License built Mosquito's (Handley Page?)

[TAdan]

Did Handley Page license build any Mosquito's (or components) during the war?

I would presume they did, but I figured I'd better ask first.

Thanks.

[Dave Smith]

Just checked the definitive Mossie book written by Sharp and Bowyer in 1967 and confirmed that HP had no involvement in their production. Apart from DH of course, they were produced by Percival, Standard Motors, and Airspeed. This was under sub-contract by the Ministry of Aircraft Production, rather than license-built in the US sense of the word. HP are not listed as supplying any Mosquito components either. I think they were too busy building Halifaxes and in turn sub-contracting this work as well.

[TAdan]

Just checked the definitive Mossie book written by Sharp and Bowyer in 1967 and confirmed that HP had no involvement in their production. Apart from DH of course, they were produced by Percival, Standard Motors, and Airspeed. This was under sub-contract by the Ministry of Aircraft Production, rather than license-built in the US sense of the word. HP are not listed as supplying any Mosquito components either. I think they were too busy building Halifaxes and in turn sub-contracting this work as well.

Thanks for your answer Dave, that will be a big help.

I am doing some editing of an interview where the interviewee remembers a family member working for H-P and assembling Mossies. Im pretty sure that after 60 years the difference between DH and H-P isnt much to someone who isnt a warbird fan.

[Dave Smith]

Checking the books again, I find that both Mossies and Halifaxes were built at Leavesden airfield to the NW of London. The Mossies by a DH subsidiary factory, the Halis by the London Aircraft Production Group under sub-contract from HP. It's possible that this is where the confusion arises after 60-odd years!

[JDK]

Just as an addition to Dave's excellent response, of course Mosquitos were licence built in Australia and Canada (by the respective DH branches in each country) as well as his UK list of sub-contractors, although I'm sure not relevant to TADan's question!

[TAdan]

Wow Dave you are good! I think that may be the airfield he is referring to, he mentions it being to the NW of London. Same location...Mossies were built there, that sounds like a good match to me. Thanks for your help.

Thanks JDK, I knew they had been subcontracted and built at various locations but the "H-P" just didnt sound right to me.

[Dave Smith]

No credit to me really, just had the right books to hand! Pleased to help and if you ever find anyone who was at Atcham, near Shrewsbury in NW England, I'd be glad to hear. A CCRC - 495th Fighter Training Group - for P-47s and later on P-38s.

[Firebird]

I think that may be the airfield he is referring to, he mentions it being to the NW of London. Same location...Mossies were built there, that sounds like a good match to me. Thanks for your help.

Leavesden Airfield is (was) about 3 miles NW of Watford, and work commenced on building the site in 1940.
A total of 1390 Mosquitos and 710 Halifax's were built on the site. After the war the factory was leased to DH and they used it for the development and manufacture of the early DH jet engines. Post war UK industry amalgamations say the site become Hawker Siddeley and then finally Rolls-Royce which built it's helicopter engines there until final closure in 1993.
The airfield was sold off, and a large part of it has now become a housing estate, but the old factory buildings and hangers have become Leavseden Studio's and have been used for filming of some recent Bond films, and as of this moment some stuff for the new Harry Potter film is being shot there.
In fact, my girl-friend lives almost within stones throwing distance from the boundary of the old airfield.

[dhfan]

I used to pass Leavesden almost weekly from the early fifties going to visit my grandparents who only lived a mile or two away. My dad told me of seeing Mossies rolling out of there during the war but he never mentioned Halifaxes.

It didn't become Hawker-Siddeley, it was Bristol-Siddeley, formed when Bristol took over the engine divisions of DH, Armstrong-Siddeley and Blackburn. Same Siddeley, different company.

A large sign on the edge of the airfield said something along the lines of Bristol-Siddeley, Small Engine Division.