Alfred Hale, metal blade polisher at Rotol, Staverton, 1939 (General)

by Jefff , West London, Middlesex, Monday, November 27, 2017, 23:58 (2342 days ago) @ Jefff

Back again to Arthur Thomas' job as a "Metal Blade Polisher" in 1939, which was almost certainly at Rotol. The Rotol propeller business wasn't based at Arle/Sunningend, or even at Arle Court, but about a mile west at the new RAF airfield at Staverton. This factory was built in 1937 for the newly-formed RoTol company (Rolls Royce + Bristol Engines), which designed and manufactured state-of-the-art aircraft propellers. During WW2 Rotol made about 100,000 units, of which a third were used on RAF Hurricane and Spitfire fighters, so directly helping win the Battle of Britain. It wasn't until 1960 that Rotol became part of the Dowty Group, and is still flourishing and known as Dowty Propellers.

It should be noted that these 1938 maps may have been censored. Highly detailed O.S. maps of this time don't usually show factories if considered to be potential targets during the war that everyone knew was coming (a wise precaution as the Luftwaffe used O.S. maps for their air raids). Similarly, aerial photos of the time would have sensitive areas airbrushed away if thery were to be published.

This next 1938 map is the sheet adjoining the Arle Drive one, so further to the west towards Gloucester. It clearly shows the village of Staverton Bridge, at lower left, but presumably due to censorship gives no hint whatsoever of the factory or airfield that was just south of the village. (The M5 motorway now cuts "vertically" through Bamfurlong , just east of Staverton).
http://maps.nls.uk/view/101453178

This RAF photo from 1941 clearly shows how the airfield actually covered most of the map's lower L/H corner. It's taken from the south-east, so just above the modern M5 and A40 junction, with Staverton Bridge village at top-right of the camouflaged runways.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Staverton#/media/File:Staverton_aerodrome_aerial_phot...

In 1952 the Dowty factory at Arle Court was described thus;
"The headquarters of Dowty Equipment, Ltd., at Arle Court, are situated in over 70 acres of parkland on the main Gloucester road, some 3 miles south-west of Cheltenham. A delightful mansion in warm Cotswold stone houses the directors' offices. The factory buildings are sited to merge harmoniously into their natural surroundings, so that the ideal atmosphere of a country estate is maintained. Concealed on three sides by masses of old trees are drawing offices, assembly, machine, plating and polishing shops, testing rigs, inspection, maintenance, medical, canteen and recreation blocks."

Arle Court is no longer owned by Dowty, but is still a beautiful manor house and estate, it's history is detailed here
https://www.manorbythelake.co.uk/manor/our-history/

My first visit to Arle Court was to attend Apprenticeship interviews with Dowty, but I eventually opted for Ranks at Mitcheldean, which by odd-coincidence is now the temporary home of Rotol (Dowty Propellers) following a massive fire at their factory in 2015, they hope to move back to Staverton in 2019.

On graduating and leaving Ranks in 1983 at the start of that site's downturn, I moved into the world of aerospace engineering and had the great pleasure of working with some of the truly Great British companies mentioned above. I hope readers are interested in this important part of Gloucestershire's industrial past and present, if so then more of their history may be found here.

https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Dowty
https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Rotol_Airscrews
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dowty_Rotol
https://www.smiths.com/timeline-100.aspx
http://www.skf.com/uk/our-company/Business-Units/aerospace/Aeroengine-stonehouse/Stoneh...