1931 - 1940 page 5

Nevil Shute drawn by Flora Twort in 1937. This picture is now owned by the Hampshire County Council Museums Service. ( DDT )

This drawing of an Airspeed Envoy flying over the Airspeed factory at Portsmouth headed up Shute's 1937 Christmas letter to his staff. In the letter Shute says "for myself, I look forward to our future with confidence" but he was jaded and would soon be forced to leave. However, the company would continue to expand and prosper. The drawing is not by Shute. (PL / Copyright BAE SYSTEMS PLC)

April 15

Tiltman decides to resign from Airspeed after arguments with Shute but Shute decides to leave instead. Airspeed now employs 1,035 people.
Shute is given a payout large enough to keep the Shute Family for 5 years.

Summer 1938

Shute and Frances holiday in St Cloude in the Jura Mts in France. The trip later inspires The Pied Piper.
Nevil Shute standing somewhere with trees and mountains next to a 1935, or later model, Packard Convertible Coupe. Notice, in this detailed and highly revealing photo, his wry and secretive expression with one eyebrow slightly raised. Also note that his shoelaces are unconventionally knotted. Because this looks so much like a typical mountain scenery tourist photo, it could possibly have been taken on Nevil and Frances' 1938 holiday in the Jura Mts. ( INSS )

July 21 Probably 1938 to 1941

Shute writes Heather a letter from Oxford where he is fishing again. Shute includes a poem called "Buck Bunny: the Story of a Rabbit" in answer to Heather's poem.

1938

Ruined City is published. It sells 20,000 copies in the first 6 months of its US release.

Blyth on England's North East coast was the inspiration for Sharples in Ruined City. This photo shows Blyth in 1933 around the time that the book is set. It looks as though the Fever Hospital is up the hill from the shipyard just as the hospital was in the book. It is certainly a geographically useful and potentially pretty place. (Photo: Courtesy of The Blyth Historical Society 2006)

The Fever Hospital at Blyth looks like a perfect template for the hospital at Sharples in Ruined City. (Photo: Courtesy of The Blyth Historical Society 2006)

1938

Shute writes What Happened To The Corbetts / Ordeal.

1938

The Film Rights to Ruined City bought for 35,000 American Dollars. Now they have enough to keep the Shute family for 10 years.

Late 1938

Shute begins writing An Old Captivity.

Between October and December 1938

Shute's father Arthur Hamilton Norway (born in 1859) dies aged 79 at Portsmouth District Hospital.

December 1938

Soon after Shute's departure the first Oxford Trainer is delivered. The final total built is 8,751 of which 4,961 are built by Airspeed

This beautiful example of late 1930s British aerial photography shows the early AS10 Oxford Trainer with the gunner-training turret. Later, most Oxfords were built without turrets. The Oxford first flew on June 19 1937 and had a top speed of 203mph (325kph), usually with a crew of 2 instructors and 2 students. Evolving from the Envoy, the first Oxfords were delivered to the RAF in 1938 just after Shute left Airspeed. (Copyright © BAE SYSTEMS PLC)

On this map showing Portsmouth, Southsea and Hayling Island, the Airspeed factory was near the A2030 sign and the Helena Rd home was near the A288 sign. The Shute's 1940's home, Pond Head, was on Hayling Island. ( SMp )

A 2002 map for pilgrims of the old Portsmouth Aerodrome. The factory stretched on the north side of Airport Service Rd from Bilton Way (lower right) towards Airspeed Rd. The NE Corner was marked by the left hand bend in Bilton Way. Airspeed Rd is the tiny loop on Airport Service Rd E of Robinson Rd. ( SMp )

These are the original, 1933, Airspeed buildings in Portsmouth. Airspeed is no more but the buildings still do useful work in 2003. They are on the corner of Airport Service Rd and Bilton Way in the Old Portsmouth Aerodrome Industrial Park. (Photo: RM 2003)

Airspeed and Nevil Shute are commemorated by road names within the Old Portsmouth Aerodrome Industrial Park. (Photo: DH 2001/ RM 2001 and 2003)