Stanley William Hiscocks
Stanley William Hiscocks (1884-1968) of Boulton Paul Aircraft
Born at Walthamstow the son of William Henry Hiscocks, an Accounts Clerk
1911 Residing at 41 Howard Road, Walthamstow: Stanley William Hiscocks (age 26 born Walthamstow), Engineer Draughtsman. With his parents William Henry Hiscocks (age 60 born Camden Town), Accounts Clerk, and Alice Gertrude Hiscocks (age 50 born Earls Colne). Also his two brothers and two sisters.[1]
1914 Patent 8842 for an aeroplane having twin fuselages attached to a common set of wings granted to S. J. Waters and S. W. Hiscocks of the Royal Aircraft Factory.
1917 Left the Royal Aircraft Factory and joined the Aircraft Manufacturing Co (Airco)
1921 Residing at Grove Park House, N.W.9.: Stanley William Hiscocks (age 36 born Walthamstow), Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineer at Aircraft Manufacturing Co. With his wife Constance Margaret Hiscock, one son and two daughters.[2]
Notes from Les Whitehouse, Historian and Archivist, The Boulton Paul Association. Reference: BPA Board Meeting minutes 1934-37 – authors collection.
I noted your reference to Stanley William Hiscocks while searching to confirm the forenames of S W Hiscocks born 21st October 1884. He was ex-Royal Aircraft Factory Farnborough, RFC/RAF number 7570588 and then worked at Airco from the latter half of the war.
Adding to what you have: Stanley William Hiscocks became the joint managing director of Boulton Paul Aircraft Ltd at its formation 25th October 1934. The agreement for this position was ratified on 26th October 1934. The second joint Managing Director was John Dudley North. Hiscocks was to cover Production, the temporary site at Mousehold Heath, Norwich, then Pendeford Wolverhampton and employees, since North wanted to concentrate on continued Design and Development of aircraft and turrets.
Working from Norwich initially he was the joint inventor of a method of hydraulically interconnecting two gun turrets in dorsal and ventral positions along with the Overstand turret designer Henry Arthur Hughes. Patent GB462483 (applied for 30th October 1935 under 29912/35). This was to allow a single gunner to fire both upwards and at attacking fighters underneath the tail, with a smooth transition between the two, so that the lower weapons continued to follow the target route already set until the enemy could be re-observed.
A victim of circumstances, he was unfortunately forced into resignation by The Rt Honourable Lord Gorell (Chairman), rescinding his position on 12th February 1937 under protest and retired from the Board. The Air Ministry had threatened to cancel almost all orders if they had to continue dealing with two Managing Directors and not see a serious improvement in deliveries. Hiscocks had immediately offered to resign if needed, while after private discussions between the two MD’s, North moved down to the position of Chief Engineer. Both placed their fates in a decision by Gorell. However, their repositioning in the hierarchy failed as it was considered not enough and Gorell decided that to fend off the serious complaints and placate the Ministry, Hiscocks had to go.