CAR workers at Cowley played a major role in the Allies’ battle to win the Second World War.

They adapted their engineering skills to repair damaged military aircraft and get them back in the air.

Reader Peter Tothill, of Stadhampton, was reminded of their efforts by coverage of the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain last year.

He has sent in extracts from a book which explain Cowley’s immense contribution to the war effort.

Two chapters from Calling All Arms describe the dedication, ingenuity and determination of 1,200 men and women at No 1 Civilian Repair Unit (CRU) Cowley, the official name for the Morris Motors aircraft repair factory.

The book, by author Ernest Fairfax, reveals how many RAF pilots flew their damaged Spitfires or Hurricanes straight from action in the Battle of Britain to the Cowley works for ‘while-you-wait’ repairs.

However others, such as the one pictured, needed more extensive work.

Many of the workers on the ground had never seen an aircraft at such close quarters before, let alone worked on them.

The book says: “The smashed-up fighters were dumped in a huge shed alongside shiny new cars in the Morris Motors’ car despatch department.

“Tools were fashioned, then the men got down to making, by hand, all the small parts – ribs, angles, reinforcements – needed for repairs.”

All were told of the “absolute urgency of getting every damaged plane fit for battle”.

Initially, the unit had 800 workers, repairing an average of 12 aircraft a week, but as work increased, staff numbers grew to 1,200.

“They worked a seven-day week. Official hours were from 8am to 10pm. There was no recognised night shift, but as long as the Battle of Britain lasted, the workshop was never once deserted, even throughout the night.

“There was a perpetual race against time to change a pair of wings, mend punctured oil pipes or do other vital repairs to get yet another fighter plane back in the air at daylight.

“The men – and some of the women – would fall asleep in a corner of the workshop and snatch a few hours’ rest before the next day’s toil began.”

The workers had the satisfaction of knowing that every plane that left the ‘hospital’ was 100 per cent battle worthy.

Seriously damaged aircraft were given rigorous trial flights by test pilots such as Alex Henshaw and Dick Reynell before being released to the RAF.

“The finest moment of the day came when a pilot took off in his repaired machine.

“He would swoop down on the workers assembled in the doorway and ‘shoot them up’ by way of thanks, before racing away into the skies, back to his squadron and to battle.

“During the three crucial months of the Battle of Britain, the Cowley workers returned to the air 150 seriously damaged machines, helping decisively to tip the scales.”