From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Clarifying a misunderstanding regarding the storage and unauthorised movement of experimental chassis unit patterns.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 146\4\ scan0032 | |
| Date | 28th December 1939 | |
| C.T.S. Should like to discuss with you Sft{Mr Swift}/EW/WP.28.12.39. EXPERIMENTAL CHASSIS UNIT PATTERNS, ETC., With reference to our enquiries and Mr. Pegg's interview with you concerning the above, he has now reported the conversation that took place between you. It was rather a surprise to me when I heard that some of the above patterns and core-boxes for B.60 and B.80 had been removed from the Stores at Shardlow, and despatched to Scotland, without the Pattern Dept. being notified that this was taking place, for if we had been informed we should have considered it our duty for the benefit of all concerned, to see that everything was intact before being despatched. We should like you to note, that it was only when your Mr. Salt asked our opinion last week, as to whether we considered Shardlow satisfactory for the storage of Pattern equipment, that this more or less officially conveyed to us that they had already been stored there approximately three months. From further enquiries made, re your statement that we had received a memo stating that B.60 and B.80 equipment was to be stored at Shardlow, it should be noted that your memo was never delivered to the Pattern Dept. being retained by Mr. Vickers, for some reason or other. Same has been found to-day by Mr. Knagg in their Iron Foundry file - which reads "to Sft{Mr Swift}/EW from Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/SWDL{Len H. Swindell} - ref. Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/SWDL{Len H. Swindell}/MH.{M. Huckerby}18.9.39." We hope the above remarks will now clarify the Exp. Chassis Pattern storage, as no doubt in the first place the misunderstanding appears to be with your official memo, instructing their removal, not being received by Sft{Mr Swift}/EW, and secondly I think you will agree that it is essential that the Pattern Dept. should be notified of all patterns despatched, where ever to; this is necessary for recording purposes. Sft{Mr Swift}/EW. | ||