The Rolls-Royce Battle of Britain Memorial Window, is a stained glass window designed by Hugh Ray Easton, to commemorate the pilots of the Royal Air Force who fought in the Battle of Britain and the contribution of Rolls-Royce engineering to their victory. It was unveiled on 11 January 1949 in Rolls-Royce's Nightingale Road factory in Osmaston, Derby.
| Rolls-Royce Battle of Britain Memorial Window | |
|---|---|
| England | |
 | |
| For Pilots of the Royal Air Force who fought in the Battle of Britain | |
| Unveiled | 1949 |
| Location | Derby |
| Designed by | Hugh Ray Easton |
This window commemorates the pilots of the Royal Air Force who in the Battle of Britain turned the work of our hands into the salvation of our country.[1] | |
Commission
editDuring the Second World War, between 1939 and 1945, Merlin engines which powered Hurricanes, Spitfires and Lancaster bombers, were built by Rolls-Royce at their factory in Derby.[2][3] The window was commissioned by managing director of Rolls-Royce, Ernest Hives, 1st Baron Hives, later chairman of the company.[1] It cost £3,145.[1]
Description
editThe Rolls-Royce Battle of Britain Memorial Window is a stained glass window designed by Hugh Ray Easton, to commemorate the pilots of the Royal Air Force who fought in the Battle of Britain.[1][2][4]
It depicts an image of a Royal Air Force fighter pilot at the centre, below which is an inscription. The young pilot is wearing a full fighter pilot outfit, complete with flying boots and a helmet which he holds in his hand. He is standing and looking over the Derby factory which made the engines required for his "survival and victory".[2] Below the pilot are also the blades of a propeller, behind which are the smokestacks of the factory. Above and behind the pilot is an eagle with outstretched wings, which is framed by the sun.[2][5] The window is 6.5 metres tall, 4.5 metres wide and since 2015 is lit up with 5,184 LEDs.[1][6]
The inscription reads:
This window commemorates the pilots of the Royal Air Force who in the Battle of Britain turned the work of our hands into the salvation of our country.[1]
Unveiling
editThe window was unveiled on 11 January 1949 in the Marble Hall of Rolls-Royce's Nightingale Road factory in Osmaston, Derby, by Arthur Tedder, 1st Baron Tedder, and dedicated by Alfred Rawlinson, the then Bishop of Derby,[1] from when it remained on display.[7][8]
During the first month of viewing, covering successive Sundays, an estimated 50,000 people lined up to see the window.[1] It was accompanied by a souvenir booklet.[9]
Location
editFrom 1949 until 2007, the window was located in the main foyer of Rolls-Royce's Nightingale Road factory in Derby, on the north wall, on the route up to the first floor.[1][3]
The window was later transferred to the Rolls-Royce Learning and Development Centre in Derby where it remains on display.[1]
Re-dedication
editThe window was re-dedicated on 31 October 2015, on the 75th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Britain, in a service given by John Davies, Dean of Derby.[6]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Battle of Britain – Rolls-Royce Window". derbyshirewarmemorials.com. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
- ^ a b c d Boorman, Derek (205). A Century of Remembrance: One Hundred Outstanding British War Memorials. South Yorkshire: Pen & Sword Military. p. 191. ISBN 978-1-84415-316-9.
- ^ a b "Rolls-Royce Battle of Britain window is rededicated". BBC News. 31 October 2015. Archived from the original on 29 March 2020. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
- ^ "Easton, Hugh Ray (1906–1965), stained-glass artist". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/32960. Retrieved 12 March 2021. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
- ^ "Battle Of Britain – Rolls-Royce Window". Imperial War Museums. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
- ^ a b "The Rolls-Royce Battle of Britain Memorial Window | Latest News | Thorlux Lighting United Kingdom". www.thorlux.co.uk. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
- ^ Campion, Garry (2015). The Battle of Britain, 1945–1965: The Air Ministry and the Few. Springer. ISBN 978-1-137-31626-4.
- ^ "Amazing photos when Derby Council House got the royal seal of approval". DerbyshireLive. 4 July 2020. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
- ^ Motor Industry. Vol. 68. 1949. p. 104.
Further reading
edit- Goodyear, Adam (2010). "Something Quite Exceptional": Hugh Easton and the Battle of Britain Memorial Window for Rolls-Royce. Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust. ISBN 978-1-872922-46-1.