Martin Hearn Ltd

Martin Hearn Ltd. was a British aviation company which during World War II played a major role in the assembly of thousands of American and Canadian aircraft imported to Liverpool by shipping convoys.

He then worked for Northern Air Transport, flying displays with Alan Cobham on his National Aviation Day tours starting in April 1932.

At first Avro Ansons were stationed there for anti-submarine patrols, and Blackburn Bothas for radio training, but soon Handley Page Halifaxes and de Havilland Mosquitos were being stored there.

[8] The company also gained the contract to assemble 80 Handley Page Hampden bombers that had been built in Canada by the specially formed Canadian Associated Aircraft consortium and shipped to Liverpool.

At this point, Hooton Park airfield was designated No.7 Aircraft Assembly Unit (AAU), and in 1941 Hearn put Major James Cordes in charge of the project.

Martin Hearn was voted off the board in 1947,[3] and the company was renamed Aero-Engineering and Marine (Merseyside) Ltd, which supplied de Havilland with some parts for Chipmunks and Comets,[8] and won a large order for the maintenance of RAF and Royal Canadian Air Force Canadair Sabres.