This is a true tale about a Halifax Bomber that had been on quite a few raids during WW2.
After the war these planes were put to service by helping to train glider pilots.

During 1947 the circular engined Halifax Bomber was sent to North Luffenham airfield where Cliff -my hubby- used to be a fitter on the engines when he was in the RAF doing his 2 years National Service after the war. The Halifax Bomber was a replacement sent to teach Glider Pilots.

Before the plane was accepted it had to go on a test flight to make sure that it was safe to tow the gliders.
On its first test flight it crashed through a fault in the control column. It turned right over on to its back and crashed in a ploughed field at the end of the drome.
One big cloud of dust that scared the living daylights out of the ground crew.

Cliff said everyone was terrified of what they would find but the pilot, engineer and the radio operator all climbed out dusting themselves down and getting the dust out of their eyes.
Everyone was relieved and pleased to see all three climb out unhurt but to this day my hubby says he will never know how they did.
From what Cliff could gather a bolt at the bottom of the control column had snapped.

He was NOT one of those that had serviced this aircraft but there was a big enquiry as to what happened.

He was servicing a Lancaster Bomber at that time.

Cliff said out of the Halifax and the Lancaster he preferred the Halifax because you could walk down the middle of it but with the Lancaster you had to crawl on your hands and knees to service them.

After his stint at North Luffenham he was sent to Cottesmore to work on Mosquitoes.
He also worked on the first Meteor.
He enjoyed his time in the National Service and only wished it was brought back again to straighten some of the yobs out of today.

During the winter of 1947 hubby was sent home on indefinite leave for around 6 weeks because the snow that came in the February of that year came SO heavily there was 30 foot of snow in many places and they could not get the planes off the ground. It was THE worst winter I have ever lived through.

Out of the wreck of the Halifax my hubby had a piece of perspex from the windscreen and made this brooch for me (below).
Its now over 75 years ago since he first gave it to me and to me its priceless. It will be kept in the family and I very often wonder how many bombing raids has that little piece of perspex been on and more than pleased to know it got those inside the plane home safely.
If only it had a voice what hair raising tales it could tell.

As I am allergic to gold or any other jewellery, even my wedding and engagement rings this brooch has been worn at many venues throughout my married life.

My allergy was first noted when I got married because hubby had bought me a string of pearls to wear on my wedding day.
It was when I came to take them off. The clasp at the back of my neck had caused an itchy rash. The necklace can be seen clearly round my neck in my wedding photo.

This was one reason I chose "String of pearls" to be played at hubbys funeral.

Over time I had to have my wedding ring taken off because that was making my finger swell with my continual scratching and the swelling.
It eased the irritation so I was without either my engagement ring or wedding rings for my married life.
I have passed the rings on to my granddaughter who, although does not wear them, wants to keep them.

I could wear my brooch because it was not against my skin.

I wear my brooch at important family do's.
To me its worth more than the crown jewels.