The “Hendon Victoria Station spinner” was a contemporary recovered item,i.e. picked up from the crash site.For many years it was used as a flower pot to hold a display of roses. It rested on the first floor balcony behind Rochester Row police station.
If you look closely at the spinner you will see evidence of several square holes that have been welded over,these were made post crash for drainage.
How do I know this ?
It was my father a serving police officer who recovered it at the time,along with one of the machine guns.The duty relief liberated quiet a few parts,some time was spent in the “stores” room with hammers and a brick trying to straighten the machine gun with a view to firing it along the station yard.Fortunately they failed.Having served his time with the Met, my Father retired,bringing home with him his truncheon and the rose pot.
After several years further service as a rose pot at home our family decided to donate it to Hendon.
The machine gun? well strange to relate that too surfaced after the war,as young collectors my brother and I were offered the same gun and a bullet holed propeller blade .The offer came from the Father of Doctor Chris Jarman.Who according to the story we were told had been working for the M.O.I.instrumental in setting up publicevents which displayed shot down aircraft /parts.
My Father accompanied my brother and I to view the offered artifacts,and was able to point out some of his post crash attempts at straightening the gun.
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