Draper Supports The National Spitfire Monument
26th May 2026
We are delighted to announce that Draper Tools has become an official supporter of the National Spitfire Monument, sponsoring one of the 30 commemorative roundels that will form a centrepiece of this extraordinary tribute to British aviation history.
The National Spitfire Monument will stand in Southampton, the birthplace of the Supermarine Spitfire, honouring not only those who flew it, but the engineers, factory workers, designers, test pilots and support staff whose skill and determination brought the aircraft to life. As a family business with more than a century of history and deep roots in the South Coast, it is a cause close to our hearts.
Proud to honour Spitfire’s legacy
“As a 106-year-old family business with deep roots in Southampton, supporting the National Spitfire Monument means a great deal to us. The Spitfire represents the very best of British engineering and innovation, and there is no more fitting place to honour it than the city where it was born.
We feel an extra special connection to the Spitfire's history, with our head office site having once served as the central stores for the shadow factories, helping ensure production continued during wartime.
The Draper family and the entire team at Draper Tools are incredibly proud to play a part in the monument that will celebrate the Spitfire and the people behind it for generations to come."
— John, Tom & Joe Draper
Historical Connections
Our current headquarters on Hursley Road, Chandler's Ford, has its own place in the wartime Spitfire story. Historical records show the site was previously used as central stores supporting Southampton's dispersed ‘shadow factory’ network during the Second World War — part of the extraordinary effort to keep Spitfire production running in the face of sustained enemy bombing.
About the Monument:
- The National Spitfire Monument will be located in Southampton, the city where the Spitfire was designed and built.
- 30 roundels, each 75cm in diameter, will encircle the monument's plinth — one for each nation that flew the Spitfire during its service life. Together, the roundels form a unifying circle of international courage and shared history around the monument.
- The monument honours the pilots, engineers, factory workers and support staff who made the Spitfire possible.
We are proud to play our part in ensuring this story is told for generations to come. You can find out more about the National Spitfire Project nationalspitfireproject.org.
