Award for Outstanding Production for War Departments
War Department, 1943
War Employment
Bureau of Public Relations
December 5, 1945
Joint Army – Navy Release
Army-Navy “E” Award Termination Sees Award Granted to 5% of Eligible Plants
War workers in 4283 of the nation’s top-flight war production facilities earned the Army-Navy “E” Award for their part in the defeat of the Axis Powers, it was announced today by the War and Navy Departments. This number includes the Navy “E” Awards made prior to July 1942 when the Navy “E”, the Army “A” and the Army-Navy Munitions Board “Star” Awards were merged and became known as the Army-Navy “E” Award.
Representing only 5% of the estimated war plants in the nation, those plants meeting the stringent eligibility requirements ranged in size from a one-man plant to large corporations and included facilities that converted from peace to war production, as well as new plants built especially for war purposes. Both prime and subcontractors were eligible for and received the award. Approximately 50% of the Awards went to plants having less than 500 employees, generally considered as “smaller war plants”.
The Army-Navy “E” Award was granted only to facilities which were particularly outstanding in production for the War and Navy Departments. Excellence in quality and quantity of production were two of the determining factors in granting Awards. Others included: (a) overcoming of production obstacles; (b) low rate of absenteeism; (c) Avoidance of work stoppages; (d) maintenance of fair labor standards; (e) training of additional labor forces; (f) effective management; (g) record on accidents, health, sanitation, and plant protection: (h) utilization of sub-contracting facilities; (i) cooperation between management and labor as it affected production; and (j) conservation of critical and strategic materials.
Source: United States. War Department. Compilation of War Department General Orders, Bulletins, and Circulars. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office, 1943.