The “Spitfire Makers” G – I – The Spitfire Makers Charitable Trust

J W Gardiner (d. 11 Sept 1940)

J W Gardiner worked at the Cunliffe-Owen factory at Eastleigh Airport assembling Spitfires and was killed in the bombing raid on the factory on 11th September 1940.

Leslie Stuart Geddes (d. Sept 1940)

Image courtesy of The Supermariners and The Spitfire Makers Charitable Trust

Leslie was an Aircraft Electrician at Supermarine. He was 34 years of age when he was killed in the bombing raid on the 24th September 1940. Leslie is buried in Hollybrook Cemetery, Southampton.

R Goodman (d. 11 Sept 1940)

R Goodman worked at the Cunliffe-Owen factory at Eastleigh Airport assembling Spitfires and was killed in the bombing raid on the factory on 11th September 1940.

Harry Griffiths

Images courtesy of the Griffiths family

Harry Griffiths (Griff) started in 1928 as a 14 year old laboratory assistant and stayed with Supermarine, working as a metallurgist, until 1958. After the bombing a new laboratory was built at Hursley Park. He also helped with photography, taking pictures of the visits of King George VI to Eastleigh and Queen Mary to Trowbridge.

S Griffiths (d. 11 Sept 1940)

S Griffiths worked at the Cunliffe-Owen factory at Eastleigh Airport assembling Spitfires and was killed in the bombing raid on the factory on 11th September 1940.

G E Gubbins (d. 11 Sept 1940)

G E Gubbins worked at the Cunliffe-Owen factory at Eastleigh Airport assembling Spitfires and was killed in the bombing raid on the factory on 11th September 1940.

Stanley Gurd

R E Hammil (d. 11 Sept 1940)

R E Hammil worked at the Cunliffe-Owen factory at Eastleigh Airport assembling Spitfires and was killed in the bombing raid on the factory on 11th September 1940.

Edwin George Hann

Ted Hann pictured in 1944 with his wife Win (in the light suit)- Photo courtesy of Ken Hann

Born on the 17th January 1913 in Portsmouth, Edwin (known as Ted) began his working life as a school teacher at Hedge End school (now Wildern Scholl) in Hedge End, Hampshire. Ted lived with his wife Win in Kathleen Road, Sholing, Southampton.

At the outbreak of the war Ted volunteered to join up and, in 1940, was sent to work at the Cunliffe Owen Aircraft factory at Eastleigh Airport where Spitfires were being assembled and tested.

On the 10th September 1940, Ted’s wife Win gave birth to their first child Gerald in the General Hospital, Southampton. As Gerald was born late in the evening, Ted had been unable to get there. The next day, the 11th September, during the afternoon tea break, Ted asked the foreman if he would be able to leave early to go and see his wife and new baby son. The foreman agreed and Ted set off from the factory on his bicycle. As he cycled up Burgess Road, about a mile away from the factory, their was a huge explosion which nearly knocked Ted off his bike. As he looked back he could see that the factory where he had just been working was engulfed in flames. 52 of his colleagues died that day in the bombing raid. Ted considered himself very lucky and always said that his first son Gerald saved his life!

Ted and Win with Gerald in 1944 – Ted is in his RAF uniform – Photo courtesy of Ken Hann

After the bombing of the factory, Ted decided to return to teaching where his skills would be more useful. He was advised at the time that he might be called up and a few weeks later he joined the RAF at various locations as ground crew. In 1946, when his second son Ken was born, Ted was listed as a Leading Aircraftsman RAF (Teacher). Around that time Ted returned to teaching at Wildern School in Hedge End where he taught woodwork until his retirement.

That however, is not the end of the story! Ted’s survival of the bombing of the Cunliffe Owen factory led on to a coincidental story when, in the 1960s, his son Ken, born in 1946, met Kay Broadbere, also born in 1946, the son of another Spitfire Maker, Phillip (Phil) Broadbere, who, by a strange twist of fate, had also escaped from a bombing raid that destroyed the Woolston Works later in September 1940.

B Hardman (d. 11 Sept 1940)

B Hardman worked at the Cunliffe-Owen factory at Eastleigh Airport assembling Spitfires and was killed in the bombing raid on the factory on 11th September 1940.

Harry Ernest Harley (d. Sept 1940)

Image courtesy of The Supermariners and The Spitfire Makers Charitable Trust

Harry was employed as an Aircraft Clerk at Supermarine. He was 43 years of age when he was killed in the bombing raid on the 26th September 1940. Harry is buried in Southampton Old Cemetery, Hill Lane, Southampton.

Arthur George John Harris (d. Sept 1940)

Image courtesy of The Supermariners and The Spitfire Makers Charitable Trust

Arthur was Head Store Keeper at Supermarine. He was 32 years of age when he was killed in the bombing raid on the 26th September 1940. Arthur is buried in St Mary Extra Cemetery, Southampton.

