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MUSEUM TREASURES
Hidden Treasures
1. The Diary of George Orme Smart
George Orme Smart was a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps. He kept a diary during his time at the Front and labelled each page alphabetically, the first page starting with the letter “A”. He was killed by the German ace Baron Manfred von Richtofen on 7th April 1917 – “Z” day.
Location: Royal Flying Corps showcase –
Prince Michael of Kent Concourse.
The Diary of George Orme Smart
2. Escape Tin
This homemade escape tin with its original contents, including a compass and files, belonged to Major Gray of the Royal Flying Corps. He was shot down over the Western Front and taken prisoner but managed to escape with two other servicemen.
Location: Royal Flying Corps showcase –
Prince Michael of Kent Concourse.
Escape Tin
3. Caught at 2,000 feet!
The story told about this artefact is that on 4th August 1916, 2nd Lieutenant H Lloyd Chadwick RFC and 2nd Lieutenant A Hadrill RFC were flying at a height of 2,000ft over La Basse in France in a F.E.2b. Hadrill was the Observer and so was standing in the front cockpit of the aircraft. Incredibly, he managed to catch this German shell when it was almost stationary at the top of its trajectory and thus prevented it from falling inside the aeroplane.
Location: Royal Flying Corps showcase –
Prince Michael of Kent Concourse.
Caught at 2,000 feet!
4. Benito Mussolini’s Door Handle
Benito Mussolini was Prime Minister of Italy from 1922. He became a dictator and an ally of Adolf Hitler during the Second World War. He saw himself as a latter-day emperor and adopted the ancient Roman symbol of the “fasces” – a bundle of twigs with an axe. This door handle was liberated from one of his residences in 1945 by a member of 651 Air O.P. Squadron.
Location: Mezzanine – Prince Michael of Kent Concourse.
Benito Mussolini’s Door Handle
5. Chess Set
Sergeant John Cameron GPR was shot down and taken prisoner by the Chinese on 7th May 1953 whilst serving as a pilot with 1913 Light Liaison Flight in Korea. This chess set was carved by a fellow prisoner using a piece of sharpened metal (knives were forbidden) and given to Sergeant Cameron in exchange for a bottle of wine.
Location: Mezzanine – Prince Michael of Kent Concourse.
Chess Set
6. A “Rupert”
During the Second World War, these dummy parachutists were dropped in large numbers to convince the enemy that a mass parachute landing was taking place. It was an effective way of diverting forces away from the real drop zones.
Location: Mezzanine – Hayward Hall.
A “Rupert”
7. Rotachute
This experimental aircraft was designed in the early 1940s to carry a soldier equipped with a Bren gun and 300 rounds of ammunition into battle. In trials it was towed behind a Tiger Moth aeroplane and reached a height of 3,900 feet (1189 metres) and a top speed of 93 miles per hour (150 km per hour). Although 20 Rotachutes were made, it was never used operationally.
Location: Mezzanine – Hayward Hall.
Rotachute
8. The First of Many
In 1944, Major H Nelson of the Royal Tank Regiment convinced his superiors that he should carry out research into the use of helicopters for reconnaissance. Without any fixed-wing training, he became the first British Army officer to qualify as a helicopter pilot. He later submitted a report to the authorities, accompanied by this working model of a Sikorsky R4, which persuaded them to back the development of helicopters for use in support of the Army.
Location: Hayward Hall.
The First of Many
9. Rotabuggy
Designed in 1943, the Rotabuggy was an experimental aircraft made of a Jeep fitted with a rotor blade and tail section. In preliminary tests, the Rotabuggy was towed along the runway using a Bentley car. It later graduated to actual flights behind Whitley bombers. Controlling this bizarre aircraft in flight could be extremely difficult and exhausting for the pilot. This is a replica of the Rotabuggy made by the Wessex Aviation Society.
Location: Hayward Hall.
Rotabuggy
10. Turnbull’s Medals
During the Rhine Crossing, SSM Lawrence Turnbull was senior pilot in a glider carrying troops and medical supplies. At a height of 2,000ft a loose tow rope smashed across the front of the glider, destroying most of the controls and breaking the fin and rudder causing the aircraft to begin a vertical dive. SSM Turnbull managed to regain control of the glider and land it safely despite also being under heavy anti-aircraft and small arms fire. Once on the ground, and still under fire, he organised the evacuation of the wounded from the glider. The citation for his Conspicuous Gallantry Medal displayed here stated that: “...this Warrant Officer showed skill of the highest kind and a degree of courage that was an inspiration to the personnel flying in his glider”.
Location: Next to the Shop Entrance.
Turnbull’s Medals