Letter to Roy Chadwick from Barnes Wallis

Letter to Roy Chadwick from Barnes Wallis

Addressed to Roy Chadwick at A.V.Roe on Vickers-Armstrong headed paper. Thanks Chadwick for existence of Lancaster and his support at a meeting in C.R.D's office on 26 January without which the dams operation would not have happened. States is was one of the most amazing examples of team work and cooperation in the war.

1943-05-25

1943-05-27

Two page typewritten letter

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EWallisBChadwickR430525

TELEGRAMS: “VICASTRONG-TELEX. WEYBRIDGE”
TELEPHONE: BYFLEET 240 (14 LINES)
[National Scheme for Disabled Men Crest]
REGISTERED OFFICE: VICKERS HOUSE.
BROADWAY. WESTMINSTER. S.W.1.
Vickers-Armstrongs Limited.
(AIRCRAFT SECTION)
WEYBRIDGE WORKS.
WEYBRIDGE. SURREY.
OUR REF. CA.
YOUR REF.
25th May 1943.

Roy Chadwick, Esq.,
A.V.Roe & Co. Ltd.,
Greengate,
Middleton,
[underlined] MANCHASTER [/underlined]
My dear Chadwick,
I am sorry that my erratic movements since the great event have prevented my receiving your telegram of congratulations until today. I am very deeply grateful, but feel an enormous share of the credit is due to you, and I have been trying to find the time to white and tell you how much I appreciate all the work which you and your assistants have done, and personally, in a special degree, was given the making or breaking of this enterprise, for if at that fateful meeting in C.R.D’s office on the 26th February, you had declared the task impossible of fulfilment in the given time, the powers of opposition were so great that I should never have got instructions to go ahead. Possibly you did not realise how much hung on your instantaneous reaction, but I can assure you that I very nearly had heart failure until you decided to join in the great adventure. No-one believed that we should do it. You yourself said it would be a miracle if we did, and I think the whole thing is one of the most amazing examples of team work and co-operation in the whole history of the war.
May I offer you my very deep thanks for the existence of your wonderful Lancaster, for it was the only aircraft in the world capable of doing the job, and I should like to pay my tribute of congratulation and admiration to you, the designer.
Let us hope that the future will hold for us another terrific adventure in which we may join, though I fear no such spectacular target
P.T.O.

[page break]

remains to be brought down.
All good wishes for the future success of Lancaster [inserted]s[/inserted] and Yorks.
Yours very sincerely,
[underlined] B.N.Wallis. [/underlined]

[inserted] Received Stamp dated 27 MAY 1943 & numbered 683/5700 [/inserted]