Albert William Adams

My Father - known as Bill

1600's . . 1700's . . 1800's - The Farmers . . 1800's - The Labourers . .
1850's - The Farmers in London . . 1900's - Will Adams

Born: 30 March 1911
Died: 8th October 1951

Married: Pat (Emily) Savage; 20 April 1935

Born at 82, Chestnut Drive, Merton, London the family soon moved to Bockhampton Road, Kingston on Thames where he attended St. Pauls School, Kingston Hill.

After leaving school in 1924 he was an apprentice at Hawkers Ltd. and attended Kingston Technical College in the evenings to obtain mechanical engineering qualifications. He then moved around a number of aircraft manufacturing firms as they were all growing at an enormous rate at that time.

At the beginning of the war (WW2) he took up a position in the Design Office of Supermarines in Southampton where he worked with R.J. Mitchell on the Spitfire. Within a year Mitchell had died but the war was starting and development of the plane and expansion of production was increased. By the end of the war he was the Design Liaison Officer travelling between the various "shadow" factories and the works at Weybridge, Hursley, South Marston and Southampton. This travelling between the factories continued after the war and coming home from one of these he was involved in an accident with a lorry and died instantly.

While at work he had been an active member of the Auxiliary Fire Service and had had his office bombed as Germany tried to halt Spitfire production.

Always keen on sport, playing football and cricket for the school teams, he was a runner specialising at eight hundred yards in which he represented both his Club and Surrey for a number of years.

He married in 1935 and produced sons, David and Peter, in 1937 and 1939. In 1947 David contracted polio and spent eighteen months in hospital. During which time another son, Stephen, was born.

The only family group I have. Clockwise from top left: Bill, Pat, Peter, Steve and David.
Probably 1950

1600's . . 1700's . . 1800's - The Farmers . . 1800's - The Labourers . .
1850's - The Farmers in London . . 1900's - Will Adams

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Last updated February 2000