Rolls-Royce factory in Derby

[Scritch]

Hi,

My grandfather was born in 1916 in Derby, and on his birth certificate it states that his father, my great-grandfather, was a munitions worker. We know in the family that my great-grandfather spent his whole working life at Rolls-Royce in Derby. My question is, does anyone know what type of munitions Royces in Derby were producing during the Great War? Presumably they were manufacturing armoured cars there?

Any info would be much appreciated

Many thanks

Richard

[centurion]

Airplane engines

[centurion]

Rolls Royce didn't really make RR Armoured cars. They supplied the engines and chassis and the armoured bodies were made and fitted elsewhere. Workers on the engines at Derby were classed as munitions workers

[Scritch]

Thanks for the information Centurion, I assumed that it was just during the Second World War that RR were making aero engines. Should never assume anything! Thanks again.

[centurion]

Thanks for the information Centurion, I assumed that it was just during the Second World War that RR were making aero engines. Should never assume anything! Thanks again.

Rolls Royce Falcon and Eagle probably the best engines in WW1 (incuding the Liberty)

[centurion]

Richard - these are the machines he would have worked on producing

Eagle http://www.enginehistory.org/G&jJBrossett/Rolls-Royce%20Eagle%20IX.JPG

Falcon http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e6/Rolls-Royce_Falcon.jpg/800px-Rolls-Royce_Falcon.jpg

[Guest Annehay]

• Thank you, general.

  I am doing some research on my grandfather who was in all 3 services during WW1 and trained at Rolls-Royce in Derby as an air mechanic, having previously been a dispatch-rider and motorcycle mechanic in Flanders and before that, a fitter and turner in the mines.

  These photographs are helpful in showing me what he worked on.

[MartH]

Some very good publications from the RR Heritage trust on the subject from here http://www.rolls-royce.com/about/ourstory/heritage_trust/publications/

[centurion]

Some very good publications from the RR Heritage trust on the subject from here http://www.rolls-royce.com/about/ourstory/heritage_trust/publications/

Shame that the history on that site fails to mention that Royces started making cranes, I did a graduate apprenticeship with the company (the original one not the current reconstituted one) back in the 60s and most people at Moor Lane (Derby) always called it Royces. Some of the people I worked with could still remember Sir Henry. They were still (just) making Merlins when I joined as the Chilean Air-force still operated Lancasters

[MartH]

Interesting Centurion. My mother did research for Hooker after her PhD, and when watching that wonderful BBC Wales program on early jet engines she just reeled off the names of the pioneers before the BBC captions but just seemed to do research, and does not give any anecdotes. I will try again to get here to tell tales next time I see her. But her best tale is that when she first came to Sheffield after the war the old land lady remembered being a young land lady when she had a man lodger putting knives and forks in the garden, et voila, the testing of early stainless steel cutlery in her back garden.

[centurion]

Interesting Centurion. My mother did research for Hooker after her PhD, and when watching that wonderful BBC Wales program on early jet engines she just reeled off the names of the pioneers before the BBC captions but just seemed to do research, and does not give any anecdotes. I will try again to get here to tell tales next time I see her. But her best tale is that when she first came to Sheffield after the war the old land lady remembered being a young land lady when she had a man lodger putting knives and forks in the garden, et voila, the testing of early stainless steel cutlery in her back garden.

Well I can remember two different Trents, Derwent, Soar*, Dart and Spey engines and I was a progress chaser on the RB 211 development

* You had to have a good security clearance to know about the Soar - the real story that is.

[Frank_East]

There is no evidence that Chile operated Lancasters postwar.All postwar Lancaster disposals went through AVROs who prepared the aircraft for the client and the sale presumably was authorised by HM Government.

Post war,the Argentine was sold ex RAF Lancaster and ex RAF Lincoln aircraft,prepared by AVROs and as far as I know was the only recipient of these aircraft in South America.At the time,the RAF was operating the Lancaster as the RAF's maritime aircraft and the Lincoln as front line bomber aircraft.

I remember Sir Stanley Hooker of "Not Much of an Engineer" fame,used to pass his rural abode when I journeyed from Melbourne to Repton many many years ago....a first class mechanical engineer.

[centurion]

There is no evidence that Chile operated Lancasters postwar.All postwar Lancaster disposals went through AVROs who prepared the aircraft for the client and the sale presumably was authorised by HM Government.

Post war,the Argentine was sold ex RAF Lancaster and ex RAF Lincoln aircraft,prepared by AVROs and as far as I know was the only recipient of these aircraft in South America.At the time,the RAF was operating the Lancaster as the RAF's maritime aircraft and the Lincoln as front line bomber aircraft.

I remember Sir Stanley Hooker of "Not Much of an Engineer" fame,used to pass his rural abode when I journeyed from Melbourne to Repton many many years ago....a first class mechanical engineer.

It was not unknown for one government to sell second hand aircraft on to another government.

[kenf48]

It was not unknown for one government to sell second hand aircraft on to another government.

But not in this case

PA375 del’d 17-5-48 as B-031, scrapped 23-11-62

PA376 del’d 24-11-48 as B-032, scrapped 7-7-66

PA377 del’d 10-11-48 as B-033, grounded 30-6-65

PA350 del’d 31-12-48 as B-034, SOC 28-10-63

PA348 del’d 25-11-48 as B-035, reduced to spares and scrapped, date unknown

PA349 del’d 19-12-48 as B-036, possibly written off after engine fire during missile trials 20-10-53

PA344 del’d 6-1-49 as B-037, destroyed on the ground during a revolution 17-9-55

PA369 del’d 22-11-48 as B-038, seen at Farewell 22-4-66, thought to have been scrapped soon after.

PA346 del’d 10-12-48 as B-039, SOC 28-10-63

PA365 del’d 16-12-48 as B-040, crashed 16-12-65

RA625 del’d date unknown, but is known to be the last delivery to Argentina as B-041, fate unknown

RA798 del’d 16-12-48 as B-042, damaged beyond repair 17-11-56

RA788 del’d 16-11-48 as B-043, SOC 7-7-66

RA789 del’d 10-11-48 as B-044, SOC 28-10-63 and scrapped

PA378 del’d 8-12-48 as B-045, crashed 11-12-60

Courtesy The Lancaster Archive

Originally they were flown to Buenos Aires to equip Air Regiment No 1 (Bomber) AAF. Another source says three were converted to transports and the last of the type retired from the AAF in 1968. The French Navy retired their last one in 1965.

Sorry to go off topic - back to WW1!

Ken