Recycled WW2 aircraft starter button

Some of the Bakelite Air Ministry parts found scattered around Quarrywood, Elgin, have been preserved in fantastic,almost in ‘as new’ condition. This is some of several starter buttons I’d found, and thought it would be a fine tribute to that wonderful generation to rebuild one, and let it start a big ‘V’ engine again…

These buttons are very heavy duty, and are definitely well suited to starting my 1974 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide. They were obviously designed to be rebuilt, coming apart very easily, even after being buried for perhaps 63 years.
Any steel, iron or alloy parts, like the nuts, bolts and springs have deteriorated quite badly, but were replaced from my Harley ‘stash’.


Quite an eerie thought that these buttons may have seen untold missions over Germany, with a slim (but very much possible!) chance some of them may have even been on the ‘Dams’ raids!

Now all I need is one of the flip covers for it…