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 Park Ward & Co Ltd explaining production delays for a 'Ripplet' due to supplier issues and wartime material shortages.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 117\3\ scan0208 | |
| Date | 22th November 1940 | |
| DIRECTORS: A.F.SIDGREAVES C.W.WARD R.W.HARVEY-BAILEY C.FALCONER F.C.HONEYMAN W.S.PAGE PARK WARD & CO LTD SHEET METAL AND WOOD WORK 473 HIGH ROAD WILLENDEN LONDON N.W.10 TELEPHONE: WILLESDEN 2595 (6 LINES) TELEGRAMS: WARENPAR WILLROAD LONDON SPECIALISTS IN SHEET METAL WORK AND WOOD WORK FOR THE AIRCRAFT INDUSTRY APPROVED BY A.I.D. ON AIR MINISTRY, ADMIRALTY AND WAR OFFICE LISTS YOUR REF. OUR REF. CWW/DB.{Donald Bastow - Suspensions} November 22nd, 1940. W.A.Rowbotham Esq., Messrs.Rolls-Royce Ltd., Derby. Dear Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}, I am in receipt of your letter of the 17th inst, and am very sorry indeed about the delay in the finishing of the Ripplet, but all our Suppliers have let me down. The fact is, that none of them today are interested in motor car work, not even for Rolls-Royce Ltd., and I have the greatest difficulty in persuading them to take sufficient interest to execute our orders. When I have at last persuaded them to take on the job, they put it on one side every time they get an urgent request for delivery of war material. If you care to go to the trouble of looking into the matter, the next time you are here, you will find that the delay is due entirely to the failure of Suppliers to keep their promises to me, the rear bumper was not finally finished and we have had great difficulty in obtaining material. The body is now really well on the way and you can have it on Friday, the 29th inst. Now as regards a further body, because we look upon ourselves as part and parcel of the Rolls-Royce organisation, I feel that we ought to have the opportunity of building it, but at the same time it is not possible for me to make any definite promise about when it will be ready for delivery. All I can say is that I will do my best, consistent with the other demands on our facilities, to complete it at the earliest possible date. Frankly, I do not believe that any firm of standing can today do better than this. I take it, from your remark to the effect that you have the necessary sheet steel, that you will be willing to supply it to us, as naturally I would experience great difficulty in getting it from any other /Over | ||