Yorkie10

A lot of Sheffield engineering firms were involved in the war effort, I worked at Shardlows in 1974, started as an apprentice and moved into the forge drawing office. In the archive filing cabinets we had forging drawings for the following aero engines : Merlin crankshaft (Spitfire)(Lancaster bomber), Mitchell Shackleton, Blackstone, crankshafts for the R101 and R102 airships. With regard to the Sheffield Simplex car, the car was manufactured in Sheffield and I beleive the company went bust due to falling demand and it ended up getting swallowed up by British Leyland in its very early days. Google Sheffield Simples, Ambrose Shardlow, Sharldow India, Simpson Machine Tools, it will all come up .

I went to Kimberworth Comprehensive School left in 1974 my name is Keith Rodgers. My old class mates lets see : Stewart Marriott, Martin Ashurst,Peter Leng,Paul Bush,Dave Ashton, teachers Mr Cox, Mr Abbot, Mr Lewis headmaster, Miss Hughes, Mr Davidson, Mr Bagnall ho happy memories ! Girls in my class, Heather Sibering, Rita Haycock, Jennene Tinker, Elaine Anderson, would love to hear from you guys !

Blimey this blog brought some memories back ! Names like Clive Wiggett, Stan Poole, Frank McWatt, Paul Turner, Dave Ashton, Paul Norris. Rex Davies, Cyril Morton, my name by the way is Keith Rodgers I worked in the forge drawing office and also Works Engineering Dept with Ray Tupling, Terry Johnson, Vincent Hopkinson and Pauline Ramsey. With regard to aero engine crankshafts yes crankshafts were made during the war effort for Spitfires (Merlin Engine) , Hurricanes, Lancaster and Mitchell Shackleton bombers, also the R101 R102 airships. I saw the forging drawings for all of these in the forge drawing office. Anybody remember from the FDO = John Ohara, Mick Hughes, Melvin Smith? Dieshop = Frank Gagen, Keith Deakin, Pat Gagen, Mel Bridges? Happy days I joined in 1974 my brother David Rodgers retired a while back. I live in Canada now left UK in 2007. ---------- Post added 18-09-2013 at 11:21 ---------- Hi Intrigued my the work on the Avro jet, Canada`s jet plane. I have seen pictures of the plane and it interests me because I now live in Calgary , Canada and its mentioned in the Aero musem here. Did not realise it was a guy from my old firm in Sheffield Shardlows that worked on the design small world ! ---------- Post added 18-09-2013 at 11:23 ---------- Just thought of some more names Reg Windley, Derek Gilmour, Dave Reeder, George Margoram, Albert Coleman, the memories are flooding back LOL! ---------- Post added 18-09-2013 at 11:34 ---------- hI , You are correct DGH50 (No18) Beche Counterblow Hammer did go to Garringtons in pieces, it stood outside their offices in the yard slowly sinking into the yard under its own weight ! The large crankshafts got transfered to Smith Clayton Forge and they ended up being pressed rather than forged. The DGH16 Beche hammers and the much smaller Chambersburg single acting rod hammers went to Shardlow India via Simpsons Machine Tools. I organised the shipping and packing of the forging equipment and machine tools that were also rebuild. We sent some rebuilt Newall crankshaft journal and pin grinders out their. I worked in the India Rebuild Shop with Clive Toon, Jack Winterbottom, happy days.

I used to work at Ambrose Shardlow in the forge drawing office working on designing the dies which stamped out the crankshafts in the Forge Shop. Yes the crankshafts for the Rolls Royce Merlin engine which powered the Spitfire and the Large R101 air ships were all stamped and machined at Shardlows. I always remember being in the old drawing office store room and digging through the drawings and finding some drawings for the carnkshafts. And the Mitchell Shackle-ton bomber cranks were made there as well.