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Armstrong Whitworth and Armstrong Siddeley checks/tags

Started by translateltd, January 27, 2013, 05:46:17 AM

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translateltd

I acquired the Armstrong Whitworth item below - presumably a tool check - a little while ago.  I thought I'd already posted it here but can't find it on a keyword search.  The measurement by the rule on the images is in inches. 

I am reasonably familiar with the history of Armstrong Whitworth and Armstrong Siddeley but don't really know much about their activities in Manchester.  I had a brief exchange with the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester about it but heard nothing back after I supplied the images at their request.

A colleague at the Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust (which includes Armstrong Siddeley matters following various mergers) advised that "Armstrong Siddeley absorbed Avro Aircraft Co in 1928, with factories at Woodford, Chadderton around Manchester and down south near Southampton at Hamble".  Where Armstrong Whitworth (which merged with Siddeley-Deasy in 1919 to form Armstrong Siddeley) fits in in this connection is still unclear, though.


translateltd

#1
Looking at the wear around the central hole, it may also have served as a washer at some stage.

A fellow Armstrong Siddeley enthusiast in Canberra has just sent me the following images.  Clearly a related item and newer, but again I don't know a great deal about it, other than its likely use as a tool check.  What's odd is the quite different numbers stamped onto the two sides.

Dimensions quoted as 1.25", or about 31mm.


malj1

I have several similar pieces in my collection which may be seen here, however I have not come across the Manchester piece before.

I do have other combinations of names such as Vickers Armstrong Ltd. and Bristol Siddeley Engines Ltd.; there is also a mention of Hawker Siddeley Aircraft, Ltd. I shall have to do some more research and update this information.

   this site mentions...
Armstrong Whitworth, together with Armstrong Siddeley Motors and A. V. Roe and Company Limited, was controlled by the Armstrong Siddeley Development Company Limited.  In 1935, this company amalgamated with Hawker Aircraft Limited to form the Hawker Siddeley Aircraft Company Limited.  In 1936, this became the great Hawker Siddeley Group, with A.W.A. a member company....

.....The Group decided to close down Baginton at the end of July 1965, Bitteswell being retained as a repair organisation and for carrying out trial installations.
Design, commercial and production responsibility for the work in hand was transferred very largely to Manchester and Kingston.
Malcolm
Have a look at  my tokens and my banknotes.

translateltd

Thanks, Malcolm - I'm sure one of my A/S history books has a chart showing the various companies and their positions within the Hawker Siddeley Group.  I'll see if I can dig it out.

Impressed by the array of factory tokens on your linked page!


Figleaf

Here's one new acquisition. The link Malcolm gave above no longer works. You can find details on the company history here and there. The specimen below must date from the period 1958-1966. The first number, 17244 was overstruck by ===. I think this was a tool check.

Peter
An unidentified coin is a piece of metal. An identified coin is a piece of history.