ARCHIVED - Battle of Britain artefacts honour RCAF heritage

News Article / September 14, 2015

From 1 Canadian Air Division Heritage and History

This year is special because we are marking the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. Two rare artefacts, the Battle of Britain Commemorative Lace Tapestry and the Battle of Britain Commemorative Sword, are both on display at the Air Force Heritage Museum located in Air Command Headquarters in Winnipeg.

The tapestry was created between 1942 and 1946 by the Nottingham, England, firm of Dobsons and M. Browne and Co., Ltd. The lace panel measures 4.5 metres high by 1.6 metres wide and contains more than 41,800 kilometres of the finest Egyptian cotton.

This was at the time, and remains today, the largest piece of lace in the world.

It depicts exact reproductions of scenes photographed during the Battle of Britain. Also illustrated are the various aircraft that participated in the battle, the badges of the Allied Forces, and the names of the principal craftsmen who worked on this masterpiece. At the bottom are the words of Winston Churchill’s famous tribute to the airmen of the Battle of Britain: “Never was so much owed by so many to so few.”

The Battle of Britain Lace Tapestry was presented to Sir Winston Churchill, King George VI, Westminster Abbey, mayors of the cities attacked during the Battle, Prime Ministers, Commonwealth air forces and senior members of the company.

Only 38 copies of the original design were produced and then the jacquard (template) was destroyed. Today, only 12 are known to exist.

The lace tapestry on display at the Air Force Heritage Museum and Air Park had been in storage for almost 40 years and was seriously discoloured and had somewhat deteriorated when it was acquired. The Royal Canadian Air Force Association (now called the Airforce Association of Canada) initiated a fundraising campaign to cover the costs of restoration and the lace was returned to its original pristine condition.

This Battle of Britain Lace was unveiled and dedicated on March 22, 1989. This national treasure is now housed in a handcrafted, environmentally secure oak case that will preserve and protect it.

In the words of Lieutenant-General Ashley, then Commander of Air Command, during the dedication: " Out of the evil of destruction has been woven a masterpiece of incredible beauty."

Only 300 gold-plated Battle of Britain commemorative swords were ever produced.

Manufactured by Wilkinson Sword Limited, the Royal Air Force presentation swords were issued to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the victory of the Battle of Britain (August 8 to September 15, 1940).

The sword is dedicated to "the Few" (a term coined by British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill in his speech to the British House of Commons on August 20, 1940) and to the many who helped make victory possible.

The sword may be rotated in its case to view the representations on either side of its blade depicting a scramble of Hurricane pilots and the different classifications of personnel who aided in the victory.

The Battle of Britain Commemorative Sword was donated to the museum by a private citizen.