It's a tin model of a bi-plane that made my heart leap when I saw it sitting, all alone, on the shelf. Everybody knows I like an aeroplane, but I can usually walk away from these delightful objects, because I already have a collection of more accurate scale models. Not today though; I grabbed this one with both hands, and took it straight to the tills. You see, the first thing I thought of when I saw this plane was my Grandad, the airman.
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| Grandad in his uniform. The white flash on the hat indicates a volunteer |
Grandad volunteered for the Royal Air Force at the latter part of the Second World War, and undertook training in the iconic yellow biplane, the de Havilland Tiger Moth. The war drew to a close before he was ready for combat flying, but being able to fly the aircraft solo was one of Grandad's proudest achievements for the rest of his life. This is his flying log sheet, detailing his training in the DH82A model. He achieved his first solo flight on 8 March 1945, in the aircraft N9441.
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| An actual Tiger Moth |
Grandad passed away in 2013, but he is always fresh in our memories, and now that I have this little plane sitting on my bookshelf, I'll remember him every time I see it. If he was still alive today, it would have been his Christmas present - I'm sure he would have loved it.
Absolutely lovely! It was meant to be that you found it! ;-) x
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