Vintage Flying Helmets
Aviation, Military & Historical Items for Discerning Collectors
Equipment, Instruments and Tools
(click on pictures to enlarge)
RAF Ordnance Survey Map 2nd War Revision (1941) England, S.E. and London.
The most desirable and hard-to-find of all the war maps of the British isles, since this was where so much activity took place in the early years of the war: London the South East. This is the 1941 (2nd War Revision) edition. Large map, approx. 39" x 28" (100cm x 72cm) and shows use and wear but no real damage. It has minor splits from repeated folding and unfolding, but is mounted on its original linen backing and remains stable and quite robust. Grubby on the back from use but overall a wonderful war veteran.
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$75 / £55 / €65
US M1936 pistol belt with leather holster for Smith and Wesson .38.
Very good used example of the standard GI issue M1936 pistol belt. fitted with a leather holster for the .38 Smith and Wesson "Victory" revolver. The belt is grubby and stained but would clean up if desired. It is marked U.S. and has a name, "James M. Pulliam" inked on it. The holster is not marked that I can see, and is in very good condition with great age patina. One of many types often worn by AAF aviators on ops and makes a great display.
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$60 / £45 / €52
RAF ground crew / mechanic's large calipers dated 1939.
Excellent set of RAF ground crew / fitter's / mechanic's large calipers for measuring spaces/distances for settings on aero-engines etc.
Heavy gauge steel shows some use and very light surface pitting but overall very clean and presentable. Nice Air Ministry crown property mark and date of 1939. 6.5" x 4" closed, and 11" when fully open. Maker marked Geo. Plumpton & Co, Warrington.
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$35 / £25 / €30
RARE official RAF / Fleet Air Arm glass mounted aircraft recognition slides of late wartime / early postwar aircraft
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Official Air Ministry / Admiralty Aircraft Recognition slides, 3" x 3" (75mm x 75mm) with the celluloid slide mounted between two sheets of glass. Many rare aircraft are featured - including the Saro A1 jet flying boat fighter, Sea Hornet, Sea Vampire, Sea Fury, Meteor, etc. (see pictures). All are in excellent condition; 2 have hairline cracks in one side of the glass but are securely held together by the taped edge. One has a series of spider cracks in one side but is again held securely by the tape. Will be well-padded for safe posting. 16 slides in total.
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$65 / £48 / €58
RAF Airman's Kit Bag showing multiple owners and dated 1940.
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Exactly what an airman, including fighter pilots, carried all their kit in when they moved from base to base - including overseas. Large, heavy white canvas kit bag with grommets for securing with a rope at the top (rope not present). The circular flap tucked inside to keep everything dry and stop it falling out. Beautifully marked with Air Ministry stamp and crown plus dated 1940. Has several names hand inked and then crossed out, since these were turned in and reissued. A couple of worn areas on one edge but otherwise still very strong. A great piece of history and a wonderful item for displaying with uniforms, flying kit etc. especially relating to the Battle of France and Battle of Britain.
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$60 / £45 / €55
Huge Luftwaffe plotting map of Northwest Europe dated 1938 / 40.
Very large early Luftwaffe wall chart of Northwest Europe covering Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Belgium, Netherlands, Lithuania, Slovakia and parts of Estonia, Latvia, Finland, etc. Dated 1938 with this printing 1940. Measures a massive 41" x 48" (105cm x 120cm) with all colours are crisp and bright. Printed on heavy paper fully-backed with heavy blue linen. There is some wear through the paper at the corners of some folds but no loss and overall it is in very good, used condition. Holes in the corners from where it has been pinned on a wall. A fantastic background for any Luftwaffe display!
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$375 / £300 / €360
AAF Type A-12 Bubble Sextant in fitted case with accessories.
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Scarce navigation instrument carried in all long range bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. Excellent condition, in its original case with what looks like most accessories, including a pencil with magnifier, case of compass leads, spare light bulbs and reel. Also includes the key to the OD case. Well marked on the case and on the instrument. Very good condition.​
$75 / £60 / €72
Great War linen backed map of Northwest Europe dated 1914. RFC and Infantry used.
Linen backed paper military issue map of Northwest Europe, number 2 in a series of 4. This shows areas of Belgium, Holland (Netherlands) and Germany including Tilburg, Liege, Eindhoven, Aachen and Cologne. Published by the War Office in 1914 this would have been used by ground forces as well as the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service. Some staining and wear at the creases but overall very good condition for showing so much use. Great accessory for an early war RFC or RNAS display.​
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$100 / £80 / €97
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RAF target chart / map dated 1944, for the city of Graz, Austria.
