"Lord Dowding" Locomotive Plate
 

I am trying to locate the "Lord Dowding" locomotive plate which used to hang in the Officer's Mess at Bentley Priory before it closed. Has anyone seen it on their travels? Is it hanging in another Mess? Any details welcome.

Suggest you log in to National Preservation and put your thread up there.I have a faint recollection I've seen something about this before.Original name plates are worth a lot of money.
Colin

NRM at York may be able to help?

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Nameplate LORD DOWDING

Battle of Britain class locomotive 34052 nameplate “LORD DOWDING” on loan to RAF Bentley Priory in 1990 for an exhibition commemorating the 50th anniversary of Battle of Britain. A copy of the nameplate was made and the theft only discovered in 2006 when the owner requested the original to be returned. Following the subsequent RAF Police enquiry, the nameplate was last recorded as being seen in 1992. The theft has been was reported to New Scotland Yard. The other nameplate was stolen while the locomotive was still in service. 34052 was the last Battle of Britain class to run on British Rail, 9 July 1967, marking the end of steam on Southern Region, replaced by diesels the following day.
See: Lord Dowding names new engines of "Battle of Britain" class

Blimey, they go for about £15,000 for an obscure one, and rising.... the owner would be pissed as I should imagine it was worth more. Hope the insurance was good on it.

I think the record at auction is about £60.000 for a celebrity loco plate.
Colin

Lord Dowding
 

The RAF Museum may have it in their reserve collection. I visited a couple of years ago and they had a collection of Battle of Britain class loco plates in storage. Can't remember which ones they were though.

That would imply that they received stolen goods. :)

List of name plates held by the museum plus a bibliography of the engine: Locomotive Biographies

FInotQFI, check PMs.

When I was teaching at Marlborough for a very short period I noticed the nameplate 'Marlborough' off the SR Schools class loco fixed high up on the wall of the dining hall. On enquiring I was told the the school owned the other one of the pair, and that it was "kicking about somewhere". Still, as they had a Gainsborough in the common room I dont suppose they were too fussed about a £10+k loco nameplate!

Still, as they had a Gainsborough in the common room I don't suppose they were too fussed about a £10+k loco nameplate!

TTN - It's actually moved a little further west to Bath, as reported at
BBC News | UK | Gainsborough portrait saved for nation and, rather like the disappearance of the "Dowding" plate, created some controversy since the sale was allegedly against the wishes of the donor's family Daughter's fury at school's sale of Gainsborough gift - News - The Independent

At least we know where it is!

Jack

Thanks Jack, interesting. It wasnt the only pricy item in the common room. One day when I spilt some coffee I was politely reminded that the carpet "runners" which were strewn about the room were valued at £1500 each. My next job was down to earth with a bump in a tough comp. The Gainsborough would have been out of the staff room in a flash there and probably would have turned up at the local car boot!

Wonder if they ever found the other nameplate.

Lord Dowding Train Plate
 

For the record, the plate hung in the portico which was the covered entrance to the main mess building, several other plates hung there too. The plate was flown to the UK by BAE from Toulouse and I was responsible for having the copy made and, and this is where a 64 year old memory dims a bit, I'm sure it went back the same way! Why would we keep it when we had a superb copy; seems as if the copy has gone walk about too

Google COLOUR RAIL and that will put you in touch with someone who really knows.

Tell him Reg Tigwell's son sent you

Regards

Col

The plate was loaned by Dowding's grandson
I don't think any insurance can make up for the loss
Photos and history at Nine Elms Locomotive Shed - 'Lord Dowding - 34052'

Dowding Nameplate
 

As many have said, the original has, to my knowledge, never been recovered. When Bentley Priory closed the copy of the nameplate was returned to Lord Dowding's relatives with a number of other items that they had loaned to the Mess. I can confirm this as I unscrewed it from the wall myself and then drove it to their house.

FF, which house would that be? Still would like to find the nameplate as Bentley Priory will reopen in the near future. Can you PM with a location?

why not ask here as to how much a replica would cost?
Newton Replicas Home Page

FInotQFI

Check PMs, let me know if I can be of any more help. It would be great to see Bentley Priory open in some capacity. It was a sad day when I hosted the closure DIN in the Mess.

Interesting, I trust the two BoB Class Plates outside AIR are copies, in keeping with the aircraft they are displayed with?

Now where's my screwdriver? :E