John Dudley North (1893–1968),

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

, HonFRAeS, MIMechE, was Chairman and Managing Director of

Boulton Paul Aircraft Boulton Paul Aircraft Ltd was a British aircraft manufacturer that was incorporated in 1934, although its origins in aircraft manufacturing began earlier in 1914, and lasted until 1961. The company mainly built and modified aircraft under co ...

. Born in 1893 and educated at Bedford School, North became Chief Engineer for

Claude Graham-White Claude Grahame-White (21 August 1879 – 19 August 1959) was an English pioneer of aviation, and the first to make a night flight, during the ''Daily Mail''-sponsored 1910 London to Manchester air race. Early life Claude Grahame-White was born ...

of the Grahame-White Aviation Co. Ltd., before the onset of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. This was a very responsible post for a young man in a young company within a fledgling and vital industry. He moved on in 1915 to become superintendent of the aviation department of Austin Motor Company. In 1917 he joined Boulton Paul in Norwich and commenced his long association with the company and its aircraft division, Boulton Paul Aircraft. Mr North rose to the position of managing director of Boulton Paul Aircraft and was also the company’s chief engineer. He retired in 1954. During North’s time with Boulton Paul he was involved in the design of many aircraft, not least the

Overstrand Overstrand is a village (population 1,030) on the north coast of Norfolk in England, two miles east of Cromer. It was once a modest fishing station, with all or part of the fishing station being known as Beck Hythe. In the latter part of the 19t ...

Sidestrand Sidestrand is a village and a civil parish on the coast of the English county of Norfolk. The village is north of Norwich, south east of Cromer and north-east of London. The nearest railway station is at North Walsham for the Bittern Line whi ...

, Defiant and the

R101 R101 was one of a pair of British rigid airships completed in 1929 as part of a British government programme to develop civil airships capable of service on long-distance routes within the British Empire. It was designed and built by an Air Mi ...

airship, of which the company built the hull. In 1941 North was Vice President of the

Society of British Aerospace Companies The Society of British Aerospace Companies, formerly Society of British Aircraft Constructors, known as SBAC, was the UK's national trade association representing companies supplying civil air transport, aerospace defence, homeland security an ...

(SBAC). He was made an honorary fellow of the

Royal Aeronautical Society The Royal Aeronautical Society, also known as the RAeS, is a British multi-disciplinary professional institution dedicated to the global aerospace community. Founded in 1866, it is the oldest aeronautical society in the world. Members, Fellows, ...

in May 1961 and he made CBE in 1962. John Dudley North died on 13 January 1968 in

Bridgnorth Bridgnorth is a town in Shropshire, England. The River Severn splits it into High Town and Low Town, the upper town on the right bank and the lower on the left bank of the River Severn. The population at the 2011 Census was 12,079. Histor ...

, Shropshire, aged 75.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:North, John Dudley 1893 births 1968 deaths Aircraft designers Boulton Paul aircraft People from Bridgnorth Commanders of the Order of the British Empire People educated at Bedford School