St George & Dragon Pub Restaurant
Signing The Ceiling!
The George and Dragon hotel and restaurant at Clyst St George, was a place of wartime history with airmen from nearby RAF Exeter billeted there during the 1940s and 1950s. Personnel including Americans, Canadians, Polish, Czech, Australians and Burmese signed their names on the ceiling tiles when they were staying there.
Unfortunately, the ceiling was taken down in 1975 and much of it was discarded into a skip and destroyed. Luckily all was not lost as a Gordon Taylor of Taylors Paints managed to salvage a few of these precious tiles and stored them in a warehouse for a period of time.
In 1997 they were presented to the Royal Air Force Association (RAFA) in Exmouth, at the RAFA Club who displayed them on their ceiling. After a while the tiles became fragile with the surface coating extremely flaky and so they were taken down and put into storage again.
In 2009, Clyst St George locals Suzannah and Robin Holwell were given the surviving pieces which were in very poor condition to preserve and look after them. The couple had the tiles professionally cleaned to remove cigarette tar stains and started the long process of researching each of the signatures. In 2019, well over half of the eventual fifty frames created from each of the signatures had been produced as a historical moment-in-time from the Clyst St George venue.
Once the project was completed and the frames duly ready to be displayed the couple offered them to the Royal Albert Memorial Museum (RAAM), Exeter. When RAAM inspected the framed panels, it was discovered that the varnish used to protect them was doing more harm than good and that eventually they would disintegrate. Regrettably the RAAM had to turn down the kind offer as it was believed they would not last long. The same story was the case when the 307 Squadron Project were offered the framed signatures. I have since discovered that there are five small sections of a panel mounted in glass frames in the Topsham museum as part of a Second World War exhibition room. This exhibition has now ended and the frames have been recovered back to the couple in Clyst St George.
The surviving frames are in good hands and will form part of some special events at the St George and Dragon throughout 2025. Research is still progressing on the remaining available signatures to bring back the history for future generations and for local heritiage.
The Landlord from 1939 - 1945 Mr Harold Lobb poses in the bar area of the George and Dragon. Photo Suzannah Holwell.
Press photograph from the Express & Echo newspaper showing Mr Bill Moor who was the landlord from 1946 - 1973 inspects the signatures.
This photograph really captures the atmosphere of the time in the bar area with happy airmen posing with local ladies. Photo Suzannah Holwell.
Another signature from an airmen is added to an already busy ceiling and watched on by local ladies. Photo Suzannah Holwell.
247 Squadron members pose outside of the George & Dragon pub and who were probably billated in the hotel section of the venue. Photo Suzannah Holwell.
Another posed bar photograph of Exeter based airmen enjoying a pint at the George & Dragon pub.
Mr Bill Moor who was the landlord from 1946 - 1973 inspects the signaturesPhoto Suzannah Holwell.
Mr Bill Moor who was the landlord from 1946 - 1973 inspects the signatures. Photo Suzannah Holwell.
Royal Canadian Air Force - 257 (R.A.F.) Sqdn. The signature of Sgt Albert Stilin (pilot) who died on the 30 Sept 1942. Albert was aged just 21 years old. Photo Suzannah Holwell.
Pictured below is the gravestone of Albert Stilin at the Exeter Higher Cemetery Sec. Z.K. Grave 57. Photo Chris Wiseman.
Pilot Officer E R Lewendon of 1426 (ERC) Flight clearly signed this ceiling tile. Photo Suzannah Holwell.
The only surviving reference to the pilots of 15 Squadron. They had signed the ceiling but sadly the signatures were amongst those destroyed. The only reference is simply '15 Squadron De Boys'. Photo Suzannah Holwell.
A photograph clearly showing the damage to the pub roof following the unfortunate accident from a very low flypast of an Exeter based Hurricane fighter. Sadly the pilot perished and the aircraft was written off. Photo Suzannah Holwell.
A recent addition to the St George and Dragon is this fine framed capture of 257 (Burma) Squadron members pictured at the pub. A rare section of the ceiling tile is included here. Once again, this is the work of Suzannah and Robin Holwell who meticulously put these together.Thank you to Rebecca for the photo.
Special thanks and acknowlegements go the Royal Air Forces Association (RAFA), Exmouth for access to this historical information and to Suzannah and Robin Holwell for their meticulous research and work on this project. Also the website RAF Exeter Archive at www.rafexeterarchive.org.uk which lists those airmen who's signatures were saved.
All photographs used on this page are credited to the original copyright owners
Below is a rare glimpse at the G & D public house during the second world war including rare footage of the historic signed ceiling tiles that sadly were taken down in 1975. My thanks to Peter Turner, barmaid Ailsa Loaring (nee Lobb) and to Suzannah and Robin Holwell for allowing me access to this footage.
Access YouTube video here https://youtu.be/I_YAJTLDdIs
Below is one incendiary device that is displayed in the doorway of the church at Clyst St George. Scores of these were dropped on Clyst St George on the night of August 31st 1940 destroying several houses in the village and the rectory stables. One dropped inside the church organ setting fire to the church. Photo credited to the original copyright owner.
Below is one incendiary device that is displayed in the doorway of the church at Clyst St George. Scores of these were dropped on Clyst St George on the night of August 31st 1940 destroying several houses in the village and the rectory stables. One dropped inside the church organ setting fire to the church. Photo credited to the original copyright owner.
This page was last updated 21 March 2026.