Spitfire Production at Hamble

1936

The connection between Hamble and the Spitfire is one of the most significant chapters in the village's history. In the 1930s, the aircraft industry established itself along the shores of Southampton Water, and Hamble became home to major aviation facilities. The Folland Aircraft Company operated from a site at Hamble, and during the Second World War, this facility and others in the area were involved in the production of Supermarine Spitfire fighter aircraft. After the Supermarine factory at Woolston in Southampton was destroyed by Luftwaffe bombing in September 1940, Spitfire production was dispersed to sites across Hampshire and beyond. Hamble was one of the key locations in this dispersal programme. Components were manufactured at various sites and assembled at Hamble, where the completed aircraft were test-flown from the adjacent airfield. The women of the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) were based at Hamble during the war, flying newly built and repaired aircraft from the factories to operational RAF stations across the country. The ATA women, who included pilots from several nations, broke new ground in aviation and became celebrated for their courage and skill. The Hamble airfield and factory complex was a vital part of the national war effort, and the Spitfire connection remains a source of considerable local pride. The airfield site has since been developed for housing, but the memory of what was achieved there endures.