The second world war was transformative for BWT – similar to many other industries during wartime – and it inevitably paved the way for our pioneering work in aerospace.
On Christmas Eve 1940, Manchester had its first heavy air raid but BWT fortuitously only suffered minor damage.
The next day however, the bombers came back again and this time very frequently were as lucky; not only was a large part of Manchester destroyed, BWT’s headquarters were totally ruined. The warehouse, the equipment and the century-old company archive were completely burned down – only two walls were left standing.
1940’s
The Second World War was transformative for BWT – similar to many other industries during wartime – and it inevitably paved the way for our pioneering work in aerospace.
On Christmas Eve 1940, Manchester had its first heavy air raid but BWT fortuitously only suffered minor damage. The next day however, the bombers came back again and this time very few were as lucky: not only was a large part of Manchester destroyed, BWT’s headquarters were totally ruined. The warehouse, the equipment and the century-old company archive were completely burned down – only two walls were left standing.
By March 1941, the company relocated to its new premises in Booth’s Silk Mill, next to Poynton Railway Station. Eric Taylor, managing director and direct descendant of founder John Taylor, secured an agreement with the Air Ministry who required the manufacture of specialized equipment for the aviation industry. This is what led to the development of our heated Windak flying suit.
The suit was specifically developed for high altitude flying for RAF air gunners who were unable to wear lifejackets in confined spaces such as gun turrets. The flying suit, still celebrated today, featured the Windak electro thermal heating system and spawned several other original products further down the line.
BWT’s team of engineers also developed immersion suits. The Royal Navy needed heated and waterproof suits to protect sailors from hypothermia and various other extreme weather conditions. Another BWT invention was a heated casualty bag that could be restyled as a stretcher, an item widely adopted by the United States Air Force Bomber Command.
In 1947 Baxter Woodhouse & Taylor moved to the Woodside factory in Poynton. By then, BWT had progressed to an esteemed manufacturer of complex equipment for aircraft and industrial applications. Our range of products were sold under the Windak trademark, and among the range of products that were subsequently introduced were electric blankets, electro-thermal gloves and waterproof jackets.
We are currently recruiting for a number of positions at our modern facility in Cheshire. If you have a desire for a rewarding and satisfying career in the aerospace industry please click here for more information. 
