Tailor Made Aircraft

RAF picture of a Mosquito found on Wikipedia

Tailor Made Aircraft

Reading Ralph's comments about the De Havilland planes having a wooden fuselage brought to mind an interesting anecdote from my past.

In 1969 I returned from Canada and settled in Caernarfon. I needed to find someone to alter a suit and finally was given the address of a retired tailor.

On calling at his house I was surprised to find he spoke with a very strong cockney accent!

During the conversation that followed I asked him how he came to be living in Caernarfon. He told me that in the early days of the war, fearing a German invasion via Ireland, Caernarfon airfield was very large with thousands of servicemen, army and airforce, stationed there.

Being in the RAF he'd been posted there very early on " 'Cos bein' a tailor I knew 'ow to use the big sewin' machines for mendin' the canvasses."

Of course, not only did those early planes of WW2 have a wooden fuselage, but that frame was covered in canvas that from time to time needed patching up – with a sewing machine!

And then he added, "And then I married the usherette from the Majestic cinema". And that's how he ended up in Caernarfon.