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The Austin's aero industry in the 1940's

S

Sheila P

Brummie babby
Does any one have any info on the type of aircraft my Grandfather might have been working on in the early 40's (he died in 1941 whilst still working at the Austin as a 'Fitter in Jig and Tool Room of Aeroplane Factory at The Austin Motor Company') please. I would be very grateful if anyone might provide further information about what he might have been doing there. He had previously been listed in the 1911 Census as an Electrical Fitter. Many many thanks.:tranquillity:
 
Could have been the Avro Lancaster bomber, but I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong (incidentally an aircraft I spent many happy hours on during my RAF service) Eric
 
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Welcome to the Forum, Sheila.

It would be good if a member of this Forum had access to a detailed history of Austin in WW2 and could specify dates of when specific work was started. Let's hope that happens.

Meanwhile, it appears certain that a significant activity in your grandfather's time was manufacture of the Fairey Battle, a single-engined fighter-bomber produced in large numbers by Austin. Other work which probably appeared during 1940 involved the Hawker Hurricane, which with the Spitfire was the main fighter in the RAF; this involved repair of damaged aircraft rather than manufacture from scratch. And manufacture of the Short Stirling, the first of the RAF's four-engined heavy bombers, seems to have started whilst your grandfather was still there. Lancaster bomber production occurred in later years.

There was also the manufacture of aircraft engines and probably other aircraft components.

Chris
 
Thank you both so muc for your responses. It is only recently I have found out about his work, I never met him as he died well before I was born and I do not remember hearing much about him. Grandad was an Electrical Fitter and latterley a Fitter in Jig and Tool Room, any ideas what he may have been doing there please?

Thanks, Sheila
 
I remember, a few months ago watching a TV programme about people who worked on Spitfire production, all day, at the Austin then went home to do night duty with the Home Guard. My late Dad was an Automobile Electrician by trade so, instead of going in to the Army, (to his great regret), he was put onto aircraft production. At one time he was working on the Stirling, it never occurred to me that he could've been at the Austin.
 
It's so difficult trying to establish what was made and where. Several sources don't mention Spitfire production at Austin. But it would be surprising if SOME work wasn't done there, something from complete assembly down to major and minor component manufacture and rebuilding of damaged aircraft - and from Maypolebaz's comment it clearly was. I have a memoir on my website, for example, which tells us that Joseph Sankey at Wellington were making three or four Spitfire fuselages a day and shipping them to Castle Bromwich for final assembly - but I bet that doesn't feature in any online historical resource about the Spitfire. So many bits and pieces, large and small, to build up a complete aircraft and so many people and companies all making a contribution. Only a detailed history of Austin could tell us what precisely was being done and when. Does one exist, I wonder?

Going back to one of Sheila's queries: Grandad was an Electrical Fitter and latterley a Fitter in Jig and Tool Room, any ideas what he may have been doing there please? Any contribution from Forum members with an engineering background who might even have had that title themselves?


Chris
 
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Those bits 'n pieces were made in so many scattered little factories weren't they ? Most people hadn't got a clue what the purpose of the thing they were making was. Reminds me of the Gracie Fields song "But it's the girl that makes the thing, that drills the hole, that holds the spring, that works the thingummybob that makes the engines roar !
 
A Mr. John Baker has an amazing account of the Austin Motor Co, including details of aircraft production, on [email protected] It is truly astounding on the variety of aircraft made by the Austin.
 
I'm sure this has already been dealt with in previous threads on this Forum, but according to the books I have, aircraft production at Longbridge just before and during WW2 comprised:

Complete Aircraft

Fairey Battle
Short Stirling
Hurricane (night fighter variant)
Avro Lancaster

Component Parts

Bristol Beaufighter
Airspeed Horsa Glider
Miles Master Trainer

Bristol-designed aero-engines were also made at Longbridge. The above doesn't include any manufacture at Cofton Hackett or Elmdon.

Sadly for those who flew it, the Fairey Battle was an obsolete death-trap of an aircraft at the start of WW2, but it had to be used (mostly for low-level bombing).

Hope this helps,

G
 
I think that the excellent site by John Baker to which anvil man is pointing us is this one: https://www.austinmemories.com/

Within that website is a lot of detail about the Company's history with references in various sections to aircraft production. The most appropriate for Sheila's purposes is this one entitled Aircraft Production: https://www.austinmemories.com/page6/page6.html. It gives information about aircraft types and dates (confirming the information Big Gee has given us). The War Years - https://www.austinmemories.com/page42/page42.html - is also interesting.

Chris
 
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With reference to my previous post, I think I owe an apology to John Baker for not acknowledging his excellent Austin Memories website. I do have some printed stuff regarding aircraft manufacture at Longbridge, but none of it is as comprehensive (or as interesting) as John's website, which I used to check what I'd read.

A late neighbour of mine worked at Longbridge in the early 1940's as a hydraulic fitter on Stirlings. He said these were the happiest years of his life, and he was great to talk to.

G
 
Many thanks to you all for your helpful comment. I will probably never know exactly what my Grandfather was up to, however, these notes are very useful in helping to get a fuller picture of what he may have been doing at this time. He was originally a carpenter, certainly until the mid-1900's but by 1911 this had changed. I wonder why he moved from Surrey to Stafford and changed his job in the meantime??? Oh well, I may never know.

Thanks again

Sheila
 
My uncle name murfin worked at the Austin during the war on carburetors for zenith. P Watts late of Yardley wood..
 
My Father worked there and tod me he made the jigs for the Mosquito tailplane.

He was latter moved to Winchester I think it was to make the gigs for the Auser Glider.

He also worked at Park Royal in London according to his identity card.
 
Welcome to Forum, MCC Aprentice, and thanks for your first contributions.

Any further information/memories concerning your father’s time at Longbridge?

Chris
 
Not sure if this is the right thread, but saw this sign on Lowhill Lane in Longbridge near the new houses. About the Flight Shed, 1936 until 2011.

 
It’s unlikely that Lancasters were produced by Austin in 1941 as the first production Lancaster made its first flight in October 1941.

This from Wiki .

Avro received an initial contract for 1,070 Lancasters.[13] The majority of Lancasters manufactured during the war years were constructed by Avro at its factory at Chadderton near Oldham, Lancashire and were test-flown from Woodford Aerodrome in Cheshire. As it was quickly recognised that Avro's capacity was exceeded by the wartime demand for the type, it was decided to form the Lancaster Aircraft Group, which comprised a number of companies that undertook the type's manufacture, either performing primary assembly themselves or producing various subsections and components for the other participating manufacturers.[19]

In addition to Avro, further Lancasters were constructed by Metropolitan-Vickers (1,080, also tested at Woodford) and Armstrong Whitworth. They were also produced at the Austin Motor Company works in Longbridge, Birmingham, later in the Second World War and post-war by Vickers-Armstrongs at Chester as well as at the Vickers Armstrong factory, Castle Bromwich, Birmingham. Belfast-based aircraft firm Short Brothers had also received an order for 200 Lancaster B.Is, but this was cancelled before any aircraft had been completed.[20][21] Only 300 of the Lancaster B.II, which was outfitted with Bristol Hercules engines, were constructed; this had been produced as a stopgap modification as a result of a shortage of Merlin engines due to fighter production having higher priority for the engines at that time.
 
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