RANDELL, Austin Henry James

1899 - 1968

Austin Henry James Randell was born at Felixstowe, Suffolk on 12 May 1899, only child of James Randell (October 1871-2 February 1938), ironmonger, and his wife Constance Grace Jenny née Staines (April 1873-January 1948), who married at Beckenham, Kent in July 1898. In 1901, they were living at Victoria Building, Beckenham, Kent but by 1911, Austin was an 11-year-old, living at 38 Constable Road, Felixstowe with his parents, 39-year-old James, born Holt, Norfolk and 37-year-old Constance, born Dunmow, Essex with four Staines relatives. Austin was educated at Felixstowe County School and at Ipswich Municipal Grammar School and in 1921 was a 22-year-old draughtsman working at Ransome, Sims & Jefferies of Ipswich, living at The Shack, Felixstowe Ferry, Suffolk with his parents. He married at Ipswich in September 1925, Winifred Nella Paine (27 June 1900-26 September 1990) and they had two sons, John Austin James born on 23 December 1927 and David Thomas Henry born in 1933. Austin was a talented amateur artist, also a wood & metal worker who designed and made his own long and short case clocks. He worked as a draughtsman at Saunders Roe Aircraft Company on the Isle of Wight before moving to Bristol in 1935 as a senior draughtsman at the Bristol Airplane Company. In 1939, an aircraft designer and, together with his wife, living at 50 Dunkeld Avenue, Sodbury, Gloucestershire and became head of flight research, he and his team were responsible for the two Second World War Bristol light bombers the 'Beaufighter' and the 'Beaufort'. After the war he and his team developed the 'Bristol Brabazon', the first experimentation into large airliners, resulting in the launch of the turboprop, 'Bristol Britannia', which was known as the Whispering Giant. Austin Henry James Randell died at 7 Braithwaite Place, Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset on 2 February 1968, aged 70.

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Works by This Artist