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 to Park, Ward & Co. Ltd. regarding delays in body work, specifically on 'Myth' frames, due to war orders.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 144\2\ scan0115 | |
| Date | 26th September 1941 | |
| Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD}12/KW. C.W. Ward, Esq., Park, Ward & Co.Ltd., 473, High Road, Willesden. N.W.10. Dear Mr. Ward, I am sorry to say that there appears to have been a good deal of delay in connection with all our Body work. I understand that you reply to this by saying that you have been pressed to obtain the maximum turnover, and that in doing so you have been forced to neglect anything in connection with bodies. I do not agree that this is quite a fair statement. Obviously you have been pressed to obtain the maximum turnover, but never has it been suggested that this should be done to an extent which would sacrifice work which will be very important to both Companies after the war, and in any case I do not quite follow the point about turnover,because surely any manufacturing work which you do for Rolls-Royce in connection with Myth or anything else is chargeable and therefore a direct contribution to turnover. Dealing with Myth first, the position is that some 3 months ago; i.e., 25th June, we had a meeting up here at Clan Foundry and saw the two Myth frames which were not finally welded up and the front pans were missing; otherwise they were complete, and all the drawings had been in your hands some little time before the meeting. After a period of 3 months I am told that we still have no frame, although the ones seen referred to were returned to you for completion. With regard to the body, I understand there has been some difficulty with regard to a suitable machine for spot-welding the frame, but that this problem has been solved, but I am disturbed to hear that work had completely stopped on Myth body for 6 weeks due to pressure of war orders. Another reason for the delay was given as repairs that had to be carried out on a Bentley car for us, but so long as we use Bentley cars with Park-Ward bodies this will necessarily arise. I understand Mr. Robotham suggested to you some time ago that if you found a difficulty in keeping men on non-war work continued- | ||