Secret Spitfires: Britain’s Hidden Civilian Army

They built thousands of Spitfires, hidden in garages, bus depots, sheds and barns… but nobody ever knew. With the Battle of Britain going badly, the Luftwaffe attempted to halt production of the RAF’s Spitfire by destroying its factories. But Churchill’s government had a plan - create a network of facilities in domestic and residential buildings in cities, towns and villages across the south, which would be difficult to locate and harder to destroy. An army of women, children and men operated this network in secrecy to produce around half of the 22,000 Spitfires that fought. Talking to survivors and eyewitnesses, Secret Spitfires tells their story: their lives, work and experiences. Based on the successful film Secret Spitfires by Karl Howman and Ethem Cetintas, this book tours the locations, peeks inside the factories and examines the planning behind this achievement. AUTHORS: Ethem Cetintas is a graduate of the London Film School, who has worked on documentaries, commercials and dramas. Karl Howman is an actor well known for his roles in Brushstrokes and Eastenders. Their features partnership, Howman & Cetintas, produces films and documentaries. Gavin Clarke is a journalist and content strategist. Managing editor for science site The Register, he is also the creative brains for Geek’s Guide to Britain, a travelogue around the UK’s lost and forgotten places of scientific, computing and engineering achievement and innovation.
45 colour and 96 b/w illustrations