Military Chat

My mother-in-law was entered as an 'Aircraft Operative' on her marriage certificate in 1942. She lived in Edmonton, North London.
Could anyone tell me what this occupation might have entailed & where she could have worked?

Many thanks,
Vee Holt

There was a parts manufacturing factory Nr Acton.


perhaps it entailed essembling the many aircraft parts which alot of women undertook then.?..they soldiered,,,did electrical wiring,welding etc.

Thank-you for your reply Kay.
Certainly the work involved sounds likely but not sure if Acton would've been considered too far to travel from Edmonton for work in those days. V

What info is there about her on 1939 register?

She may have given Edmonton as her address when she married, but she could have lived away from 'home' in connection with her occupation

People travelled a very long way for work during the war. My mother-in-law lived in the north east of the country but went down to London and then to Trowbridge in Wiltshire where she met my father-in-law. She rented a room.

Single women were expected to travel anywhere in the country for the war effort.

Edmonton to Acton is only about 15 miles. That could easily have been done on a bus or by bicycle.

Kath. x

Thank-you Erika & Kath for your prompt replies.

My mother-in-law was living in Edmonton in 1939 & 1942.

In view of your information Kath, I shall certainly reconsider where she could have been working.

Vee

The MOD re-modeled already engineering factories that could make what was needed ,so cpuld have been further north than Edmonton.,many were picked up by buses and travled quite a few miles fo the work place in WW2..

There were operational airfields at Hendon and Fairlop both less than ten miles away and North Weald was not much further.

This site lists companies supplying the aircraft industry several of which are in North London:
https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/1939_Suppliers_to_the_Aircraft_Industry