How do I find more information on what my grandfather did in ww2?

[BinturongBethy]

Hi,

I know that my grandfather repaired aircraft during ww2 at hanworth air park, middlesex. But thats all I know. I was wondering if anybody knows how I might be able to fiind out more information about his time there, why he didnt go off to war, what exactly his job role was etc?

Thanks in advance for any advice you might be able to offer

Beth

[cemetery friends]

The principal contractor at Hanworth aerodrome was General Aviation Ltd who built gliders and light aircraft and modified aircraft for the RAF and Fleet Air Arm. It is likely that if your grandfather was a skilled craftsman that he would be classified as Reserved Occupation and exempt from call up or alternatively his age was above the call up age grouping.

General Aviation merged with Blackburn to become Blackburn and General Aviation Ltd. In 1960 the company became the Hawker Blackburn Division of of the giant Hawker Siddeley Aviation Combine which in 1965 became simply Hawker Siddeley, Brough, and later part of the British Aerospace Kingston-Brough Division. British Aerospace is the amalgamation of dozens of historic aircraft builders and I cannot imagine that they kept thousands of personnel records especially those referring to WWII. Your best bet is to trace BA to see if they have an archivist or secondly write to their public relations to see if they have a policy of retaining old personnel files. You could start by writing to BAE Systems Saltgrounds Road Brough, HU15 1EQ United Kingdom but with so many almalgamations it may be difficult for you to trace such early records.

[BinturongBethy]

Great place to start! Thank you for your information