Thanks for posting Dennis,
We love ID;ing stuff m8, putting the jigsaw together so to speak. Glad you have reached a conclusion at least, even if not was expected. Those wooden items could be off :- Mosquito or a WW2 Military Glider and my last ID is that items 130 to 133 are std. Imperial pipes and connections (Unions) from Brit Aircraft, most likely Engine oil–hydraulic or pneumatic if pipes are Tungum (Form of brass ) or Pitot static if they are made of light alloy. Dennis, feel free to come back anytime, all the best to you.

Bill T.

Hi again Brataccas,
Glad to help, That Sea- Hawk Pic. you’ve just posted, Yes !!!! Thats the door in question. The other pics posted Pic1 (think thats the washed up item, looks like some sort of (Bent -up) strapping that would be removable (See those big fastener holes) it was probably attached to another piece but got ripped off in crash. Do you have any more pics. of it ? The other piece could be off anything sturdy, it reminds me of part of an Integral fuel tank (Tank being part of Aircraft structure ) just a hunch !! Someone else should come up with those stamps ID at some time.

Bill T.

Good finds !!!

Hi Brataccas,
I Like the dug up drone and that last piece you’ve unearthed. Its a Sea Hawk Nose Wheel door. ( 1950’s Brit Navy Carrier Fighter Jet ) Check out the period pic and the Museum one attached here, cannot locate any better ones yet. Bet there’s a lot more stuff like that buried there. At least 2 C/pits I know of In UK are missing these doors, which hinged at the very front and arc’d back under Hydraulic Pressure to close the door when U/C is Locked up. Those “Lumps” on left end are the mechanical door Up-Locks. You can see the Navy light duck egg-ish !!! paint applied to inside of door, that is period correct. That looks like a door off the Dark painted Sea-Hawks, that I cannot remember why they were painted up in that scheme. Nice find.

Bill T.

Hi Sopwith,
Absolutely agreed, brilliant read !!!! (Written by his nephew ) The things that man got up to defied the odds. One was he took his car around Perry Barr Speedway (After locking up differential ) with circuit manager sitting in with him (in 1932 ) and i think they took the lap record–lol !!!

Elmdon Boy,
Thanks for info, Don’t think it was Castle Bromwich Airfield pic. as I don’t remember any trees around there. Must have been an RAF Base within range. Honiley springs to mind as that had trees around ( during my visit in 1957 anyway ).

WOW !! about the Auster, Can any NZ enthusiasts up date us on the fate of ZK-AUH ? Would love to know. Changing tack. Do you have any pics. of Stirlings at Elmdon ? Great stuff for me and hope you are enjoying uncoverings thread is throwing up.

Bill T.

Another interesting thread /place of interest. In the very early 1980’s I loaned out My WD M-20 BSA motorcycle to the Grange Cavern Military Museum Collection.To look after whilst I went overseas to earn a crust. The machine was in very original condition and I’d decked it out in all the extra’s. She looked pretty good. At that time, the Caverns were crammed full of Military vehicles and artifacts and were a pleasant walk around the guide lines,the whole lighting system was floodlit behind vehicles and gave a good effect, though it was dark and very damp in there. The caretaker/manager at that time was a chap called Gary ? He owned a very nice OHC 1930’s Velocette Racer and lived locally, he was a good man, doing a good job which was why I loaned out the M-20. The Museum ran several Auto Jumbles through their time up there, they were quite successfull too.

Quite some years later I contacted The Museum and arranged to fetch my machine back out, by this time, the place had closed to the public and loads of stuff had gone. My M-20 was very rusty and needed another restoration. It was a different man now running the museum, pleasant enough chap, but he had no idea where all my Army despatch riders gear had gone to, it was definately gone, no doubt spirited away by someone in the Museum run down confusion. Obviously I was a bit narked about that, so he led me into a room at the back and said,” If you can find anything like you had here, help yourself. ” A good rummage through all the equipment got me most duplicates of my lost stuff and he threw in extra gear too. So that was a very good action by him. Felt a bit sorry for him as the place was dripping water and he obviously didn’t like running it all down, I think he/they had to vacate the Museum due to council problems. My M-20 and all the gear was sold off around time of 911 and the extras e-Bayed later.

I never went back there again, I believe it was vacated within the year after my last visit.

There was indeed a Lancaster mainwheel and tyre assy in there during the museums time. It was looking a bit yuk then parked over against a wall. The story going around at that time about it, was that a Lancaster had indeed crashed in the shallows of the sea somewhere around Gronant/ Prestatyn way around WW2 time and it had been thrown off the crash and bounced away going over a road somewhere even. I remember seeing a Lancaster Mainwheel assy. on display in a garage along that bottom Coast road, in the Gronant area back in 1960’s and I’m fairly certain it was this wheel. The wheel had the “Check” studded tyre very common from WW2 time.

So on a visit to the Newark C/pit Fest a few years ago I was very surprised to see a Lancaster mainwheel assy. parked up outside that first hut on right after you go through the shop entrance. Have a feeling it could be the same Wheel assy. that was in Grange Cavern Museum. (Twin Otter, can you throw any light on this ? ) I’ve got a pic. somewhere of it taken at Newark.