Alfred James Hawkins (d. Sept 1940)

Image courtesy of The Supermariners and The Spitfire Makers Charitable Trust

Alfred was a Fitters Mate for Southern Railway working on the railway line close to the Supermarine factory. He was 29 years of age when he was killed in the bombing raid on the 26th September 1940. As we have been unable to locate Alfred’s grave, floral tributes for him have been placed on the Commonwealth War Graves Memorial in Hollybrook Cemetery, Southampton.

Mervyn Joseph (Joe) Hawkins (d. Sept 1940)

Image courtesy of The Supermariners and The Spitfire Makers Charitable Trust

Joe was an apprentice at Supermarine. He was 16 years of age when he was killed in the bombing raid on the 24th September 1940. Joe is buried in Hollybrook Cemetery, Southampton.

R Haydon (d. 11 Sept 1940)

R Haydon worked at the Cunliffe-Owen factory at Eastleigh Airport assembling Spitfires and was killed in the bombing raid on the factory on 11th September 1940.

G D Heighton (d. 11 Sept 1940)

G D Heighton worked at the Cunliffe-Owen factory at Eastleigh Airport assembling Spitfires and was killed in the bombing raid on the factory on 11th September 1940.

L Hendy (d. 11 Sept 1940)

L Hendy worked at the Cunliffe-Owen factory at Eastleigh Airport assembling Spitfires and was killed in the bombing raid on the factory on 11th September 1940.

Charles Hext (d. Sept 1940)

Image courtesy of The Supermariners and The Spitfire Makers Charitable Trust

Charles was a Leading Fitter at Supermarine. He was 57 years of age when he was killed in the bombing raid on the 26th September 1940. As we have been unable to locate Charles’ grave, floral tributes for him have been placed on the Commonwealth War Graves Memorial in Hollybrook Cemetery, Southampton.

Hazel Hill

Hazel Hill, the youngest Spitfire Maker?

Images and information owned and provided by Felicity Baker

Without the mathematical calculations that this 13 year old girl helped to make, the Spitfires taking to the air at the start of the Battle of Britain, 80 years ago, would have been decisively outgunned.

In 1934 Hazel’s father, ballistic expert Frederick Hill, thought that future RAF fighters with only 4 machine guns would not have enough firepower to down future enemy bombers. Night after night, sitting at the kitchen table, she helped with the maths, using a manual calculator, pencil and graph paper. Her results got the ‘spec’ for the Spitfire and Hurricane changed to 8 guns – just enough to win the Battle of Britain.

Click here for more information on Wikipedia

Trailer for the BBC documentary The Schoolgirl Who Helped Win a War

https://www.bbc.co.uk/…/battle-of-britain-the…

Ernest Wilfred Hillier

Image courtesy of Paul Haywood

From his grandson Paul Haywood…….

Ernest Wilfred Hillier, worked at Woolston. He is shown working on a lathe at a factory in Hamble (probably Follands or AST) after the bombing. This is a colourised still taken from “The First of the Few” film which came out in 1942.

Ernest was left handed and apparently, as there were no left-handed lathes available, one was imported … from Germany!

He died in 1945.

Bob & Kathleen Hindle

Jack Hinton

Image and information courtesy of David Hinton

Jack Hinton was an engineer who lived 63 Millbrook Road, Southampton, so he travelled every day to Woolston on the Floating Bridge.

The photo, 1948, shows him, possibly outside the Flight Shed at Southampton Airport, with General Manager, Len Gooch, and others, handing over a two seater trainer to the Irish Air Force.

Jack continued working for Supermarine until the late 50s when he didn’t want to move with them to South Marston.

Thomas Frederick Homer (d. Sept 1940)

Image courtesy of The Supermariners and The Spitfire Makers Charitable Trust

Thomas was employed at Supermarine in an unknown role. He was 48 years of age when he was killed in the bombing raid on the 24th September 1940. Thomas is buried in South Stoneham Cemetery, Southampton.

Louis Edward Howard Hubbard (d. Sept 1940)

Image courtesy of The Supermariners and The Spitfire Makers Charitable Trust

Louis was a Sheet Metal Worker (Aircraft) at Supermarine. He was 40 years of age when he was killed in the bombing raid on the 26th September 1940. As we have been unable to locate Louis’ grave, floral tributes for him have been placed on the Commonwealth War Graves Memorial in Hollybrook Cemetery, Southampton.

A Hughes (d. 11 Sept 1940)

A Hughes worked at the Cunliffe-Owen factory at Eastleigh Airport assembling Spitfires and was killed in the bombing raid on the factory on 11th September 1940.