Some photographs from this vital wartime parachute company.
Perhaps you can identify some of the people in the photo’s? or tell us something about working there?
Some photographs from this vital wartime parachute company.
Perhaps you can identify some of the people in the photo’s? or tell us something about working there?
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My Nan, Dinah Coote worked at Irvin Air Chute in Letchworth during the war.
I seem to remember she worked on the parachute side of the factory, possibly packing them and may well have been in the last photo.
Sidney Jackson was Research and Development Director, he also spent quite a few years in Australia in late 1960’s and early 1970’s. He wrote several books on the history of parachutes. I was his Secretary from 1962 to 1966. Great company to work for.
hello,
Following my parents’ deaths, I came across an ashtray with ‘Irvin’ on it. My mother, then Ruth Ward, lived in Letchworth from 1949 to 62 and was an artist. She was friendly with a chap called Sidney Jackson, who I believe worked at Irvin. If the ashtray would be of interest to anyone on this site, please contact me at neil@neilroland.co.uk
Was it true that there were two types of Caterpillar pins? Red eyes for jumping out of a burning plane and green eyes for jumping out of a non-burning plane?
I worked at Irvin Air Chute in Letchworth from when i
left school in 1963 until i left to have my daughter in 1972. I was the RD inspector and inspected the brake
chutes for the Concord and the Jaguar jump jet.I was
inspecting the Concord bake chute when Edward Heath came to Irvin’s.I had a lot of great working days
with Irvin’s.
I think I work in this building now! We have converted it into a beautiful showroom and create bespoke furniture here. I would absolutely love to know more about the history of the building if anyone could tell us more. Maybe come in for a cup of tea! Our business is called Wicked Mata and we would really like to put the history of the building onto our website, so any information we could get would be much appreciated.
Lucy – lucy@wickedmata.com
I worked at IAC Fort Erie Canada in the 60’s. We supplied chutes to Ghana. One of my duties was to send gold caterpillar 🐛 pins to people whose lives were saved using the Irvin chute.
I worked at Irvins in Letchworth from 1952 until 1956 in the research and development dept then in the southern California R&D department. In England I helped design ribbon chutes for aircraft braking including the Vulcan bomber.
My mother, Charlotte Auliff was an inspector of parachutes at Letchworth in the late 30’s. I still have her ‘stamp’.
Can we see more photographs from contributers!
My mother Audrey Milligan worked there during the 40’s maiden name Parrott and her sister Dorothy Parrott both had relocated there during the 1930’s from South Shields. My father Jack Milligan’s sister Mary Milligan worked in the office and on an invited works dinner dance, my father Jack meet my mother there. I have a picture if I can find how to put it on.
With my recent comment on the Irvin Parachute, I should have mentioned that I did 8 jumps using the Irvin ‘chute at Ringway Manchester which was home to No. 1 PTS, the training school for the Parachute Regiment from 1940 until 1946
I have official photos taken at Ringway, home to No.1 Parachute Training School from 1940 – 1946 showing the Irvin Parachutes being packed. See my website http://www.3para1945-48palestine.com/ringway.html
Bill “Wattie” Watts
ex Sgt 3rd Bn Parachute Regt. Palestine 1945-48
These are most interesting pictures showing parachute production. I would be interested in seeing photos of the Irvin flying jacket being made in the factory. Perhaps there are some people still alive who worked in the factory and have memories of making the jackets and trousers for RAF flight crew.