Catalogue description Records relating to the work of Leslie Philip Walter Spry of Gloucester (the donor's father)

Documents relate to L.P.W.Spry's work at Matthew's and Co., of Gloucester, and A.W.Hawkesbury Ltd., with some miscellaneous papers.

See also D7177

Spry, Leslie Philip Walter, b 1914, of Gloucester

Mr N Spry

Acc. 7074

• Matthews and Co, Gloucester, furnishers and wholesale cabinet makers
• Hawker-Siddeley, 1935-, aircraft manufacturers
• A W Hawkesley Ltd, Gloucester

L P W Spry was born in Gloucester in 1914 and was apprenticed to Matthews & Co. of Gloucester, furnishers and wholesale cabinet makers, in 1931; after his apprenticeship was completed he worked for the firm until 1939. In 1939 he joined the Gloster Aircraft Co. as an aircraft erector and in 1943 joined the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers as an inspector of armoured vehicles. Between 1946 and 1957 he worked for A W Hawksley Ltd., a subsidiary of Hawker Siddeley, as a design draughtsman and then for Armstrong Siddeley as an engineering draughtsman, 1957-1959 and finally for Gordon Engineering and Irving Cranes, both of Stroud, as assistant works manager.

A W Hawksley Ltd. was formed in 1940 to build the "Albermarle" aircraft designed by Armstrong Whitworth. Their factory was converted to the manufacture of prefabricated houses and bungalows for the Ministry of Supply at the end of the War and by the 1950s and early 1960s they supplied local authorities and exported their buildings to Australia, New Zealand and Uruguay.