Heritage trail seeks former aircraft factory staff

3 December 2025

Sophia AllsoppWest of England

News image — About 14,000 people worked at the Gloster Aircraft Company factory at its peak

BBC A black-and-white photograph showing a Typhoon aircraft being assembled. Three women are working on parts of the aircraft. A fourth worker, a man, is partly visible with his back to the camera as he fits a component. The factory setting is industrial. — About 14,000 people worked at the Gloster Aircraft Company factory at its peak

A new heritage trail is being created to showcase the history of one of Britain's most important aircraft factories.

The Gloster Aircraft Company (GAC) assembled around 10,000 planes on the site at Hucclecote before it closed in 1964.

Britain's first jet aircraft also completed its maiden test flight there, and the area suffered significant bomb damage during the Second World War because of its strategic importance.

Before the land became Gloucester Business Park and the Coopers Edge housing estate, tens of thousands of people worked at the factory, which played a major role in the UK's wartime manufacturing effort.

A black-and-white photograph of a Hercules aircraft approaching Brockworth airfield in 1932. The plane is still airborne, descending over a wide grassy field. On the right side of the image, a crowd of spectators stands with their backs to the camera. Two people dressed in white are lying on the grass in the foreground, apparently trying to get a better view. The scene captures the anticipation of the landing. — The Heracles (although it was often called Hercules), operated by Imperial Airways – Britain's first national airline - landing in Gloucestershire in 1932

Sir Frank Whittle's jet engine powered the Gloster E28/39, which left the ground at Hucclecote in April 1941, making aviation history.

The local parish council has now created a new heritage trail featuring seven information boards positioned across the area.

Each will chart the site's contribution to British aviation and tell the stories of those who kept production going through the war.

The trail is due to be formally opened on 30 January, with guests including Ian Whittle - son of Sir Frank Whittle - and local MP Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown present.

Ted Stevens from Hucclecote Parish Council is wearing a tan jacket over a dark shirt, looking directly at the camera with a slight smile. — Ted Stevens from Hucclecote parish council says the new trail will highlight the area's vital aviation history

Hucclecote Parish Council is now appealing for former factory workers to come forward, particularly anyone employed at the site between the post-war years and its closure in 1964.

Council vice chair Ted Stevens OBE said they hope to involve original workers in the unveiling ceremony.

"It's unlikely many wartime staff will still be around, but there should still be people who worked at the factory in its later years," he said.

Anyone who worked at the Gloster Aircraft Company site, or who has relatives with memories of the factory, is encouraged to get in touch with the parish council.

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