Page 15 - HeritageEbooklet

Wartime Osmaston

From an employment point of view, the residents of Osmaston were
fortunate to live alongside the Rolls-Royce factories and the railway carriage
and wagon works – but the location was a drawback during times of war.

In the First World War a German Zeppelin became lost on its way to
Liverpool and dropped its bombs on Derby, causing damage and the deaths
of five civilians. The bombs were released in the early hours of 1 February
1916 on Rolls-Royce, the Loco and Carriage and Wagon works, Fletcher’s
Lace Mill on Osmaston Road, and the Metalite Lamp Works on Gresham
Road. For anyone interested in reading more about this incident, a thorough
account is given in The Bombing of Rolls-Royce at Derby in two World Wars
(Kirk, Felix & Bartnik), Historical Series No 32 published by the Rolls-Royce
Heritage Trust.

During World War II, Rolls-Royce was busy manufacturing the Merlin
engines that powered most of the nation’s military aircraft, making the site
a prime target for enemy attack. Guns, balloon defences, smokepots and
decoy areas provided some protection for the Rolls-Royce factories. Derby
artist Ernest Townsend was also commissioned to design camouflage for the
Rolls-Royce factory. The site was disguised to make it look like part of the
housing estate that surrounded it when viewed from the air.

Traces of camouflage were still
visible on the factory roofs when
this photograph was taken in 1978.

© Rolls-Royce plc
15