Aircraft production in the UK ww2

[dinomartino1]

A woman factory worker manufacturing aluminium tinfoil strips (known as 'Window') which were dropped by Allied bombers during air raids from 1943 onwards to conceal the location of the aircraft from German radar

An aircraft being transported on a low-loader through the streets of Liverpool.

Avro Lancaster aircraft under construction at the A V Roe & Co Ltd factory at Woodford in Cheshire, 1943.

Mr Hayden adjusting a Drummond Mexicut machine which was used in the production of tools for aero engine production at the Bristol Aeroplane Company.

Mr Lovering, a worker in the Sleeve Crank Section, of the Bristol Aeroplane Company's Aero Engine Division, with a diamond cutting tool.

12 JANUARY 1944, NAPIERS FACTORY, PARK R0YAL Lieut Swann with the two oldest workers in the factory.

A girl worker showing engine components to Lieut Swann.

Lieut Swann with a girl worker at a lathe.

Hawker Tempest Mark II aircraft lined up beside the runway at the Hawker Aircraft Ltd factory at Langley, Berkshire.

 

[dinomartino1]

A seamstress sewing the covering linen fabric used on the fuselage of a Wellington.

Wellington bombers

Wellinton bombers. Delivered and stored framework of compartments from subcontractors awaiting assembly.

 

[dinomartino1]

1942, Two women workers sit inside the cockpit of an aircraft as they wire up the pilot's instrument panel, at a factory somewhere in Britain. According to the original caption, one woman is a GTC (Government Training Centre) trainee, and the other has been recently transferred from the canteen.

The Observer and Second Pilot climb into a Halifax bomber prior to its first test flight at Radlett airfield. The Second Pilot is handing over the knee pad which will be strapped to the pilot's thigh to record information about the aircraft during the test

1942 An impressive view of a row of Halifax bombers being assembled at the Handley Page factory at Cricklewood. The aircraft can be seen looking from nose to tail, rather than in profile, with the tail of the first aircraft visible in the foreground.

: A girl using a compressed air drill

: Looking aft, down the framework of a "Wellington"

Stretching fabric on a wing. wellington bomber

Framework takes shape. Note ring mounting for rear gun.

 

[dinomartino1]

Workers file aircraft blue prints at the Handley Page factory at Cricklewood.

1942, Aircraft workers construct part of the fuselage of a Halifax bomber at the Handley Page factory in Cricklewood.

Preparations are underway for the first test flight of this Halifax bomber at Radlett airfield. Second Pilot Marsh prepares to record the instrument readings of the aircraft whilst in flight

A striking portrait of engineers at work in the wind tunnel at the Handley Page factory at Cricklewood. They are preparing to test a model of a Halifax to see the effect that the opening of the bomb doors has on the aircraft.

Men at work in the main storeroom at the Handley Page factory at Cricklewood. The shelves are like a grid system in this huge warehouse and are full of all the different parts that are needed to build the aircraft. In the background, two men are preparing to move a trolley load of materials to another part of the factory.

Factory workers at work on different parts of a Halifax bomber, at various stages of production at the Handley Page factory at Cricklewood. On the right, the 'ribs' of part of the skeleton can be seen, whilst behind and to the centre of the photograph, work is being done on the front part of the fuselage. In the background, just visible, parts of the body work are being attached to the framework.

Women at work in the machine shop of the Handley Page aircraft factory at Cricklewood.

A team of men haul the engines of this Halifax into position at the Handley Page factory in Cricklewood.

Mrs Peggy Tompkins sits at a drawing board and marks on the centre of gravity for various aircraft parts, at the Handley Page factory at Cricklewood. Several other women can also be seen at work in the Drawing Office.

 

[dinomartino1]

Men at work on a row of the propeller-end sections of engines for a Halifax bomber at the Handley Page factory in Cricklewood. The propellers themselves are not visible in the photograph.

A worker selects a section of metal bodywork from a stock of pieces at this Handley Page factory in Cricklewood. This sheet, like the rest waiting there, will form part of the 'skin' of the Halifax which is under construction in another part of the factory.

Pilot Flight Lieutenant Talbot straps onto his thigh the pad which will used to record information about this Halifax bomber during its first test flight at Radlett airfield

Men and women at work on the tail of a Halifax bomber at the Handley Page factory at Cricklewood.

