BRITISH BOMBERS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 February 1940, Page 9

BRITISH BOMBERS

PRODUCTION IN VAST NUMBERS. Packed with a vast collection of wonderful machine tools of the most up-to-date pattern costing many hundreds of thousands of pounds, the Rootes Government Airframe Factory “somewhere in England,” is one of the largest and best-equipped manufacturing plants of its kind on the world, and forms one of the most important units in the British Government’s scheme for the rapid expansion of the Royal Air Force. Built, staffed and brought into production in record time, it is planned throughout on the most modern progressive production lines, and is today turning out Blenheim bombers — one of the most formidable and fastest aircraft in service —at a rate hitherto undreamed of.

Raw materials enter this huge factory at one end and in an incredibly short space of time emerge at the other as completely finished bombers, even to the smallest items of equipment, and ready to undergo their flight tests from the adjoining aerodrome prior to taking their allotted places in Britain’s ever-strengthening first line of defence. Less than three years ago the site on which this factory stands was a cabbage field, a striking measure of the tremendous achievement its represents. Messrs Roots Limited are the world exporters of Hillman and Humber cars.