Thornycroft in Basingstoke

Thornycroft, the commercial vehicle manufacturer, was the biggest employer in Basingstoke for much of the 20th century. Therefore the fluctuations in its fortunes had a considerable impact on the economy of the town. There was a dramatic drop in trade in the early 1920s when 700 men were discharged and the weekly wage bill fell from just under £8,000 to a little over £4,000. Employment peaked during the two world wars when Thornycroft diversified into munitions work and over 30 per cent of its workforce were women. During the Second World War Thornycroft was employing 2,500 people

For a more detailed history see the link below.