Sir Arthur Marshall
Sir Arthur Marshall OBE DL, who was one of Britain's aviation pioneers and whose Cambridge-based aircraft engineering and automotive business grew to become a major force in the UK Aerospace industry, and one of the largest privately-owned companies in the country, employing about 4,000 people in the region, including a number of Swaffham Prior residents, died in his 104th year on 16th March 2007. He was born on 4th December, 1903, just 13 days prior to the first manned flight by the Wright brothers. He retired in 1989 and was succeeded by his eldest son, Michael, who has lived at Swaffham Prior House since 1983.
ARTHUR GREGORY GEORGE MARSHALL was the eldest of eight children of David
Gregory Marshall, a local Cambridge businessman, and Maude Edmunds Marshall
(nŽe Wing). Arthur Marshall`s father, David, founded Marshall of Cambridge
in1909 as a car hire and motor business. Arthur was educated at The Perse
School for Boys, Tonbridge School and at Jesus College, Cambridge, where he
obtained a First Class Degree in Engineering. Whilst up at Cambridge he also
gained a Running Blue for the quarter mile and was subsequently selected as a
member of the British team at the 1924 "Chariots of Fire"Olympic
Games in Paris. Having obtained his pilot's licence in 1928, he and his
father bought their first aircraft, a de Havilland Gipsy Moth in 1929 which
they based on land, alongside the family home in Newmarket Road on which they
opened Cambridge's first aerodrome which was known as "Fen Ditton
Aerodrome". Arthur combined his work in the garage with giving flying
instruction in his spare time, and an expansion of the aviation business led to
the purchase of land just outside Cambridge in 1935 on which the present
Cambridge Airport was developed.
Arthur played an important role in the development of flying training, particularly for the RAF. He started giving flying lessons after completing only 70 hours himself, and he was made a Master Instructor by the Guild of Air Pilots in 1931. His first pupil was Norman de Bruyne, who subsequently developed specialised glues and bonding for aircraft such as the Mosquito; his Duxford-based Aero Research business was later absorbed within Ciba-Geigy.
From his own experience Arthur was convinced that selected pupils would make the best flying instructors in contrast to the accepted RAF practice that only the more experienced pilots could perform this role. He therefore recruited suitable pupils for flying instructor training; after gaining their flying licences, they went on to achieve 150 hours of flying within five months to qualify as flying instructors. Arthur Marshall's scheme was eventually adopted across the Royal Air Force, and still continues in use in the RAF today.
Arthur Marshall also initiated the incorporation of his company into the Government's Civilian Repair Organisation. During the course of the War, Marshall repaired over 5,000 aircraft of types such as Whitley, Oxford, Albemarle and Mosquito. Completed aircraft were test flown by the Company's full-time test pilot, but Arthur Marshall would arrange to relieve him on alternate Sundays when he would fly any aircraft which became due for test.
Arthur Marshall became Chairman of the Company on his father's death in 1942, and remained in this position for the next 48 years, until his retirement in 1989. Following the War, Arthur Marshall established a vehicle body building division of the Company which, as Marshall Specialist Vehicles, grew to become a substantial supplier to the Ministry of Defence. He developed the aircraft business, Marshall Aerospace, into a major maintenance and repair business which is, today, one of the most highly regarded companies in its field. In 1960, the Company designed and built the complex droop nose and retracting visor for Concorde. Later, it designed and built a high precision medical research sled for use on the space shuttle "Challenger"which flew 121 orbits of the earth in 1985. In 1965, Marshall of Cambridge was appointed as the first Lockheed Service Centre in the world and has supported the RAF's fleet of C-130 Hercules aircraft ever since. The Motor business, started by his father, which was further developed by Arthur's son Michael, is now one of the country's largest privatelyowned garage groups.
Sir Arthur Marshall, who was knighted in 1974 for his services to the aircraft industry, was immensely proud of the employment and skills his company has brought to the region. He was also very proud to be a Cambridge man and was awarded an Honorary Law Degree by the University in 1996.. On 9th June 2004, when The City of Cambridge conferred the Honorary Freedom of the City on Sir Arthur, he was the oldest person at the age of 100? to receive this unique honour In 1939, he founded No 104 (City of Cambridge) Squadron of the Air Defence Corps, which subsequently became the Air Training Corps, and remained Chairman of the Squadron until 1974 when he was succeeded by his son, Michael.
He was married in 1931 to Rosemary Dimsdale whose tireless support was a huge ingredient in his success and who died in 1988. He is survived by his two sons, Michael, who succeeded him as Chairman of the Company, David, and his daughter Judy, eleven grandchildren and eighteen great-grandchildren.