Mike I will ask the seller where he got it from.
If there is anything known -I will post the details.
Thank you Chaps – I took a gamble – but I had guessed it might be an RAF Bomber.
Thanks for all the confirmation.
I am afraid it is still in the post – so no side profile yet
This is the inside view.
Did the cooler have this flap on a stick to open/close ?
Is this what you propose on the lower of the Hercules powered Lancaster ?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lancaster_B_Mark_II_of_115_Squadron_RAF_1943_IWM_CH_19792.jpg
The same one on the Wellington is a square profile.
Just Strasbourg – like usual.
Andy – he was a clerk – living in Arundel Sussex.
No rush!
Not much snow in Cumbria – but off to France tomorrow – hopefully.
Photo of the air intake on the Beaufighter wing here
http://www.clubhyper.com/reference/images/beau21wingbg_1.jpg
and air intake and exhaust stub here:
The upper inlet on this Beaufighter is squarer:
http://www.cybermodeler.com/aircraft/beau/images/rafm_beau_01.jpg
Andy, 11th Platoon, 12th Battalion Somerset Light Infantry.
Chap was James T. Benjamin 37139 Private.
Died 6th November 1917. Age 38.
Peter – it is about 50 cm across.
It must have been shot down or crashed in Germany – so not a trainer or coastal aircraft.
Peter- just checked- The round doohicky on the Beaufighter wing was a complete round with two slats at the front.
Its a long way to the US to film the Potez.
Does not look like any RAF clock Type 2 to 5.
If the natural mother was a WAAF can you find her service records and see what stations she was at ?
Thank Andy and Ian.
I am not sure how/whether to mount it behind the Tarpon/Avenger glass as the glass is a very heavy and large item without having it at 30 degrees from the vertical with a gun mount behind it. In addition you would have to sit behind it to use the working sight.
The US one is an exact match to the AM one apart from stamps and labels.
I bought some items from Curtiss (Aviation Antiques) which arrived this week- some of his items were cheaper elsewhere and some were cheaper with him. They were very helpful.
Nowhere else to buy things until Shoreham….
Ok I have found several pics of it in Lancaster rear turrets, mid upper and in Wellingtons as well as the US version in a Grumman Avenger.
It was dead central.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/Wellington_tail_turret_1942_IWM_CH_13880.jpg
The front piece of smoked glass folds down to aid vision .
The rheostat has Night and Day settings – bright and normal.
Thanks Versuch – I will talk to the local glass people this week.
Did a bit of digging on Limpets and they have a home site that they graze and return to – as they grow their shells also grow and abrade the surface as they are likely to be in contact with it daily – which is why there are the concentric rings and the foot mark in the middle.
The orange stuff around the edge of the glass seems to be degraded paint as it came away with a wipe of solvent.