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de Havilland Engine Company

Defunct British aero engine manufacturer

The de Havilland Engine Company was an offshoot of the de Havilland aircraft building company, which started life as the 'Engine Division of the de Havilland Aircraft Company' in 1926 producing the famous de Havilland Gipsy aero-engine. The company was merged with Bristol Siddeley (BSEL) engines in 1961 with BSEL subsequently becoming part of Rolls-Royce Limited in 1966.2 It was founded by Frank Halford.1 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1944Founded1
  • Industryaerospace engineering1
  • HeadquartersLeavesden1
  • Legal formsubsidiary company1

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The de Havilland Engine Company was an offshoot of the de Havilland aircraft building company, which started life as the 'Engine Division of the de Havilland Aircraft Company' in 1926 producing the famous de Havilland Gipsy aero-engine. The company was merged with Bristol Siddeley (BSEL) engines in 1961 with BSEL subsequently becoming part of Rolls-Royce Limited in 1966.2

Corporate structure

de Havilland Engine Company is part of a group headed by Hawker Siddeley. 11 entities, 3 countries on record. Switch between the flow chart and the network, and select any entity to see its details.

Built from subsidiaries, stakes and holdings from Wikidata (CC0); major holders from Schedules 13D and 13G. Each entity in the chart links to its source.

The story

Founded by Frank Halford in 1944.1

The company was officially formed at Stag Lane in February 1944 and later moved into a factory leased by the government in 1946 at Leavesden, which had earlier been a site for Handley Page Halifax production. This is now the location of Leavesden Film Studios.

It went on to produce one of the early turbojet engines the de Havilland Goblin which saw service in the early post-war de Havilland Vampire fighter.

The later Ghost turbojet propelled early versions of the de Havilland Comet jetliner and the de Havilland Venom fighter.

The company later developed the de Havilland Gnome turboshaft under licence from the General Electric T58 design, but the company was absorbed into Bristol Siddeley Engines Limited (BSEL) in 1961; Bristol Siddeley itself subsequently merged with Rolls-Royce Limited in 1966 and the merged company continued with the "Rolls-Royce" name.

From Wikipedia’s article on De Havilland Engine Company, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3

Leadership

Who has led de Havilland Engine Company, and when. Pick a name to see everywhere that person has worked.

Subsidiaries and ownership

Parent company

Owners

From Wikidata.1

Timeline

  1. 1961Dissolved Dissolved1
  2. 1944Founded Founded1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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