Spray painters at work in the paint shop of the Handley Page factory at Cricklewood. Paper has been taped over the windows of the front turret, cockpit and bomb aimer's compartment of this Halifax to protect the glass from the pain

Men at work on the nose section of a Halifax bomber at the Handley Page factory at Cricklewood. Two men are at work on the cockpit section, a third is checking one of the front wheels and another is standing with his head through the flat panel of the bomb aimer's compartment: only his feet and legs are visible.

Avro Lancaster bombers nearing completion at the A V Roe & Co Ltd factory at Woodford in Cheshire, 1943

 

[dinomartino1]

Men and women work on the manufacture of bolts, studs and pins from bar materials, used in the production of the Merlin engine, at a Rolls Royce factory,.

 

[dinomartino1]

Merlin 942, Two workers at this aircraft engine factory work together to test the temperature of molten metal before it is put into a mould. The metal has to be 720 degrees C before it can be moulded. Mr A Hamid inserts the thermocouple of the pyrometer into the molten metal and waits for the thumbs-up signal from his colleague, as she lets him know that the correct temperature has been reached. According to the original caption, Mr Hamid, who is from India, was discharged from the army on medical grounds.

rolls royce, Female workers attach the Induction Manifolds to the Cylinder Blocks, prior to the Blocks being fitted to the engine

Two workers at this aircraft engine factory gently lower the Crankshaft Assembly into the Crank Case.

Merlin. In the foundry of this aircraft engine factory, 2 cwt of molten aluminium is emptied into a cylinder head mould by workers in an operation known as the 'two-handed pour'.

rolls royce, Mary Gordon operates a No 7 Ward combination lathe, producing sealing rings for the cylinder at this aircraft engine factory, somewhere in Britain. This is precision work, as an error of 0.001" would lead to the seizing up of the entire engine. Mary was a textile finisher before the war and her brother, a Commando, has been taken prisoner by the Italians.

rolls royce, Factory worker Lena Ralston machines Clutch Carrier Plates for operating the Boost mechanism at this aircraft engine factory, somewhere in Britain. She is profile-turning the face which carries the clutch plate. A pile of metal shavings can be seen around here

 

[dinomartino1]

Merlin, Jane Wales checks the lengths and parallels of a Camshaft Bush on a Comparator, which registers an error of 0.0001 of an inch. The inspection section of this aircraft factory is attached to the machine shop and checks all diameters, lengths and other dimensions and uses various tools to do this. They also make hardness tests of pistons, gudgeon pins, pumps and boost controls.

Merlin, Engine components are heat treated at this aircraft engine factory, somewhere in Britain. This process is known as 'oil-blacking' and the engine components are taken from the furnace at 500 degrees C and then plunged into oil. The oil burns into the surface of the metal and helps to prevent corrosion.

rolls royce, An engineer stands at his Control Panel in the Test Bed of this aircraft engine factory, somewhere in Britain. Through the window can be seen an engine which is being tested. Many complex tests are carried out, including coolant temperatures and suction, oil temperatures and pressure, petrol pressure and consumption and boost pressure from the supercharger to the engine.

1944 At a factory producing spark plugs for Flying Fortress aircraft, a worker undertakes the final operation necessary on insulators.

At a factory producing spark plugs for Flying Fortress aircraft, female war workers sits at a table and assemble insulators.

Merlin, A worker checks the alignment of the pinions in the reduction gear at this aircraft engine factory, somewhere in Britain. This gear will then be fitted to the Crank Case.

 

[Pilot]

Amazing! Thx. for sharing.

 

[dinomartino1]

Winston Churchill watches a female riveter at work on a Supermarine Spitfire at the Castle Bromwich factory in Birmingham, 28 September 1941.

A gauge is used by part-time war workers to register the lengths of the rivets being sorted in what was once the billiard room of a house owned by Mrs Allen in Guildford, Surrey. 45 women work here every day, sorting rivets for use in aircraft factories.

Mrs Belami, Mrs Jolliffe and Miss Allan at work as inspectors, checking that the rivets being sorted in this makeshift workshop are being done so correctly. The work is being carried out by 45 part-time war workers in what was once the billiard room of a house owned by Mrs Allen in Guildford, Surrey. The rivets are being sorted for use in aircraft factories.

