The American Connection

Hooton Park

RICHARD NAYLOR

Hooton Park’s connection with America goes back a long way.  Richard Naylor a wealthy Liverpool banker owned Hooton Park from 1848 onwards and indeed The Naylor Trust still owns large tracts of land in the area.  Some time between 1848 and 1875 Naylor took part in a round Ireland yacht race against an American entry in his own boat, on that occasion he won.

FIRST WORLD WAR

The hangars at Hooton Park where built on Naylor’s land and completed in September 1917. Number 4 Depot Training Station moved in and started to train pilots from Britain and the Commonwealth, to be followed by trainee pilots from America. Hooton Park was envisaged as an assembly point for aircraft built in America but the war finished before this came about.

In the graveyard of St. Mary of the Angels church at Hooton Cross Roads on the New Chester Road there is a military headstone inscribed Second Lieutenant English R.A.F. an America citizen.  We have been lead to believe that he was an experienced pilot who after service defending London was transferred to Hooton Park as an instructor but was killed in a flying accident. We believe that his body was recovered and returned to Troy, New York State.

SECOND WORLD WAR

During the Second World War Hooton Park was the airfield used by Coastal Command to fly patrols over the Western Approaches protecting both British and America Shipping.  Ships coming from America would arrive at Liverpool or Birkenhead docks with the aircraft built in the U.S.A. They were transported Speke Airport (Liverpool) or Hooton Park for assembly. Hooton Park was Liverpool Airport until Speke was completed.

The ones for Hooton would arrive by road or via the Manchester Ship Canal and then into Number 7 Aircraft Assembly Unit. Martin Hearn Ltd. was the company that assembled and flight tested the aircraft before they were passed to the squadrons.  The aircraft types included American built P51 Mustangs, P38 Lightning, P47 Thunderbolts, Douglas Boston bombers and Harvard Trainers; also Canadian built Handley Page Hamden Bombers. The first truly military helicopters in Europe were assembled and flight tested at Hooton Park. Getting on for 10,000 aircraft were produced for the war effort.

Martin Hearn Ltd. Also did servicing and battle damage repairs on Avro Ansons.

1960 TO THE PRESENT DAY

The giant America motor car company General Motors obtained part of the original airfield to build their Vauxhall Motors Ellesmere Port plant.  The first car to leave the line was a Vauxhall Viva in 1962; the factory still thrives today being one of the most efficient in Europe.
In the year 2000 the hangars were handed over to the Hooton Park Trust with a generous funding grant.

The trust is still striving to obtain sufficient funding to restore these Grade II* Belfast Truss hangars that can as part of the original Naylor estate can trace its history back the Norman Conquest.

R.F.