A man who ten days ago began his twenty-first year of service at East Tilbury - Production Planner Ronnie Moss (right), has two brothers working for British Bata and his wife, who has given up her job at the factory for household duties, is one of the "veterans" who started on the opening day. Ronnie is known to scores of Bata men and their friends as secretary of Bata Old Time Dance Club.

Ronnie Moss started when the factory had been opened 14 months. In those days, sports and welfare were organised in one department and Ronnie started there as a shorthand typist. The dapartment formed part of the general office, which was then in Building 11, being transferred to the present premises at the end of 1934.
Work was done on a smaller scale than it is now. This can be appreciated by the fact that, when Moss was transferred to the staff department in August, 1935, which, in those days, had a staff of two, of whom Ronnie was one.

Ronnie went to the supply department in the summer of 1935, as a supplier, dealing with all kinds of merchandise. Then, the supply department was on the top floor of Building 13, and, like other departments, was much smaller. He was subsequently made a group supplier of children's footwear, and was working in this position until he began his war service in 1940.
"I have seen the supply department, and, of course, other departments, grow and expand rapidly, as the demand for our footwear, and the consequent opening of new shops, increased in tempo," remarked Ronnie, "and I have seen the production workshops increase rapidly in regard to equipment and personnel."
He was sometimes put on other groups on his supply work, it being the Company's policy then, as it is now, to give group suppliers the opportunity to gain as much, and as varied, an experience as possible. When he returned, after service for six years in the Royal Air Force, in the Middle East, Italy and Malta, he went into the sample room, and worked on production planning under Leslie Lawrence, who later concentrated on research.
Then Ronnie took over production planning completely, and that is what he is doing now.
"The sample room in pre-war days was on the ground floor," explained Ronnie, "and the growth of the whole factory may be imagined when I say that the sample room today was once part of the canteen, and that it was also the venue of social events."
In his early days, Ronnie played football for the Bata Sports teams, when Chief Engineer A Marcanik was skipper of the senior side. His chief recreation today is old time dancing, and he has been a member of the Bata Old Time dance Club for three years.
He is enthusiastic about work at East Tilbury. "There are definite opportunities here for people, especially young men, who want to get on," he said.

Norah O'Neill, who became Mrs Ronnie Moss, was one of the original workers at East Tilbury, starting on the day the factory opened and working until 1940, chiefly on sewing machines in the leather factory. She returned for a few years during the war.
"Yes, I met her while we were both working here," said Ronnie. "We soon became friends, and eventually we married. That was in 1939, and we have been happy ever since."
Stan Moss (left) joined the Company in 1935, in the supply department and soon, he, too, became a supplier. At the end of 1939 he began war service in the Royal Army Service Corps. On returning to East Tilbury six years later, he became a book-keeper in the claims and refinishing department.
This was followed by work in the export department, where he was trained for an overseas appointment. He was eventually appointed to Nigeria, where he was assistant manager of the hides and skins depot at Kano, but was also employed in visiting and managing shop in various parts of the country and in Accra, in the Gold Coast.

Now he managers the shops at Sapele and Warri, in Nigeria, and is in charge of the rubber station at Sapele. Walter's (right) period of service - seven years - is less than that of his brothers, but he gives place to neither of them in his keenness as a Bataman. He has always been in the despatch department, where he started as a packer.
He packed and despatched stores and sundires and he and his fellow-workers were kept busy all day, working especially hard when a new shop was opened.
"And we work hard now," he observed, referring to what is done in the hosiery compound, of which he is in charge. "Packing and despatching consignments of British Bata hosiery is a job which keeps everybody busy, often for a considerable time after five o'clock"
One of Walter's pre-Bata jobs was as a Thames waterman, taking sand and ballast betwen Leigh-on-Sea and London in sailing barges.
The girl who was later to become Walter's wife was on sewing machines in the leather factory for seven years from the age of 14.

Edward Moss, father of Ronnie, Stan and Walter, was, like Walter, a Thames wateman, from which position he retired. He came to East Tilbury just before the outbreak of war, and stayed until 1948, being a cleaner in the leather factory.

The Moss family have several links with British Bata. Ronnie's wife who older workers will remember as Norah O'Neill, (below) was in sewing sections in the leather factroy for seven years; one brother, Stan, manages the Company's shops and rubber station at Sapele, Nigeria; another brother, Walter, is in charge of the hosiery compound in the despatch department; their father used to work in the leather factory and Walters's wife, when she was Mary Moore, was for seven years on a sewing maching, also in the leather factory.