Biplane just now over York, tiger moth maybe?

Lunchtime today chipmunk over Huntington village church, did several circles round. Was low enough to see wing markings which I think read WK549. Wish it had been me up there as it has been a lovely day for flying!

Some good details there. I like the VR Sgt pilot cleaning his car wearing a side arm. Evidence that aircrew did wear their issued revolvers.

With regards donating/loaning to museums. Museums that are accredited, most larger museums are. Will need to have a proper accessions policy by which they add to the collection. Once an item is donated and accessioned sole title to the object is with the museum. The original depositor relinquishes any ownership. It is then the museums to do with what they will. Display, store or dispose. Disposal procedures are quite long winded for accredited museums. They are obliged to try and pass on to another more relevant collection. Only when that has failed are they allowed to sell an item. In reality most museums just end up storing items not needed for display. They can of course get them out for interested parties, but unless you know of an item’s location how do you know where to ask? Lots of items just disappear from sight. As for long loans most museums now only take fixed term loans for specific exhibitions. This is because they cannot build long term exhibitions around objects that might get recalled by their owners. Nor can they store indefinitely objects they do not own that are not needed for display. Obviously most depositors hope and think their treasured items will go on immediate and permanent display. This sadly is not they case. I love museums and work in them, but I always advise people to think carefully before donating, as you cannot get it back again if circumstances change.

If you can get hold of a copy of vintage flying helmets by Mick Prodger you can see similar helmets on page 138. Basically great war flying kit was privately sourced from motoring outfitters and the like and there was no official pattern. I would say your helmet is of the type worn by German avaitors in WWI, the loop on top is fairly diagnostic. However the same basic type of helmet was continued to be made in the inter war period. Without firm proof it is possibly impossible to be 100% certain if this was ever used for flying. However paired with some nice goggles it would not look wrong for a WWI German display. It is a nice item.

I am trying to rebuild a pair of these. I am short of the rear tubes, i.e the one below the shade arm and the between the two side tubes. These appear as though they are the same as the standard anglepoises in that they do not have the extra circular friction washer that all the other tubes do on the Air Minstry type anglepoise. I also need all the aluminium spacing bars. There is two between the side tubes, one top one bottom with assosiated fixing screws/nuts. Then there are two bars near the bottom which the springs attach to that the original poster also needs.

I would be happy to just rebuild one lamp and use the other parts I have to trade for the bits I need if somebody has a quantity of the parts I do not and vice versa.