Old Leeds Firms

Trojan · Post by **Trojan** » Thu 06 Mar, 2008 10:07 pm

fevlad wrote: sorry about that, not used to the forum yetthe anson wasn't a trainerit was a twin engined utility aircraftused initially for coastal patrol, then as a communications aircraft ferrying pilots and so on-it continued to do this until the 1970sit wasn't just avro aircraft that were made at the factory-the fairey swordfish was made there as well You're probably right - I only know what my mam told me - I wasn't there at the time

Si · Post by Si » Fri 07 Mar, 2008 12:23 pm

iansmithofotley wrote: Hi everyone,Here are some more 'old Leeds firms':Greenwood & Batley at Armley (engineering)Hunslet Engine Company at Hunslet (engineering)E.J. Arnold at Hunslet (school stationers)Montague Burton at Harehills (tailors)Price's Tailors at Kirkstall (tailors)Marks and Spencer originally at Leeds Market (clothing)I am sure that we all have friends who worked at one of these firms.Ian. I work next to what was Greenwood and Batley's (now John Peter's, but for sale.) I don't know if it's true, but I heard a story of when the canal at the back was dredged after the war, a considerable amount of empty brass bullet cartridges were salvaged from the bottom. Apparently, if they weren't up to standard, they were slung out the window!

LS1 · Post by **LS1** » Tue 01 Apr, 2008 9:29 pm

Craggs was mentioned before on the Seacroft thread. I went to get some shoes reparied today, and not only did they cost £10 less than Timpsons, I found their website. Interesting history of a local (to me) thriving business.http://www.craggs-shoerepairs.co.uk/history1.asp

Festwerfer · Post by **Festwerfer** » Tue 01 Apr, 2008 10:19 pm

fevlad wrote: sorry about that, not used to the forum yetthe anson wasn't a trainerit was a twin engined utility aircraftused initially for coastal patrol, then as a communications aircraft ferrying pilots and so on-it continued to do this until the 1970sit wasn't just avro aircraft that were made at the factory-the fairey swordfish was made there as well The Swordfish was made at the Blackburn works on Rounday Road not at Avro. The Anson was used as a trainer Marks XX XXI & XXII were used for bombing and navigation training, oh and the Anson was retired from RAF service in 1968!

dazzel · Post by **dazzel** » Wed 02 Apr, 2008 8:29 pm

i served my time with Marsh , Jones and Cribb decorators,,est 1760, they where bought out by chappel and son's and went bust in 91,,famed for painting the the sopwith camels during the 1st world war, there yard used to be in wortley,,,them was the days!!!

Hats Off · Post by **Hats Off** » Wed 02 Apr, 2008 9:58 pm

Festwerfer wrote: fevlad wrote: sorry about that, not used to the forum yetthe anson wasn't a trainerit was a twin engined utility aircraftused initially for coastal patrol, then as a communications aircraft ferrying pilots and so on-it continued to do this until the 1970sit wasn't just avro aircraft that were made at the factory-the fairey swordfish was made there as well The Swordfish was made at the Blackburn works on Rounday Road not at Avro. The Anson was used as a trainer Marks XX XXI & XXII were used for bombing and navigation training, oh and the Anson was retired from RAF service in 1968! I always wondered about why I have seen them described as Fairey Swordfish ? Is it because they were also made by the Fairey aircraft company ?

fevlad · Post by **fevlad** » Thu 03 Apr, 2008 8:42 am

Festwerfer wrote: fevlad wrote: sorry about that, not used to the forum yetthe anson wasn't a trainerit was a twin engined utility aircraftused initially for coastal patrol, then as a communications aircraft ferrying pilots and so on-it continued to do this until the 1970sit wasn't just avro aircraft that were made at the factory-the fairey swordfish was made there as well The Swordfish was made at the Blackburn works on Rounday Road not at Avro. The Anson was used as a trainer Marks XX XXI & XXII were used for bombing and navigation training, oh and the Anson was retired from RAF service in 1968! yest it was used as a trainer-amonmgst many other uses-hence utility aitcraft: but I take your pointthanks for setting me rigfht about the swordfish. Did they make complete aircraft or for instance wing sections?the anson was replaced by the twin engined beagle in 1968, but I understood some remained on charge later than that.

fevlad · Post by **fevlad** » Thu 03 Apr, 2008 8:52 am

Hats Off wrote: Festwerfer wrote: fevlad wrote: sorry about that, not used to the forum yetthe anson wasn't a trainerit was a twin engined utility aircraftused initially for coastal patrol, then as a communications aircraft ferrying pilots and so on-it continued to do this until the 1970sit wasn't just avro aircraft that were made at the factory-the fairey swordfish was made there as well The Swordfish was made at the Blackburn works on Rounday Road not at Avro. The Anson was used as a trainer Marks XX XXI & XXII were used for bombing and navigation training, oh and the Anson was retired from RAF service in 1968! I always wondered about why I have seen them described as Fairey Swordfish ? Is it because they were also made by the Fairey aircraft company ? in world war two companies manufactured the products of other companies. car factories even made aircraft...amongst other things need for the war effort.It was a question of maximising industrial capacity.so it wasn't unusual that Blackburns were involved in manufacturing the swordfish, espoecially seeing as they were specialists in naval aircraft, and had no product of their own. The roc/skua had become obsolete and gone out of production, the Botha light bomber was a failure. Blackburn didn't bring out a product of their own until the firebrand torpedo bomber, which was too late to see service in world war two.the swordfish, by the middle of world war 2 had also become obsolescent asd a torpedo bomber/strike aircraft.but it was a sturdy aircraft, easy to fly, could carry a decent payolad, was easy to maintain and was thus very useful as an anti submarine/paytrol aircraft. For such an ungainly, old fashioned looking design, by the second half of the war it was very technologically advanced carrying the latest radar, rockets etc and was flown mainly to protect convoys, on escort carriers-merchant ships converted for the purpose. They were in use right until the end of the war in europe.the swordfish of ww2, would be comparable in its mission with the naval helicopter of today.

Si · Post by Si » Thu 03 Apr, 2008 1:15 pm

I think the Swordfish (Stringbag) was responsible for sealing the fate of The Bismarck when it damaged it's rudder with a torpedo.Fairey were also responsible for the Battle, probably Britain's least successful bomber of the war.

fevlad · Post by **fevlad** » Thu 03 Apr, 2008 5:01 pm

Si wrote: I think the Swordfish (Stringbag) was responsible for sealing the fate of The Bismarck when it damaged it's rudder with a torpedo.Fairey were also responsible for the Battle, probably Britain's least successful bomber of the war. the battle was an important link in the modernisation of the RAF, it was a monoplane, had an enclosed cockpit, and a merlin engine. but it was extremely vulnerable in its role and didn't last long in front line service: but was used in training and taarget towing.Incidentally the navy used a version of the battle as a fighter, lasting fairly late into the war as a night fighter.the swordfish was supposed to have been replaced by the albacore, but oddly the swordfish outlasted it.fairey's final efforts in the naval aitrcraft stakes were the successful firefly fighter/recconaissance aircraft, and the less successful barracuda dive/torpedo bomber. The Barracuda ws involved in early attempts to sink the tirpitz. It was inferior to the grumman avenger which supplanted it i service.