Armour Plate Grinder

[AudreyF]

Any thoughts whether a man working as an 'Armour Plate Grinder' in Sheffield in the 1911 census would have been considered to be in a reserved occupation for WWI? The term grinder that I have researched suggests knife sharpening but 'armour plate grinder' sounds a bit more industrial and, perhaps, essential to the war effort?

Thanks for any ideas.

[Jomot1]

I don't know 'why', but even in WW2 various 'Grinder' occupations were reserved.

Sheffield is, as you say, most likely connected with cutlery etc, and the Reserved Occupation for WW2 says the following (with thanks to the late Guy Etchells):

Cutler, Scissor Maker:
Grinder, hand 23 (ie reserved occupation above the age of 23)
Grinder, machine 25

https://
anguline.co.uk/Free/Reserved.pdf

[helachau]

https://www.
ebay.co.uk/itm/333149633773

This page from "The Engineer" shows an Armour Plate Grinder.

[Pam Downes]

Jomot1 and I obviously have great minds which think alike because Guy's website was the first place I looked though I couldn't easily see a link.

I also found the same eBay link that helachau found.

If you scroll down to page 3 and look at the right-hand page of the illustration, it basically gives a blanket listing for anyone working in the steel industry in WW1. Guy's list for WW2 is more specific regarding the actual job title.
https://www.greatwarbuckinghamshire.c...ame&recordId=6

[AudreyF]

My thanks to you all for the help. This information and extra bits in the way of photos, description etc. will add nicely to the story of the ancestor as I am researching him for a cousin who lives in the USA and quite a bit younger than me so won't be familiar with UK history etc.