Battersea
BATTERSEA: Balloon launching site & factory
Operated by: Shorts Bros
Location: Adjacent to the gas works, near or next to Battersea Park. The factory was in two arches beneath the LBSC railway. I suspect they were situated on the west side of the railway but is this so?
Period of operation: 1903 to 1909
NOTES: It appears that Short Bros first registered their business as balloon makers in Hove, Sussex, in 1898 before moving to London probably in or around 1902/3 with workshops in a mews off Tottenham Court Road.
After moving to BATTERSEA Short Bros built balloons for their own use and also for private customers. Apart from flight testing balloons it seems they also offered passenger carrying flight services over London.
I might well be mistaken of course, but being a bit familiar with the area and making a short study of the subject with maps and pictures, this site - as a balloon launching site - does seem very constrained in various ways.
It would also seem this was the very first commercial aircraft factory in the UK because in November 1908 they started building aircraft for customers here before moving shortly after to a purpose built factory at LEYSDOWN on the Isle of Sheppey in KENT. In 1909 giving up balloon manufacturing for good. This was when they were awarded the license to to build the Wright Brothers ‘Flyer’ in the UK.
CLAUDE GRAHAME-WHITE
Worthy of mention is that Claude Grahame-White purchased a balloon; “….of about 40,000 cubic feet and made several ascents from the Battersea gas works.” This information is in the RAF Museum Archives as B768. Grahame-White went on to become arguably the most famous and influential aviator in England prior to WW1 and was much involved in establishing the ‘LONDON AERODROME’ at HENDON.
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