Rare RAF target chart for Graz, Austria (second largest city after Vienna). This paper chart comprises a vertical aerial photograph from images taken December 1943 on one side, and a standard scale map/flight chart to the reverse. Air Ministry and RAF marked, with notations like "no flak positions shown, check for current known flak..." etc. These bombing charts rarely turn up intact because of their highly secret nature at the time, most were destroyed. Excellent condition.
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$155 / £120 / €145
RAF pilot's/navigator's Chartboard Type J.
A fairly scarce accessory for the jet pilot/navigator. For use in aircraft such as the Phantom or Buccaneer where the navigator sat behind the pilot as well as larger aircraft such as the V-bombers and maritime reconnaissance and transport. Measures 12" x 9.5" x0.75" (30cm x 23.5cm x 2cm) with a hinged perspex cover over a clipboard so that charts and maps could be folded and laid under the perspex, which was then marked with Chinagraph pencils. Robust design and well-marked. Small crack to perspex under hinge but that does not comprise the strength or functionality. Great piece!
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$65 / £50 / €60
WWII US Navy aviation plotting charts and directions.
Used with the large plotting board carried by US Naval aviation navigators, this small group comprises on standard plotting chart (with a 360° circle, two-sided)
​one training chart (with fictitious place names that are quite amusing) and a typed /printed letter with directions for use. A nice accessory to display with any US Navy navigation display.
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$20 / £15 / €18
Amazing grouping of US Navy aircrew navigator / torpedo bombing plotting instruments.
This is a remarkable set of navigation / plotting instruments from a US Navy torpedo bomber airman. The set comprises compasses / dividers in a velvet lined, fitted case (with screwdriver for switching nibs). Both instruments are marked Germany and the case indicates these are German made; Torpedo range and distance computer/calculator in a USN marked fitted leather case; Mk VIIIA navigational computer; Aircraft Navigational Chart Plotter (still wrapped in tissue and in its envelope - appears unused); and a Mk 2 chart plotter (also wrapped in tissue and in its envelope, though showing more use). These are all difficult accessories to source and make a wonderful display for a US Navy torpedo bomber crew/navigator.
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​$150 / £120 / €140
Rare Luftwaffe pilot's navigation map pouch dated 1939.
Very rare Luftwaffe pilot's navigation accessory: double-sided cellulose acetate pouch with leather trim, for inserting a folded map/chart or co-ordinates. Notes could then be written on the outside with a Chinagraph type pencil. Seems like a small thing, but I have only seen one or two in many years of collecting, because the acetate just doesn't survive. Acetate does have a couple of minor splits on one side and what looks like a possible cigarette burn, but is intact and in good condition.. the sewn leather "frame" is maker marked L.L.G. and daed 1939. Slipped into a pocket or clipped inside the cockpit for quick reference.
$150 / £115 / €140
Extremely rare Luftwaffe cased Gestirnspeilscheibe precision navigation compass.
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Beautiful cased Gestirnspeilscheibe in superb, unissued condition. This large and highly sensitive device was used to measure the angle between the long axis of the airplane and that of a celestial object, such as a star or the moon, for pinpoint accuracy while taking part in nighttime bombing raids. it was stored in its fitted wooden case inside the fuselage of the aircraft and used during the early night bombing of Great Britain known as the Blitz. It is likely that only one of these instruments would be carried per squadron or raid, by the lead aircraft, acting as a kind of "pathfinder" for the rest to follow. Maker marked with the coded manufacturer gzy. An incredibly rare navigation tool.
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$495 / £385 / €460
WWII US Army "rigger's" sewing kit.
One of the most comprehensive sewing kits I have ever come across! OD green leatherette case 4.5" x 4" when closed, (opening up to 9" x 9") with the US seal in gold on the front. It opens up to reveal an extensive array of tools and materials, including a selection of specialty needles for leather, canvas and other heavy materials suggesting it may have belonged to a rigger. It also has standard sewing needles, safety pins, scissors, a 3" brass ruler, green thread wound around a piece of an old photograph, part of the caption can be read as is dated 1944. There is also a selection of white, green and tan thread loosely woven together in precut lengths which can be removed and used for any repairs or modifications. A pocket contains a selection of different buttons. Really nice example.
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$35 / £28 / €33
Luftwaffe book of town maps dated June 1940 for use by bomber crews over England during the Battle of Britain / Invasion (Sea Lion).
