▁dis in fect ant . ▁ ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁the ▁Th orn cl iffe ▁works ▁came ▁under ▁the ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁Admir alty . ▁A ▁new ▁work shop ▁was ▁constructed ▁at ▁Warren ▁Lane , ▁a ▁short ▁distance ▁away ▁from ▁the ▁Th orn cl iffe ▁works , ▁which ▁was ▁used ▁to ▁build ▁army ▁vehicles ▁and ▁became ▁the ▁largest ▁manufact urer ▁of ▁Church ill ▁t anks ▁for ▁the ▁war ▁effort . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁t anks ▁used ▁to ▁stand ▁at ▁the ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁road ▁near ▁the ▁factory ▁until ▁recently . ▁ ▁William ▁Joy ce ▁( L ord ▁Haw ▁Haw ), ▁in ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁radio ▁broadcast s ▁threatened ▁to ▁" dot ▁the ▁I " ▁on ▁the ▁Iz al ▁name ▁with ▁a ▁bomb . ▁It ▁was ▁intended ▁to ▁destroy ▁the ▁source ▁of ▁the ▁Church ill ▁t anks . ▁A ▁near ▁miss ▁en su ed , ▁but ▁the ▁works ▁remained ▁int act . ▁ ▁Post - war ▁The ▁national isation ▁of ▁the ▁coal min ing ▁and ▁steel ▁indust ries ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 8 ▁saw ▁the ▁group ▁forced ▁to ▁sell ▁off ▁its ▁interests ▁in ▁these ▁fields . ▁However ▁the ▁company ▁remained ▁heavily ▁involved ▁in ▁iron ▁and ▁steel ▁found ing ▁and ▁the ▁production ▁of ▁chemical s ▁from ▁tar ▁dist ill ates , ▁the ▁basis ▁of ▁many ▁products ▁manufact ured ▁by ▁its ▁Iz al ▁subs idi ary . ▁The ▁engineering ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁group ▁designed ▁and ▁supplied ▁all ▁manner ▁of ▁process ▁plant ▁and ▁equipment ▁for ▁the ▁coal - gas , ▁chemical