Member Article

PLAQUE UNVEILED AT MARBLE HALL COMMUNITY GARDEN ON 75th ANNIVERSARY OF ROLLS-ROYCE AND OSMASTON RAID

A plaque to commemorate the 23 people who died when Derby’s Rolls Royce aero-engine works was attacked during the Second World War has been unveiled at a special memorial service held in the community garden behind Marble Hall.

The former Rolls-Royce building on Nightingale Road in Osmaston, was tragically hit by four bombs in the Luftwaffe air raid on 27 July 1942, killing 23 men, women and children.

In 2016, the building was the subject of a major £4.4m refurbishment, transforming it into a managed workspace facility and community hub and managed by Connect Derby, part of Derby City Council.

The memorial plaque features the names and ages of those who died in the attack 75 years ago, as well as the words “no pain, no grief, no anxious fear can reach our loved ones remembered here.”

It has been erected following several years of campaigning by the Osmaston Community Association of Residents (OSCAR), who wanted to commemorate those who lost their lives as well as remind newcomers to the area of the vital role Osmaston played in the Second World War. The Nightingale Road aero-engine works manufactured the world-famous Merlin engines that powered Spitfire and Hurricane fighters and the Avro Lancaster heavy bomber.

The plaque was unveiled in the community garden behind the iconic grade-II listed building by aircraft historians Peter Kirk and Peter Felix, and dedicated by the Bishop of Derby, the Rt Rev Dr Alastair Redfern, at the special memorial service attended by local dignitaries and members of the community. Amongst those present was Harold Franklin, a survivor of the 1942 air-raid who lost his mother in the attack.

Speaking at the memorial service, Councillor Baggy Shanker said:

“Although today is about remembering past events, it is also about looking to the future. There has always been a strong sense of community here in Osmaston; a community that pulls together and supports each other. As they did following the events in 1942, they do now in regenerating their own neighbourhood.

“Indeed, it is this community – OSCAR, the residents’ association – that has campaigned for this memorial and organised today and continues to lead the long-term future vision for Osmaston, including here, Marble Hall, which has undergone a £4 million refurbishment to create a vibrant community and business space.

“Many people living on the estate knew nothing of the bombing and with so many new families moving into Osmaston over the next 10 years, it is important to preserve and promote the rich industrial heritage of this neighbourhood.”

OSCAR chair Mick Whitehead added:

“Apparently there was already a memorial, a wooden plaque bearing the names of those who died, but it went missing many years ago. On the 70th anniversary of the raid, we decided that it was time something else was done. It’s taken five years, but at last here we are.

“Everything really fell into place with the refurbishment of the office block, one of Derby’s most recognisable landmarks, into a community building.”

Marble Hall is the latest addition to the Connect Derby managed workspace scheme. Facilities at Marble Hall now include 42 high specification offices, along with Claude’s café, operated by YMCA Derbyshire and Little Angels Day Nursery, which caters for 16 two year-olds and 24 three and four year-olds.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Donna Hill .