Extremely rare German book of town roadmaps in England and Wales, dated 30 June 1940 and intended for the planned invasion to enable Luftwaffe crews as well as paratroopers and ground forces to navigate their way around after landing. This book contains roadmaps of 117 towns and cities in England and Wales, from Aldershot to York, excluding London (which had its own volume). Of particular importance are all the coastal towns, such as Brighton, Portsmouth, Dover etc. where landings would have been planned, and major cities like Cardiff, Manchester and Birmingham. Many of the maps are fold out pages, including a large fold out showing all towns and cities marked. 8" x 6" with soft linen cover, all in very good condition.
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$295 / £235 / €275
US Army / AAF "Housewife" sewing kit.
Another of those lovely accessories - if you need one for your AAF display, this is the one! Leather wallet, 4.5" x 4" closed, opens up and contains 2 cards of cotton sewing thread in numerous colours: black, white, various shades of green, brown and tan, plus two cards of OD green darning wool. One of the cotton cards has some thread missing (presumably used in its service life) but more than enough remains for either display, or for actually use where genuine original thread is required. There is a 4-inch celluloid tape measure, plus pins and needles on a felt pad. There are also a couple of slots inside for other tools (perhaps scissors) now absent. Nice gold foil US eagle badge to front. Great accessory.
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$35 / £28 / €33
Military type wartime torch (flashlight) similar to RAF aircrew issue.
Very good metal bodied torch (flashlight), very similar to the RAF aircrew issue; exact same size with blue finish and diffused lens. There is a hairline crack at the dge of the lens but it is solid and safe - and still in perfect working condition (you need to supply batteries - I put batteries in to test and it works perfectly). Shows some wear but overall good. This may have been an ARP issue or available commercially. No markings but typical issue type.
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$55 / £45 / €50
Scarce British blue enamel canteen with leather skeleton carrier and blackened webbing strap, marked for Military Intelligence and dated 1943.
Very scarce and unusual British canteen, with a blue enamel finish and complete with its "skeleton" type carrier in blackened leather, broad arrow marked with M.I. and a maker mark with the date of 1943. The canvas webbing strap has also been dyed black. Complete with a correct stopper. Possibly MI9/SOE use, hence the blackening. Great piece in very good condition.
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$100 / £75 / €88
Luftwaffe flight plotting chart/map of the Orkneys, Scotland.
Large paper map/chart of the Southern Orkney Islands in Scotland. As with most German maps, it was based on a British Ordnance Survey map (this one dated 1938), copied and over-printed with a German translation of the features and information. Excellent condition.
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$55 / £40 / €48
RAF/RCAF 1937 pattern webbing set with belt, cross-straps, canteen, Webley holster and ammo pouch.
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Very nice RAF 1937 pattern webbing set, with all components showing equal wear, with owner's service number on belt (prefix R indicating Canadian issue), cross-straps and canteen cover, holster dated 1943 and ammo pouch dated 1942. Canteen cover is dated 1942. Other markings are there but faded. All hardware is made of brass with a good patina. Canteen is wool covered and retains original cork. A very nice set which will display well on a RAF tunic or uniform. RAF webbing is getting harder to find these days.
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$200 / £150 / €175
SAAF 106 Squadron Range Finder for bombing.
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Range Finder, used by bombers for calculating distances on final approach to the target. Excellent condition, This example marked to 106 Squadron, SAAF. Superb
precision instrument , well made from black lacquered aluminium in a fitted wood and leather case, marked with the SAAF broad arrow "U". Included is the usually missing key for tightening the settings n the device, in a leather pouch attached to the case. 106 squadron flew Hampdens, Manchesters and Lancasters and were one of the most active bomber squadrons throughout the war, flying the 4th highest number of Lancaster ops in Bomber Command, most of them over Germany. They flew diversionary bombing on D-Day, being ordered told NOT to drop any bombs while over the Channel. The Master Bomber also flew with 617 on the Dambuster raids.
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$250 / £185 / €220
RAF Navigation chart (Air) for Touluse, 1942.
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Drawn up in 1941 with additions and corrections November 1942, this paper air chart would be used by RAF navigators plotting bomb routes to Toulouse in the South of France. Very good condition with some creasing and soiling around the edges from storage. Charts depicting targets in Europe are quite scarce.
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$75 / £62 / €70
RAF chart/map for Dalmatian coast of Yugoslavia and Adriatic including town of Makarska.
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War Office Sheet 110 paper map dated 1943, showing the Dalmatian coast around Makarska including the islands of Brac and Hvar and the Biokovo mountains. This was a key area for the Yugoslavian Partisans and their supply lines with weapons, food and other needs air dropped by the RAF.
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$85 / £70 / €80
Glass lenses and paper separators for the Mk V 5" heliograph, in original tin.
