Rare bell cast out of metal from downed Second World War German planes up for sale at antique centre
A bell made from metal taken from German aircraft shot down over Britain during the Second World War is up for sale at a Shropshire antiques centre.
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A rare Second World War Battle of Britain 'Victory Bell' has gone up for sale and on display at the Old Mill Antiques Centre in Bridgnorth.
The bell forms part of a range of wartime memorabilia in a commemorative D-Day anniversary display at the centre.
During the war, many German aircraft crashed over the UK and were salvaged, stripped of usable parts and aluminium to be recycled in new aircraft. Those remnants unsuitable for recycling were smelted into ingots.
Several 'Victory Bells' were cast from the ingots and sold to raise money to support the work of the RAF Benevolent Fund.
All the bells were cast with the faces of wartime leaders Winston Churchill, Joseph Stalin and Theodore Roosevelt. Some bells, including the one now in Bridgnorth, had the 'V for victory' sign on the handle, while other designs featured handles cast in the shape of a V.
The RAF Benevolent Fund, set up after the First World War to provide financial help for injured airmen and their families, is still in operation today.
Old Mill owner John Ridgway said: “This amazing bell was cast during the Second World War from aluminium alloy metal and sold in aid of the RAF Benevolent Fund.
“We’ve never seen one here at the centre before and it’s sure to attract the attention of wartime memorabilia collectors.”
Back in 2014, one such bell sold at auction in Newcastle upon Tyne for £110, above the estimated value price.
The bell at Old Mill is priced at £65, and is available to view at the centre in Mill Street, seven days a week from 10am to 5pm.