Women war workers lay pre-drilled dural sheets onto the routing table at an aircraft factory, somewhere in Britain. Once they have bolted the dural sheets and steel template to the table, the router hand can cut the dural sheets to size. The women will then unbolt the template and remove the cut sheets.

Part-time war workers sort rivets for aircraft factories in what was once the billiard room of a house owned by Mrs Allen in Guildford, Surrey. Standing up in the background is Captain Fegen, the 'works manager'. According to the original caption, 45 women work here every day

 

[dinomartino1]

Should have called this thread "how women won the air war."

 

[dinomartino1]

A woman war worker machining pistons for a Rolls Royce aero engine.

A woman war worker uses a hammer to hand rivets wing details on a Bristol Beaufighter at an aircraft factory, somewhere in Britain. According to the original caption, "this woman is capable of carrying out the complete manufacture of this important part without assistance, and has replaced a man on the job. She is equally proficient at pneumatic press riveting".

A woman war worker operates a machine which punches holes into a metal strip (described in the original caption as a 'boon') at high speed, at an aircraft factory, somewhere in Britain. Eyelets will then be placed into these holes.

A woman war worker wears protective goggles as she uses a machine to cut out metal using a template at an aircraft factory, somewhere in Britain.

A group of women war workers are trained to be fitters and assemblers at an aircraft factory, somewhere in Britain. They are using pneumatic hammers and filing templates under the supervision of their two instructors. One instructor is visible on the left, and the other can be seen in the background, chalking a diagram onto the blackboard.

Women in Industry: At a centre in Slough, Berkshire, England which provided training for work in war factories, Miss Ruby May is seen working on the tail component of an aircraft.

A skilled women war worker wears protective goggles as she welds a complicated metal detail fitting at an aircraft factory, somewhere in Britain. According to the original caption, this fitting was spot welded by unskilled women before being forwarded on to this skilled worker for completion. The caption describes this fitting as "an 18 gauge mild steel tube around which is welded eight right angle brackets".

25 year old Alfred Hammond winds the field system of a dynamometer for aircraft engine testing at a factory somewhere in the Midlands. According to the original caption, Alfred has worked at this factory for 11 years.

Winnie Bennett, Dolly Bennett, Florence Simpson and a colleague at work on the production of Hurricane fighter aircraft at a factory somewhere in Britain.

 

[dinomartino1]

The United States Army Air Force in Britain: British women and United States technicians work side by side to keep American aircraft in the European theatre in working order.

Winnie Bennett and Dolly Bennett at work on the production of a Hurricane fighter aircraft at a factory somewhere in Britain.

Aircraft construction: A female electrical worker fitting the bomb aimers switch into the half completed fuselage of an Avro Lancaster, in a factory in the north of England.

Peggy Rowland, Betty Pridie and Rose Pridie drill and rivet the wing of an aircraft as part of their training at Slough Training Centre. Their overalls are embroidered with the initials 'GTC', which stands for 'Government Training Centre'.

 

[dinomartino1]

FROM ARM CHAIRS TO BOMBERS: WAR WORK AT PERRINGS FURNITURE SHOWROOM, KINGSTON, SURREY, 1943
The day's 'score' (number of good armature coils produced) is added to the score board at Perrings furniture showroom in Kingston. Part-time war workers now produce electrical equipment for Royal Air Force bombers in a section of this building, as the business continues as usual.

Part-time women war workers inspect cables in the Inspection Department of the 'factory' at Perrings furniture showrooms. They are producing electrical equipment for the Royal Air Force.

Part-time women war workers produce cables and other electrical equipment for Royal Air Force bombers on the upper floor of this furniture showroom. A supervisor checks that all is well as the business of selling furniture continues below them.

A portrait of Mrs B M Coles at work in the stores of an aircraft factory in Bristol. She is selecting harness for a bomber aircraft from a large collection on the right of the photograph

 

[Steve27752]

Blinkin 'eck! You've done it again.

 

[dinomartino1]

SAUCEPANS INTO SPITFIRES: ALUMINIUM SALVAGE IN BRITAIN, 1940

Some wartime scrap drives had a downside though, the reason some pre war 78s can be extremely valuable.

