David many thanks, Now I know why I joined MLU rarely a day goes by without learning something !! Thank you.
I remember the Delco factory, another place I used to cyle as a child was to Dunstable mostly to look at the fire engines and there were also some good vantage points to watch construction of the M1. There were lots of little units around both the town and in its rural district which I suppose we could term shadow factories. Hat factories making gun parts. All manner of diversity. I lived on the north of the town very close to the Sundon Park works of Skefco bearings. As an 7 year old it was no mean cyle ride to Vauxhalls and then up to the Airport.
Reading between the lines the Dunstable shadow facility was in respect of trucks a repair/ refurb centre ?? in addition to churchill work. So can we say truck assembly was confined to Luton until the 1950s plant came along. I suppose the Dunstable facility remained dormant from 45 til the new plant opened ??
I recently read the history of Luton in WW2 It reminded me there were several raids on Vauxhall. But the worst atteck was the V2 on Biscot road that hit Commer's, My Dad had been called up to the REs early 44 so luckily was away. A couple of families in our street lost people in that attack. Sorry I digress. I wonder if my parents ever realised how far I used to wander to see the trucks and planes.
On a totally seperate tack where can I obtain a 1944 or similar Census number list please //
thanks again David
regards TED
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