Fire left scene of devastation

A NUMBER of aircraft under construction were damaged, not only by the fire but by girders, which fell on to the fuselage as the roof collapsed.

We continue our countdown to the final closure of Chadderton’s British Aerospace factory with a look at one of the worst events in its illustrious history.
THE Chadderton aerospace factory saw one of its darkest days on October 3, 1959.

The British aviation industry was rocked when fire swept through parts of the vast site, wrecking buildings, damaging aircraft and destroying valuable raw materials.

The huge fire was one of a series of blazes that wreaked havoc on the plant in twelve months.

Harold Guest (76) recollects the devastating day.

The Chadderton resident, who worked at the plant, then owned by AVRO, for 42 years, said: “It was a terrifying Sunday morning. I parked my bike up and was just starting my shift when I saw the smoke.

“I worked in the experimental department and the fire was on the third-floor balcony.

“I managed to get inside to get my belongings and we were told an aeroplane needs to come out, but the trouble was there was only one wing.

“When the doors were open a huge backdraft of flames came out.

“One of the aircraft, the 748, had a girder wrapped round it. It was just a complete disaster.”

Staff were faced with the formidable task of maintaining manufacturing amid the devastation affecting parts of the site — fortunately the Vulcan and 748 production lines had escapeed serious damage.

A prototype Avro 748 44-seater civil aircraft was also damaged, but nearly 30 years later the aircraft — call sign G-ARAY — was still flying, a true testament to the skill and ingenuity of the Chadderton workforce.

The site went on to build and sell 380 748s to more than 50 countries around the world.