Constructed from wood, the DH98 Mosquito, known to most simply as the “Mossie” and nicknamed ‘the wooden wonder’, was, without doubt, Wycombe’s furniture industry’s major contribution to the war effort.
Local companies identified as having manufactured wooden parts for the Mosquito include Dancer & Hearne, E. Gomme, Styles & Mealing, Heathland Furniture, Walter Bakers, Castle Brothers, William Birch, Cam Tools, Joynson & Holland and Frank Parker.
Whilst parts were manufactured elsewhere, High Wycombe firms manufactured wooden components for the entire airframe, these subsequently being taken for final assembly at de Havilland factories at Hatfield and Leavesden (near Watford). One of the Wycombe firms involved), stated that they had produced parts for five thousand five hundred and seventy aeroplanes. The total built, including those in Canada and Australia, was seven thousand seven hundred and eighty-one.
The definitive book on High Wycombe’s contribution to aviation was written Ian Simmonds and Dave Scott and published in 2008 by Wycombe District Council and is available online and directly from the authors.
A review appeared in the Winter 2007 edition of the Societies’ Newsletter
Courteously of Dave Scott, a short extract is reproduced below.