London - Royal Air Force Church of St Clement Danes, Strand - postcard c.1960s

Postcard
• Picture / Image:  The Royal Air Force Church of St. Clement Danes, [The Strand], London
• Publisher:  Photo Precision Ltd (PT1054)
• Postally used:  no
• Stamp:  n/a
• Postmark(s): n/a
• Sent to:  n/.a
• Notes / condition: 

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Text from the free encyclopedia WIKIPEDIA may appear below to give a little background information (internal links may not  work) :

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St Clement Danes is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London. It is situated outside the Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand. Although the first church on the site was reputedly founded in the 9th century by the Danes, the current building was completed in 1682 by Sir Christopher Wren. Wren's building was gutted during the Blitz and not restored until 1958 when it was adapted to its current function as the central church of the Royal Air Force.

The church is sometimes claimed to be the one featured in the nursery rhyme Oranges and Lemons and the bells do indeed play that tune. However, St Clement Eastcheap, in the City of London, also claims to be the church from the rhyme. St Clement Danes is known as one of the two 'Island Churches', the other being St Mary-le-Strand.

There are several possible theories as to the connection between the Danes and the origins of the church. A popular theory is that in the 9th century the Danes colonized the village of Aldwych on the river between the City of London and the future site of Westminster. This was at a time when half of England was Danish and London was on the dividing line between the English and the Danes. At Aldwych the Danes founded a church, hence the final part of its name.^[1] (in Latin it was known as Ecclesia Clementes Danorum). Alternatively, after Alfred the Great had driven the Danes out of the City of London and they had been required to accept Christianity, Alfred sitpulated the building of the church.^[2] In either case, being a seafaring people, the Danes named the church they built after St Clement, patron saint of mariners.^{[citation needed]}

Other possible ideas are that in the 11th century after Siward, Earl of Northumbria killed the Dane Tosti, Earl of Huntingdon and his men, the deceased were buried in a field near London and a memorial church was subsequently built to honour the memory of the Danes. Also possible is that the Danish connection was reinforced by a massacre recorded in the Jómsvíkinga saga when a group of unarmed Danes who had gathered for a church service were killed.^[1] The 12th century historian William of Malmesbury wrote that the Danes burnt the church on the site of St Clement Danes before they were later slain in the vicinity. Another possible explanation for the name is that as King Harold I ""Harefoot"" is recorded as having been buried in the church in March 1040, the church acquired its name on account of Harold's Danish connections.^[2]

The church was first rebuilt by William the Conqueror, and then again in the Middle Ages. It was in such a bad state by the end of the 17th century that it was demolished and again rebuilt from 1680–1682, this time by Christopher Wren. The steeple was added to the 115 foot tower from 1719-1720 by James Gibbs.

William Webb Ellis, often credited with the invention of Rugby football in 1823 was once rector of the church, and is commemorated by a memorial tablet.

In 1844 St. Clement Danes School was constructed on land on Houghton Road, Holborn which the churchwardens had purchased in 1552. It opened in 1862 and remained there until 1928, then moved to Shepherd's Bush until 1975, when it was finally re-established as a comprehensive school in Chorleywood, Hertfordshire.

The church was almost destroyed by German bombs during the London Blitz of 10 May 1941. The outer walls, the tower and Gibbs's steeple, survived the bombing, but the interior was gutted by fire.

There are features throughout and outside the building commemorating people and units of the RAF.

Outside the church stand statues of two of the RAF's wartime leaders, Arthur ""Bomber"" Harris and Hugh Dowding.

The erection of the statue of Harris was controversial due to his responsibility for the bombing of Dresden and other bombing campaigns against German cities. Despite protests from Germany, including from the mayors of Dresden and Hamburg as well as some in Britain, the Bomber Harris Trust (an RAF veterans' organisation) erected a statue of him outside the RAF Church of St. Clement Danes in 1992. It was unveiled by Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother^[5] who looked surprised when she was jeered by protesters. The line on the statue reads ""The Nation owes them all an immense debt"". The statue had to be guarded by policemen day and night for some time as it was frequently sprayed with graffiti.

type=printed

london borough=city of westminster

period=post-war (1945-present)

postage condition=unposted

number of items=single

size=continental/ modern (150x100 mm)