Today, my father – Tim Elkington – went up to Derby with my sister Tessa for a dinner hosted by Rolls-Royce as part of the rededication of a Battle of Britain stained glass window (above, from www.the-few.org.uk).
The window was first dedicated in 1949, the year I was born, in the presence of BoB veteran Douglas Bader.
Whisked northwards, and back, in a gleaming Mercedes, Tim was asked to speak at the dinner. Here is what he said:
I’m here today to join with you in remembering those who fought in the Battle of Britain, and your contribution to its outcome.
But more especially, I’ve come to say thank you, Rolls-Royce.
I thank you, first, for the ‘R Type’ engine which powered the Schneider Trophy aircraft and Campbell’s Bluebird, which kick started my career in the Royal Air Force.
And I’m grateful, too, for the hundreds of hours I have flown behind Kestrel, Merlin, Griffon and Derwent engines – in Europe, Russia, on Atlantic Convoys, in India and the Pacific – without a failure.
You have never let me down.
A tribute surely to good design – and the work of your hands?
Thank you.
Slightly ironic that the smoking chimneys shown as background in the Rolls-Royce window symbolise both the effort that went into making the machines that helped win the war, and the damage done to human health and the wider environment by industrial activity – something my own life has been dedicated to flagging and putting to rights.
This image will always remind me of my early days at the Rolls-Royce Derby factories. The front door had a commissioner in uniform who would stand guard for important guests and dignitaries. I saw this beautiful window, once from the inside of the foyer when I had an interview with a manager on the first floor. Many years later when I worked for Rolls-Royce Canada and was a member of the Global Council I showed the frontage of Rolls-Royce main works entrance to employees from China, Italy and Singapore who were also part of the council. The building was no longer being used as a working factory but I gave them the opportunity to photograph this historic building where I started my working career over 42 years ago.