St Eval, St Uvelus
South aisle east
Entries in grey are not obtained from documentary evidence, but are inferred from content, context, etc.
Listed in the Imperial War Museum’s Register of War Memorials, reference 9253.
- Date of manufacture and insertion
- Number of lights
- 3
- Maker
- McCartney, Crear
- Main subject
- Crown of Thorns with the badges of RAF Coastal Command and RAF St Eval
- Tracery subject
- Stars
- Subject type
- Decorative
- Donor
- Royal Air Force
- Dedicatee
- Personnel serving at RAF St Eval –
- Notes
-
- Maker’s mark and dated.
Per ardua ad astra
De profundis clamavi
The description beside the window is as follows:
The East Window in the Lady Chapel was dedicated on to the memory of all who served at RAF St. Eval from to .
The design is a response to Psalm 130 De Profundis Clamavi
Out of the depths have I cried to Thee O Lord.
Shipwrecked seamen in the Western Approaches would look anxiously for the RAF roundel on an aircraft’s wing as a sign of hope in answer to their Mayday call. The red of the roundel has been transformed into Christ’s Crown of Thorns—symbol of His triumph over humiliation and death on the cross.
The circles at the foot symbolise the storm tossed sea around Cornwall and super-imposed on them are the insignia of RAF Coastal Command and RAF St. Eval.
Christ’s sacrifice for mankind is symbolised by five red circles at the top of the three lancets—five drops of blood for the five wounds on His broken body.
The stars of the RAF motto Per Ardua ad Astra
occupy the
tracery, seven stars to symbolise Heaven. These remind us of shipwrecked sailors
and the aircraft of Coastal Command navigating by the stars, seeking a safe
haven. They that watch for the morning … hope in the Lord
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Royal Air Force Coastal Command
Constant endeavour
The badge and motto of RAF Coastal Command, at the bottom left. The centre of the badge contains a crown, and the Crown of Thorns forms a central motif of the whole window.
Royal Air Force Station St Eval
Faith in our task
The badge and motto of RAF St Eval, at the bottom right. The church itself, a landmark for pilots, is shown in the centre of the badge.