Anyhow, the pic. of that Car wheel posted in here,I’m also pretty certain that was the label placed on the Lancaster mainwheel assy during its time at Grange Cavern Museum, some wag found it later and placed it on what is certainly the only remaining classic item left in there. The Car wheel. :stupid:

And NO, I didn’t place it there either–lol !!!!

Thinking about all this, I’ve never spoken to anyone about the Grange Cavern since those days, so this is another forgotten thing pulled out of the mists of time. Thanks Meddle for posting this.

Bill T.

Hi Elmdon Boy,
Yes indeed, welcome to the forum. Interesting what you have to say about Elmdon Airport as I was doing the same sort of thing there as you but my times ran from early 1950’s through to end of 1957 when I went into RAF Apprentices scheme at RAF Halton as a U/T rigger. (This was to get me out of National Service,so I could pick my trade. Remember National Service Boys, everyone had to do it except essential trades, like :- Miners–Train Drivers–,etc,etc. )

But back to Elmdon in the 1950’s, it was a great place, exactly as you say, i went to just about all the Airshows there then and the one that has stuck in my mind these past many decades was the one circa 1953 ? Witnessing a mass take off of Navy Seafires fitted with JATO rockets to give assistance. That was impressive. I would always stand right at the wire fence that the public were behind, as Aircraft would be parked up next to it sometimes and we got to see the whole start up and taxi out. Also (I think this was at the same Airshow ) In front of me was a biplane parked up, it looked like a german version of a Tiger Moth. this pilot came out to it, did his walk around and climbed in. he wore a white flying suit and a cloth helmet and goggles, exactly like the 1930’s flyers did. All this was happening about ten feet in front of me with the pilot speaking to crowd as he went around his plane . I had no idea who he was, but I was very,very interested. He fired the plane up and after the checks gave it full throttle and raced off across the grass, we were blown back but this was “Magic”, He ran the plane a minimal distance, lifted up to around 10 feet in height and calmly rolled it upside down and proceeded to fly all around the Airfield perimeter before climbing up to a superb flying display. (Fuel system must have been modified for that. ). The sideslipped her back to ground very close taxied back to same place ,shut down ,climbed out and bowed to us. Well !!!! what a reception. I think that was the day that clinched it all for me, I was going to get involved in Aircraft properly after that. I think the pilot was known as “Count Stokowski” ?? or something like that, he definately was the top flyer of those times and I was part of that. ( Moggy take note )

So from that I joined The ATC in around 1954 ( 493 Sqdn, Kings Heath, B’ham ). This continued right up to joining RAF, with annual camp at Hemswell in 1956 where all the ATC Cadets got rides in a Lincoln Bomber except me as there was no room boohh hooo I was furious about that, because even at that time, I knew the value of being around those Lincolns. Anyway, I digress. In the Summer of 1957, myself and 2 pals cycled over to Elmdon on our push bikes in our ATC uniforms. Once there we got into the private Aircraft hangers no trouble and were looking around one of the Tiger Moths when this pilot walked up to us and was asking what we were doing then said:- ” I’m the Chief Flying Instructor, here, Would you chaps like to go for a flight in a Tiger Moth ? ” Well you know what the answer was to that and thats what happened, he gave each of us a 20 min. flight around Elmdon and never charged us a penny, even gave us cups of tea at the Flight Hut. We were absolutely bowled over by this magnificent gesture. Funnily enough ,I’ve never been back to Elmdon since and i don’t think i need to.( The rest of the world beckoned. )
There were some very big hangers or Factories over other side of the main Railway line, that were still decked in their camouflage markings for many years, guess they are probably long gone now.
Yes Elmdon was a special place for me as my first flight in an aeroplane was from there in an Auster with my dad piloting and me and brother strapped in to seat next to him by one lap strap. This was in 1947 just after dad had got his ppl. He flew us over where we lived in Moseley and to show us our house he banked right over to the left, and circled around then opened our door so we could see down to the houses below. Woooo !!! Impressive. I’ve got a couple of pics, somewhere of his plane and club licence,etc. I’ll post em here if I can find em. Good days indeed.

Bill T.

Hi Den,
Here’s a quick “Google” Translate ” on the first 4 of your labels:- 110–111—112– and 113.

110 :- Rotary knob from the radio device of a Lancaster (Laut 1 Quiet ? ) 1943. ( I guess Google translate couldn’t decipher part of that )

111 :- Two three screws of a parachute pack RAF.

112:- Buckle of Fleigerbrille (Right Side ) RAF 1944 ( Might mean Harness ?? )

113:- Fastening buckle between the belt and the strap. RAF 1943.

———————————————
When I added the RAF 194-3 or 4 in at end of para it changed the whole sentence into semi gibberish. so I’ve added those bits in myself afterwards.

Interesting !!!!! Will let you sort out the others, have fun and hope you match labels and items.

Bill T.