June 2023

Posted by Alan Matlock on Facebook 15th June 2023

Spitfire plaques at the double

Two more Spitfire Makers blue plaques have been unveiled to mark the location of secret ‘shadow factories’ in Southampton.

The latest plaques can be seen close to each other at the entrances to the Pure Gym and the M&S Food Hall on Winchester Road, Shirley, Southampton.

They commemorate the Hants and Dorset Bus Garage which was turned over to making Spitfire wings and the Sunlight Laundry which produced parts for the wings and fuselages. With these two, the Spitfire Makers Charitable Trust have now placed six plaques in the Shirley area.

After the September 1940 bombing of the Supermarine factories in Woolston, production of the iconic fighter was dispersed to more than 30 such workshops across the city.

The bus garage plaque was appropriately funded by the Southampton & District Heritage Transport Trust (S&DTHT) who brought one of their vintage double-deckers to the event.

The plaque outside M&S was sponsored by the students and staff of the Upper Shirley High School whose premises back onto what was the Laundry. Research from the Spitfire Makers Charitable Trust project has been incorporated into the Year 9 history syllabus at the school.

The plaque outside Pure Gym was unveiled by David Hutchings, chair of the S&DTHT and the patron of Spitfire Makers, Sqn Ldr Mandy Singleton (RAF retired), who was until recently the Senior Engineering Officer of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

Mandy was on her way to the Palace where she was to receive an MBE for her services to the BBMF.

The second plaque, outside M&S, was unveiled by some of the student fundraisers from Upper Shirley High and Judy Theobald, who spoke movingly about how her mother, Jane Sherriff, started as an office worker in the Laundry but became one of the first two women ‘progress chasers’ for Supermarine, checking production quotas were being met in several of the ‘shadow factories’ across Southampton.

Chris Sykes, head teacher of Upper Shirley High, praised the efforts of the students and their parents who had raised nearly £700 to fund the plaque and paid tribute to his Head of History, Stuart Farley, for the work he has done with the Spitfire Makers team to highlight the local history of national significance which is right on the school’s doorstep.

After the unveilings the beautifully restored Guy ‘Arab’ double decker took passengers to a reception at the school with refreshments kindly donated by the M&S Food Hall.

The Charitable Trust have plans to commemorate all the Spitfire production sites in the city and to honour those, like Jane, who became Spitfire Makers in them.