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).
Letter from Paris concerning the travel of two individuals, their worker's cards, and updates on work during the war.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 146\4\ scan0166 | |
| Date | 12th October 1939 | |
| 12 Dear "Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}", PARIS Sr21/Dnl{Mr Dunwel}2.10.39 I received your telegram last night, and at once replied to same re Don and Punt. If they have not been able to leave France yet, it is because unforeseen difficulties have cropped up in connection with their Worker's Cards for France (enabling them to work here) and naturally we did not wish them to lose the benefit of these cards, any more than they did, as they are very difficult to obtain. Despite all our efforts, we have not yet been able to obtain any decision from the Ministry of the Interior. However, in view of the urgent nature of the job they have got to fulfil, I have decided to push them off now and await events. Their Cards will be taken from them when they leave France, but I hope that when they are able to return to France, the necessary authority will have been received for the Cards to be given back to them. All being well, Don and Punt will leave Paris on Monday or Tuesday. I am interested to hear that my job is soon going to become active, as I have now almost finished with the organisation of F.B.A.L., on a war basis, and apart from running round, trying to get hold of some war work in order to keep our men busy, whilst awaiting the consent of the military authorities to obtain delivery of spare parts which is holding up our work, things are very quiet. I am working on the investigation of your licensees over here, and everything I have so far discovered, bears out my theory which you well know. Don will give you verbally a report on this matter, as I think it is best that we should not write on the subject. As to my return trip, I got back all right, although I trained and boated it; not wishing to stay an extra day in London, which would have been the case had I taken the plane. The journey was very long, however, as I left at 9 a.m., and got to Paris at (11 pm) night, but I must say this trip was very interesting, as having contacted with the Captain on the boat at Folkestone at about 11 a.m., we did not part until ten minutes before the train left Boulogne at 7 p.m. This | ||