At the beginning of the Second World War (1939-1945) Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI Metals Ltd) were asked by the government to design, build and operate a new aluminium plant at Waunarlwydd on its behalf for the war effort. During the War the factory was producing aluminium sheet for the aircraft industry, and had a remarkable camouflage scheme including an attempt to disguise parts of the factory as rows of terraced houses, complete with chimneys. In 1946-7, as postwar reconstruction gathered pace, wrought aluminium was urgently needed for prefabricated housing and ICI Metals Division took over the Waunarlwydd facility from the Government. In 1959, the Division worked with the Aluminium Company of America to form Imperial Aluminium Company Ltd, and later the works was run by Alcoa. The aluminium rolling facility closed in 2007 with the loss of 298 jobs.
(Source: History of Kynoch Works)
RCAHMW, 07 March 2013.