Admiral Beez
1st Lieutenant
I’m thoroughly enjoying this new book,
Amazon product
The WW2 section covers Rootes’ leading role in the reamament shadow factory scheme, where Rootes would build a new factory ostentatiously to build cars, but tooled to swap over to production of Bristol Blenheim aircraft and Bristol aero engines. The scheme was so poorly run by the government at first, plus territorial obstruction by Bristol’s mgmt. that production through 1938 was very slow. But once Churchill, MP and Attlee pushed for change the production trebled by late 1938. Which makes we think that had it been done right, the RAF would have a had more bombers and engines by Sept. 1939.
I highly recommend the book to anyone interested in British industry. The Rootes mgmt team’s escape from Berlin in March 1939 and sexual experiences in a rickshaw in Ceylon were surprising twists.
Amazon product
The WW2 section covers Rootes’ leading role in the reamament shadow factory scheme, where Rootes would build a new factory ostentatiously to build cars, but tooled to swap over to production of Bristol Blenheim aircraft and Bristol aero engines. The scheme was so poorly run by the government at first, plus territorial obstruction by Bristol’s mgmt. that production through 1938 was very slow. But once Churchill, MP and Attlee pushed for change the production trebled by late 1938. Which makes we think that had it been done right, the RAF would have a had more bombers and engines by Sept. 1939.
I highly recommend the book to anyone interested in British industry. The Rootes mgmt team’s escape from Berlin in March 1939 and sexual experiences in a rickshaw in Ceylon were surprising twists.