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One of the more unusual items, and though not strictly speaking flying kit, it was used by ground forces to signal to aircraft and to advanced landing fields. The Mk V Heliograph had amazing longevity; it was used during the Boer War and WWI and was still an invaluable asset in WWII. The thick glass mirrors are brad arrow marked and dated 1944. In favourable conditions, the signal could be seen up to 70 miles away! A rare and interesting item in perfect condition.
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$55 / £42 / €484
Anti-Dim cloth for gas mask, goggles etc.
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Still contained in its light grey tin container with a threaded lid, the anti-dim cloth was impregnated with a compound supposed to prevent lenses from fogging up while in use. A nice accessory for the gas mask (remember ALL service personnel as well as civilians were required to carry a gas mask, in particular at the beginning of the war).
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$25 / £20 / €24
"Fogpruf" Paste and cloth for mask lenses.
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Medium grey tin container with a friction sealed lid containing a cleaning cloth and "Fogpruf" paste for cleaning the lenses of gas masks and prevent fogging. Instead of the cloth being impregnated with the anti-fog compound, it was contained in a small tube rolled up inside the cloth. A nice accessory for the gas mask (remember ALL service personnel as well as civilians were required to carry a gas mask, in particular at the beginning of the war). Manufactured by MSA (Mine Safety Appliance Co. of Pittsburgh, PA).
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$25 / £20 / €24
Reproduction WWI leather carrier for the Brodie steel helmet.
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Excellent reproduction of a very difficult piece of kit to source, perfect for a display or re-enactor. High quality leather helmet holder with straps and brass fittings. Originals are scarce and fragile.
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$70 / £55 / €65
RARE British paratrooper gas mask container jungle green 1944.
Scarce item of equipment carried by British paratroopers, tis 1944 dated gas mask container is made from heavy waterpoofed cotton, dyed jungle green, and has numerous pockets for the mask accessories. 1944 dated shoulder strap.
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$55 / £43 / €50
US Army pack dated 1942.
Standard early war pack carried by all U.S. Army personnel. Shows some wear but no damage, only slight fading and discolouration from age. Well marked and has a faint name inked on the front.
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$45 / £35 / €42
RAF webbing belt and braces with canteen and carrier, 1937 pattern.
Good set of RAF 1937 pattern webbing, comprising the belt, dated 1943 (partially obscured by the airman's service number), shoulder straps (braces) with extenders and a canteen in its correct 1942 dated matching carrier. Canteen is in excellent condition, with its felt covering undamaged and includes its original attached cork stopper. A very nice set in very good condition.
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$250 / £185 / €220
Wartime British Army webbing pack, large size, in excellent, unissued condition.
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Superb large khaki webbing back pack, with matching straps. At first glance, it looks like pack is dated 1948, but close insection shows that the ink has bled and that it is actually 1943 with the maker Bagcraft Ltd and a broad arrow stamp. Both straps are maker marked MEC Ltd and dated 1944, so it is a good wartime example in impeccable condition.
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$55 / £40 / €50
RAF other ranks kit bag / duffel dated 1942.
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Great display item! Other airman's kit bag, made from sturdy white canvas with 2 blue stripes painted around it, together with his name and service number. Good clear broad arrow mark and date of 1942 stamped inside. One brass grommet is missing, but there's no damage to the bag and it doesn't detract.
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$55 / £40 / €48
RARE WWI RFC flight map/chart of North West Europe.
30" x 28" (76cm x 71cm) aerial chart of NW Europe, covering Holland, Belgium and Germany, from Eindhoven to Liege to Dusseldorf, Cologne and as far west as Bonn. This is sheet 2 of 4 sheets that covered all of Europe. War Office marked and dated 1914. Linen backed with minor wear and staining. Wonderful Great War accessory for an aviation display.
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$120 / £100 / €112 email to secure this item
Extremely rare and important flight chart / Ordnance Survey map dated 1912 and used by the Royal Aircraft Establishment Experimental Squadron in WWI.
1912 Ordnance Survey map of northern Hampshire, in southern England, showing Winchester and Alton. This neighborhood was the home of the very first military flying organization, The Royal Aircraft Factory (RAF), which was renamed Royal Aircraft Establishment in 1918 to avoid confusion with the newly named Royal Air Force (also RAF). The location of many well known early airfields can be seen and what is presumably a flight plan, following the railway lines to Andover, is marked in pencil. Map is linen backed, in excellent condition, slightly grubby at the edges, and measures 31" x 21" (78 cm x 53 cm). There is clear ink stamp to the cover which reads: Royal Aircraft Establishment Experimental Squadron.
Priced at £120 / $150 / €140 email for more details