A NEWPORT woman who helped build weapons which powered Britain’s efforts in the Second World War features in a new BBC4 documentary.

Nearly 70 years after working at an armaments factory on Corporation Road, 90-year-old Iris Watts of Hollybush Avenue, Malpas, recounts her experiences for an episode of Shooting the War.

The series looks at how World War Two was seen by film-makers in Britain and Germany.

Mrs Watts, then Miss Bowlett, featured in a 1941 promotional film depicting factory life.

“They approached us to make the film to make it look more attractive,” said Mrs Watts. “But, I couldn’t stick the noise, I never got used to it. There were no hats or ear muffs and once one of the guns swinging in the air hit me on the head, almost hit me out.”

Mrs Watts, originally from Barrack Hill, described the experience as “heartbreaking” adding “the noise in the factory was terrifying”.

The film, called Night Shift, was commissioned by the ministries of information and supplies and aimed at convincing women such work wasn’t as grim as it sounded.

In her role, Mrs Watts is called Betty and is seen asking a colleague for a hair brush, before preening herself in a mirror.

Around 26,000 women had volunteered for the land army, but not enough were working in factories.

Her sisters Eunice and Rene had joined the land army and brothers Edwin the Air Force and Doug, the Parachute regiment.

With conscription looming for women in December 1941, Mrs Watts felt volunteering for the factory was the only way of ensuring she could stay at home to look after her ill mother.

So, she rode to Corporation Road every day on her two-stroke motorbike.

Mrs Watts said: “It was a long slog, terrible. We’d work 12 hour shifts, a fortnight of days then a fortnight of nights. It was hard physical work.”

She worked as a tailor before her three years in the armaments factory, where she helped make anti-tank guns. Some days she would spend the whole shift getting the alignment right on just one.

Mrs Watts admitted being scared at the size of the guns, and no-one saw them leave the factory or knew where they were going.

She married husband Douglas in February 1942, but six months later, he was sent to India for three years with the RAF.

On his return, Mrs Watts became a housewife bringing up Lorraine, now 63, Douglas, 59 and Wayne, 47. She has five grandchildren, one great grandchild and great-great grandchild twins.

Shooting the War is on BBC4 at 9pm on February 3.