Thought I'd better update this thread.
After consulting with Maurice Eglinton (Hele), Phillip Liddicoat (ex organist of St Andrew's,
Plymouth) and Lance Foy (present keeper, if I may use the term, of the Tavistock Methodist
Church organ), I have discovered the chronology of the organ of the Dockyard Church of St Lo,
Plymouth .
In 1941 the St Lo church was bombed and the organ (lll/P Hele) destroyed. Church was
demolished.
The 'church' moved out of the Dockyard to St Chad's, Devonport.
In 1957 the 'church' moved back into the Dockyard where a SECOND building was dedicated to
St Lo.
A new lll/P organ was built by Hele for this church c1958. This is the organ detailed in the NPOR.
This is the organ that was subsequently sold to Tavistock Methodist Church around 1987 when
the St Lo church was finally made redundant. The organ was stored on MOD property at Saltash in Cornwall before being rebuilt at Tavistock c1992/3
However, the spec. of this organ in the NOPR is not the same as the present organ, rather it (NPOR) is probably the original proposed spec. as drawn up by Hele and Co.
The Pedal organ never had a 32' Sub Bass stop (Maurice Eglinton confirms this). It is now a 16'
Violone.
The Choir organ was reduced by 3 stops (Open Diapason 8', Principal 4', Tromba 8'); there is a
reversible thumb piston labelled 'Oboe 8' which lies below the Great manual, that draws the
Contra Fagotto 16', Unison Off and Super Octave couplers, a 'Second Touch Cancel' stop key,
and a Division labelled 'Unenclosed' containing the following stops - Open Diapason 8', Principal
4', Tromba 8' and Octave Tromba 4'.
Indeed, when looking at the pipework which is in a gallery behind the altar, there does appear to
be a Diapason and a Reed visible.
There is only one expression pedal.
Unfortunately there was something taking place in the church at the time and I never got to try it
out, just got to confirm the spec and note the changes.
Lance Foy confirms extensive borrowing and extensions which I believe; in fact, looking at the
stoplist, could one think anything different?
Many thanks to all who assisted me, in particular 'Vox Humana' who PM'd me on several
occasions.
Thank you all