A NEW housing complex being built in a Hampshire village has been named after one of the key figures in the story of the Spitfire.

The 43-home development in South Street, Hythe, has been named Hubert Lodge in honour of Hubert Scott-Paine, who bought a nearby shipyard and renamed it the British Power Boat Company.

He also founded Supermarine Aviation, the Southampton-based company which went on to build the Spitfire.

Daily Echo:

After the Second World War Scott-Paine pioneered the use of flying boats in civil aviation and established the first international flying boat service.

Hubert Lodge is a two and three-storey apartment block being built by Churchill Retirement Living.

Deborah Waldeck, the company's regional marketing executive, said: “For every new development we try to choose a name with a strong connection to the local community.

"We’re delighted to announce that our new collection of apartments in Hythe will be called Hubert Lodge, a name we felt would link well with the area's boatbuilding heritage.

"We hope Hubert Lodge will be a place where local people can enjoy their retirement years to the full, just a short distance from the waterfront.”

Daily Echo:

The Spitfire owes it origins to a factory built on the banks of the River Itchen in Woolston by Noel Pemberton-Billing.

After he became an MP in 1916 he sold the business to Scott-Paine, his works manager and long-time associate, who changed its name to Supermarine Aviation.

In 1917 the company hired aeronautical engineer R J Mitchell, who was promoted to chief designer in 1919 and chief engineer the following year.

Mitchell led the team which created the Spitfire, the iconic aircraft that helped prevent the Nazis from winning the Battle of Britain in 1940.

More than a decade earlier Scott-Paine bought Hythe Shipyard and launched the British Power Boat Company.

The legendary Lawrence of Arabia was serving in the Royal Air Force at the time and helped nearby Calshot host the Schneider Trophy air race in the late 1920s and early 1930s.

During that period he saw an RAF flying boat crash while attempting to land a few hundred yards offshore.

By the time he reached the scene several of the crew had drowned. He campaigned for the RAF to be equipped with faster rescue boats and was seconded to the power boat company.

Lawrence oversaw the construction of new seaplane tenders which helped save thousands of lives during the Second World War.