Brockworth / Hucclecote

**norwichpaul** · 13-06-2008, 15:26

A few pictures of the Gloster Factory and WWI Aircraft Acceptance Park

**REF** · 13-06-2008, 18:36

What an unusual design for the tower, really pretty for what it is - it is a shame it couldn't have been kept and used somehow in the resulting industrial estate that is being built. I don't even think the runway is there now, just a pud called the "Whittle Inn" and a small memorial and thats about it now. Couple of my photos are here;
http://www.airfields.fotopic.net/c1331180.html

Just a quick question, was Brockworth ever known as RAF Brockwith, I know it is often referred to as Hucclecote but would either of the known names ever have had the "RAF" at the beginning?

**Ant** · 13-06-2008, 22:30

Well I am going to put my foot in in it here I suspect because I don't think it was ever under the Raf's Jurisdiction. As to the strange design of the tower Richard, well It is typical of the 30's styles of architecture, wouldn't you agree ?

**norwichpaul** · 14-06-2008, 07:33

Correct Ant

**WJT** · 26-08-2009, 16:45

Some really good aerial shots have come up over on Key Historical:

http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?t=93499

**ollieraf** · 28-01-2010, 15:10

My memories of Hucclecote centre on the Javelin manufacturer's course that I went through there with my navigator. I was on the staff at No.228 Night Fighter OCU at RAF Leeming and had been specially selected from a cast of non-volunteers to do the course with a view to lecturing students at Leeming. In the event we had a most enjoyable time, ferried to and from our very comfortable hotel, the New Inn, in Gloucester and learned all there was to know about the Gloster Dragmaster.

At the time there was talk of a "Thin Wing Javelin" being built in a secret hangar but we were never allowed to see what was going on.

Soon after this, the RAF Flight Safety magazine - Air Clues - issued one of its periodic "Good Show" awards to a pilot who reputedly had brought his Javelin back to a safe landing, using only the thumb trim switch as his back end control run was completley jammed. I wrote to Air Clues advising them that whatever the pilot had done, moving the pitch trim control would not have helped. They wrote back saying that the Good Show would stand and that I was probably wrong. I was not and a quick letter to Glosters confirmed this.

**Dragon** · 13-03-2010, 17:10

Paul

Thank you for the wonderful photographs - and memories my father was
in the design loft (stressman) at Glosters up until closing day. We lived
at the end of the factory lane on the NW side of the factory (off Hucclecote Road, and grew up listening to the likes of Dicky Martin , Geoff Worrell and the boss ferry Jav's over to Moreton Valence.

Ollie - My father was working on the "thin wing" design when the factory closed but it was up the road at Bentham not at the main factory.

As an aside - Im trying to locate a map of the factory and runway in the 1950's unfortunatly the information listed at Key publishing is no longer available
and as maybe seen by my website I work with a group of hobbyist's in Flight Sim and we are planning to recreate both GAC and Moreton Valence as they were in the late 50s

Leif

**OneEighthBit** · 13-03-2010, 18:18

Leif,

The picture on the Key Publishing forum was a censored picture so it only showed the wartime buildings and the airfield itself was retouched out so it would of given you very little info. The same photos have censored Moreton Valence also.

National Heritage in Swindon is probably your best contact with regards to finding a vertical aerial photos. They also have a number of of obliques showing the buildings.

I would also recommend contacting the Gloucestershire Country Records Office. Last time I was there I think they have a Luftwaffe aerial recon photo of Hucclecote. They probably also have some other documents and maybe a layout on the county planning map.

I've various books that mention the airfields but with random obliques but I'd recommend getting a copy of "The Flying Machine in Gloucestershire" which has lots on the Gloster factory at Brockworth/Hucclecote plus some useful reference pics.

**Dragon** · 13-03-2010, 18:50

Thank you very much

Actually alot of the National Heritage shots are by a very familar person
Harold Wingham .

Ill try the County records a shot for a plat of GAC -- Im just looking for
the runway dimensions - I already have the ARP lat/lon and the modern aerial
shots still give enough detail to judge the boundaries of the airfield - whta is sad is that many of the wonderful places of my youth have totally vanished
The GAC social club, the rifle range butts and the many air-raid shelters that dotted around the airfield. I also understand the last of the Belfast Hangars has been recently demolished -- which in itself is a crying shame. They were such majestic structures.

Leif