2007 Back to the Basement Museum................

and another six items:

7. The violin bow. A momento of my stepfather Reginald William Batten. This bow is now devoid of its horsehair. Did you know? ...... It really does come from horses, from their tails. The hairs are layed alternately root end, free end, root end, free end so that the bow 'drags' on the string equally in both directions. Amazing the work and variety of materials in this bow. Ivory I think at the 'far' end, mother-of-pearl - the small circular inlays, leather sleeve for the grip, the horsehair as above, the wood - mahogany? seems to have an octagonal cross-section, ebony perhaps forms the body of the tensioner, red gold - the trim - bearing the name Reginald Batten and the letters R.A.M. (Royal Academy of Music) and the date 1921. (that's 85 years) I think it was a presentation item.
Missing too are the parts that made up the adjuster. The bow is in a sorry state now but still a tribute to the craftsmen who made it. Cheers Reg! I still think fondly of you.

8. The DC-8 emblem. This was 'borrowed' from the centre of the captain's control wheel on Air Canada DC-8 fleet number 820 at the time of its retirement.

9. The Vickers emblem. This from the captain's control wheel of an Air Canada Vanguard, fleet number 917 also at the time of its retirement. No doubt items 1(RR plate) 8 and 9 would fetch 'money' on E-Bay ..... how much I wonder?

10. The Pratt and Whitney 'badge'. From the gearbox of an Air Canada DC-8 Srs 63's engine when the aircraft was newly delivered. Strange how they always fell off.

11. L.a/c's badge, a two-bladed propellor. The 'Leading Aircraftsman' had some real significance during the war but, by the time I got the rank it had sunk to little more that a sort of 'passed your probation' mark.

Skip this next paragraph perhaps: The RAF ranks? Well the technical trades went this way: A.c.2 (Aircraftsman 2nd class); A.c.1 (Aircraftsman 1st class); L.a/c. (Leading Aircraftsman); S.a/c. (Senior Aircraftsman); J/T (Junior Technician); Corporal Technician; Senior Technician; Chief Technician; Master Technician. The last four were Corporal, Sergeant, Flight Sergeant, Warrant Officer equivalents.

12. J/T's chevron/Junior technician's stripe. I joined the RAF and trained as an Aircraft Mechanic. As an S.a/c I applied for a Fitter's Course. Passing this made me a Junior Technician - more money!