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).
Fire caused by a poorly fitted car radio condenser filter unit.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 63\3\ scan0309 | |
| Date | 3rd April 1935 | |
| W/S. C. From Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Wst. 16153 Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Wst.3/MA.3.4.35. CAR RADIO. Replying to your C.20/C.2.4.35., the cause of the fire was a badly fitted condenser filter unit which had been wired up to our distribution board in such a way that the wires were trapped and thus caused a short circuit to occur. Owing to the fact that Messrs.Philco had wrongly connected one side of this condenser to the live side of our main emergency fuse the latter did not blow and thus caused the wires to catch fire. We took this matter up very strongly with Messrs.Philco on the occasion of our recent visit to Kingsbury but we agree with you it would be a good plan to warn our Inspecting Engineers to make sure that no condenser filter units are fitted to the live side of our main fuse. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Wst. | ||