What is it
The Battle of Britain lace panel on display in the Air Force Association (South Australia) Memorial Room on the 2nd floor of the Torrens Parade Ground Training Depot was manufactured by Dobsons & M. Browne & Co. Ltd between 1942 and 1947.
It was woven to commemorate the battle and as a tribute to those who fought to save Britain. The lace panel com- prises scenes of the bombing of London, the Commonwealth Air Forces and aircraft used in the epic battle.
The lace panel is rare – 38 laces are believed to have been produced with only 31 now known to exist and four in Australia (Australian War Memorial, Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Air Force Association WA Museum in Perth and this one in Adelaide).
Dobsons & Browne was a British firm which made lace curtains. During the war, they produced mosquito and camouflage netting. This left their highly trained designers and draughtsmen under-employed. The firm decided to make the commemorative lace panel to allow their workforce to retain lace making skills and standards.
Designers began work on the panel in 1942. It took two years to complete the design, with some scenes taken from photographs. Drafting the jacquard (pattern cards) took another 15 months.
Individual lace panels were then given to various organisations and groups across the Commonwealth as a memorial to the gallant deeds of airmen.
The AFA-SA Lace Panel
The Battle of Britain lace panel was donated to the RAAF Association (SA) in December 1950 by Mr H.C. Biddle, a Rotarian and Adelaide Businessmen. It was first displayed in Adelaide in September 1950 for Air Force Week activities. The exhibition was opened by SQNLDR John Cock DFC, a South Australian Battle of Britain veteran.
The lace has since been under the custodianship of the RAAF Association (now AFA-SA) and been displayed at the associations former addresses at North Terrace, Finniss Street (north Adelaide) and now Torrens Parade.
The AFA-SA is proud to be the custodian of this treasure.
Description
The Battle of Britain lace panel is 4.5 x 1.62 metres.
The edging of the lace depicts ripening ears of corn, reflecting the season during which the battle was fought, inter-woven with Tudor roses, thistles, shamrocks and oak leaves.
Top Half
The very top of the lace identifies the designer, producer and draughtsman responsible for the lace. Below this are the respective Badges of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force, Royal Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force and South African Air Force.
On the left side of the lace, are two scenes: firefighters in Queen Victoria Street, London and the Holborn City Temple in ruins.
In the centre, the words Battle of Britain are centre top backgrounded by flames. Below the words are various aircraft including Spitfires, Hurricanes, Me 109’s, Ju 87 Stukas, and Dornier 17 aircraft.
On the right hand side of the top half are images of Bow Church and the St Clement Danes (the RAF church).
Bottom Half
On the left side of the bottom portion of the lace are three scenes: The Old Bailey, Buckingham Palace with damaged gates and a RAF fighter pilot.
The centre portion of the lace comprises airmen bailing out of their damaged fighter aircraft, a country cottage and an English mansion. A tudor rose is pictured centrally with a large image of St Paul's Cathedral surrounded by flames reflecting an iconic photograph captured during the battle.
On the right hand side of the lower half of the lace, are three scenes: Walls of the Guildhall, House of Commons damaged and an anti-aircraft gun with searchlights radiating up into the sky.
Across the bottom of the lace are the famous words from Winston Churchill “Never was so much owed by so many to so few”. A row of acorns, daffodils, shamrock and thistle frame the RAF Badge and the Tudor Rose.
The Battle of Britain Lace is AFA-SA’s most valuable and important heritage item.