"During World War II scrap drives were a popular way for everyone to contribute to the war effort. By recycling unused or unwanted metal for example, the government could build ships, airplanes and other equipment needed to fight the war. Unfortunately, much of our aural heritage was compromised or completely lost due to these drives.
The general belief, shared by both the recording industry and the audience, was that entertainment was ephemeral and didn’t need to be protected or preserved. Popular music was perceived to have no lasting value, and the recording companies never viewed it as important to save and archive sound recordings, master recordings and alternate takes. To most of the recording industry, warehousing yesterday’s popular records and the masters needed to press them was just one huge, expensive headache. World War II scrap drives were the perfect answer to the industry’s storage problems. Suddenly, emptying the archive turned into a patriotic duty.

Commercial 78rpm recordings were made of shellac, and during the war record companies’ supply of shellac was severely restricted. Although older recordings were seen as having no worthwhile historic value, the value of new records to the morale of both service and civilian populations was well documented.

In June of 1942 a non-profit patriotic organization named Records for Our Fighting Men, Inc. was formed to make record salvage a war effort operation. Kay Kyser, Kate Smith and Gene Autry were initially named president and vice-presidents and many other performers and radio stars such as Benny Goodman, Harry James, Marian Anderson and Fritz Reiner signed on to be sponsors and join the efforts. Records for Our Fighting Men, Inc. recruited the American Legion to handle the actual collection of the discs. The salvaged shellac would be sold to record manufacturers, who would recycle it to make new records, and the money raised would be used to buy new records for the fighting forces. Geoffrey Perret states in his “Days of Sadness, Years of Triumph; the American People, 1933-1945,” “Every drive proved a decided success. When phonograph records were called for (to recover their precious shellac), they piled up by the millions.”

On the May 22, 1943 issue of Billboard Magazine, Records for Our Fighting Men announced its second scrap drive. The announcement hoped for greater success than the first drive when only 4 million pounds were collected, resulting in 300,000 newly purchased records distributed for servicemen.

While it is impossible to know exactly how many recordings were lost during the World War II shellac drives, by far the greater loss was the destruction of the metal masters. Most record companies saw little value in archiving their older recordings. An early exception was the pioneering reissues by George Avakian at Columbia Records in 1940 of works by Louie Armstrong’s Hot Fives, Duke Ellington, and Bessie Smith, among others. The general perception was that recordings from older catalogs were of negligible value and not a source of future revenue. As aluminum and copper, the materials used to make metal masters and stampers, were desperately needed for the war effort, scrap metal became an important commodity during World War II. And record company vaults were full of old metal masters and stampers. Recording companies donated untold numbers of masters to scrap metal drives."

Scrap for Victory! | Now See Hear!

This blog post was co-written with Jan McKee, Reference Librarian, Recorded Sound Section, Library of Congress. During World War II scrap drives were a popular way for everyone to contribute to the war effort. By recycling unused or unwanted metal for example, the government could build ships...

blogs.loc.gov

 

[John Lever]

Good God what a post!
Amazing, and all the work done with very little regard to health and safety.
One of my childhood friends father was the village carpenter, he made components for Mosquito's.

 

[Pilot]

Where is all this “ know-how and craftsmanship “ gone?
Amazing what these Ladies and Gentlemen did ...just amazing...

 

[dinomartino1]

Firemen of the NFS produce control units for night fighter radios at a fire station, somewhere in East London. Their work is inspected by Miss Milner (not pictured) from the factory in the mornings, whilst they are on station duties, and she supervises their work in the afternoons. According to the original caption, the station produces 300 units per week

At a fire station in the East End of London, men of the NFS produce control units for night fighter radios. Miss Rene Milner has come from the factory to explain the production process to the firemen. According to the original caption, the fire station produces 300 units a week.

Pilot Officer H M Stephen tries his hand with a rivet gun, watched by Flight Lieutenant J C Mungo-Park and workers at an aircraft factory, one of a series of morale-boosting visits by RAF pilots to Ministry of Aircraft Production facilities. Both pilots served with No. 74 Squadron RAF and were veterans of the Battle of Britain; Stephen having achieved 22 victories by the end of 1940, and Mungo-Park about 11. In April 1941, Mungo-Park assumed command of No. 74 Squadron but was killed in action over France on 27 June.

Spitfire Production: A general view of the factory floor where Spitfire fuselages are under construction at an aircraft factory in the Midlands.

 

[John Lever]

Where is all this “ know-how and craftsmanship “ gone?
Amazing what these Ladies and Gentlemen did ...just amazing...

Still here.....the UK makes most if not all F1 cars also Indy cars