since the war and was at one time a keen golfer and hockey player.
"British Bata offers more opportunities today for those of its employees who are willing to work and to grasp their opportunities than it did when I joined the Company," he told Bata Record. "I have never once regretted moving from my old job. All the family have always been very happy with the Company and I am sure always will be."
George Hammond, second of the Hammond brothers is now assistant works manager at Maryport. He has been a Bataman for 19 years, and he too, has had steady promotion. For 12 years he was at East Tilbury, starting as a quantity clerk in the calculation department. Soon he was promoted to chief quantity clerk.

Senior member of the Hammonds of British Bata is Merchandise Manager W Hammond (above). Because his initial is "W" he immediately got the soubriquet of "Wally." after the famous cricketer of pre-war days, although his name is really William. Then comes George and third in line is Ernest, of the calculation department.
W Hammond has more of less grown up with the Company and this year completes 20 years service with British Bata. The whole of that time has been spent on the retail and merchandising side of the business, except for his three years with the Royal Air Force, when he rose to the rank of navigator and saw service in Britain and the East.

These three brothers are not the only Hammonds to have associations with British Bata. Mary Hammond, their sister, was a clicker in Dept 405 during the war, and Catherine Hammond, Ernie's wife, worked on the conveyor in Dept 321.
George Gilbert (left), their brother-in-law, has, since January, been a knitter in the hosiery department, and enjoys the work because he is "handy with his hands." Before he joined British Bata he was in the Army, which he joined when he was 14, subsequently attending workshops and doing all kinds of mechanical work, from carpentry to electricity, but mainly motor mechanics, at home and overseas. Now he is interested in domestic woodwork and model railway-making.
"It would not," he said "be untrue to say that I was inspired by my brothers-in-law in coming here."