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Rudolf Hess's Cockpit clock


Kenny Andrew

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If it was in the 110 then it needed to be connected to the engine. One of the engines is at East Fortune. What did it connect to?  The airshow is on at East Fortune soon. Perhaps it would be worth a visit.

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Yes maybe, but I need to make a decision soon what do to with this thing, here is what my Norwegian friend Guttorm told me.

that is no clock but as mentioned here a position indicator for the propeller pitch. this instrument is mounted on the engine itself and are visible from the cockpit thru the small window on the engine cowling ( the engine instrument panel with three instruments are mounted on the engine bearer. one on each side and this instrument is also mounted in the cockpit so if the cockpit was smashed it could come from one of the engines) but a nice item

as regards being on a 110.

I can confirm that the Bf 110 had this. i have even dug one up from a crash site ( Bf 110 c )and seen a complete original 110 instrument panel with this instrument. ( two ) the He 111 in our collection ( gardermoen flysamling ) has 4. two in the cockpit and one on each engine panel. the Ju 88 a1 has two ( one on each engine panel ) The 110 had also 4.. two in the cockpit and one on each engine bearer. all aircraft with changeable pitch on the blade need this instrument ( Ju 52 does not have it as those blades are manually turned )

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Ok, so we accept it can come from a 110 and it is from the correct time frame. What you have to decide is do you trust the provenance. You have copy photo's, letters, newspapers, service numbers etc. Firstly, are you happy with them? Secondly, and just as important, will your clientèle be happy with the provenance? How easy is it going to be for you to move it on?

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Yes I am totally happy with them, you can see in the wedding photo that it is without doubt the same man who was at Hess's crash site , we also have his discharge papers etc, the only problem I can think of is that even although he was at Hess's crash site he may have picked the clock up later in the war and over the years the story has got mixed up, especially if that clock was never in a 110, but now it looks like it might have been in a 110, the woman is totally genuine , if it is not Hess's it will come as a total surprise to her , it is looking better though and I hope to have some pictures tomorrow of a 110 with it in it.

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The photos are of a 110 and there is no way a 109 would have the range without external fuel tanks and some luck. Everything I have read said it was a 110 though their is conjecture on some sites if the crashed 110 was his or one sent looking for him the next day which was shot down.

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Here are the pictures of the instrument in the engine thanks to Guttorm. 

post-3-1277556555.jpg

post-3-1277556530.jpg

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that must be a rather rare photo of field work to an engine. A 110 had 2 engines mounted to either wing and the controls were in a central fuselage. To see the controls that close to an engine, and on the side rather than mounted behind would mean you are looking at an engine stripped out of a plane and being worked on, they'd probably have test gauges mounted as you see them that they could attach to the engine to bring it to working order and test.

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Finally added it to the website, still no idea what it's worth so decided we would just ask for offers.

WW2 German Propeller Pitch Indicator From Rudolf Hess's Crashed BF110  Ref: 1072

10th of May 1941 Deputy Fuhrer Rudolf Hess crash lands in Scotland on his secret mission to meet the Duke of Hamilton to negotiate peace with Great Britain.At the scene of the crash RAF Corporal Peter Johnstone removes the Prop pitch indicator or "Luftschrauben-Stellungsanzeiger nr 9-9548" from the engine cowling.The Bf110 would have four Prop pitch indicators two in the cockpit and one on each engine panel.The instrument Corporal Johnston removed was a mechanical one which would have been on the engine panel, the cockpit ones were electrical.The Prop Pitch indicators were used to check which degree the propeller blades were standing.

Corporal Johnstone's Family have asked us to sell the instrument for them.We have copies of pictures of Cpl Johnstone on the front page of a newspaper standing next to Hess's plane also a group photo again next to the Hess plane, we have marked Cpl Johnston on the photos.We also have a copy of his wedding photo in RAF uniform which are illustrated on the web page.Copies of his Marriage Certificate and Certificate of discharge from the RAF are also available but not illustrated as they contain personal information.The instrument also comes with a letter from his daughter confirming that her father removed the instrument form Hess's plane when it crash landed near Eaglesham, Scotland.

As this instrument is a totally unique item from a very controversial period in history and very hard to valuate.We would welcome any serious offers which we would then pass onto the family.

post-3-1278082576.jpg

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  • 1 month later...

Highest bid so far is £900 but don't think the family will go for that, if we don't get any better offers will probably add it to the site for the minimum price the family will accept.Obviously they want a few more offers before they tell me what that figure is. Interesting project anyway even if nothing comes out of it.

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If i had the money...i would buy it.

BUT we are saving for a genuine wartime willys jeep

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I would have thought that was a decent offer. As you say an interesting project. It can be difficult especially if owners have unrealistic expectations on what an item is worth.

 

 

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Yes it's a tricky one , I may have given myself allot of work for nothing but I will let you know how it works out.

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We had an article on it in the Sunday Express at the weekend , still have not seen it, but the writer has promised to send me a copy, will post it here when it arrives.

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  • 1 month later...

Yes they say unless they get that price they will just keep it, originally they wanted £5K but I refused to add it to the site for that, it might be worth 3K just depends on how much someone wants it, it will be interesting to see if it goes.

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Well good luck but I think it is a bit steep.

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  • 2 years later...

Was offered 1.5 K but the family would not accept it and took it back , allot of work for nothing but it was interesting to verify that it was indeed from  Rudolf Hess's plane. 

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You should charge a small fee if people want you to go into heavy research on an item but guess it was good to see and hold this item

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pity on the clock and the family is just crazy to expect more but such is the world I suppose. Side comment... I wonder what the UK find rules are/were for downed aircraft. The rules for archeology finds in the ground is it is instantly crown property which must be declared and valued then offered first to museums. Would this not have been the same for downed aircraft? Course that assumes the laws were still the same back during the war.

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I'm not sure Greg, probably just as well we didn't get it.

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It does seem like they wanted far too much for it, 5k for a clock from the plane seems a bit mad.

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