Mike brewser curios

25/05/2024

28/12/2023

I hope everyone had a great Christmas, I had this come in just before the break. Sector clocks are very iconic, original one’s can fetch up to £4K. This isn’t one, but it is an original 1943 Air Ministry mess clock, it certainly has seen better days.

I intend to have the mechanism over hauled, but the question is do I do a clock version of an oily rag resto on the dial. Once the patina has gone it’s lost its originality. Anyone want to comment?

16/12/2023

16/12/2023

‘Last Post’ before Christmas, I got into this interest of curiosities following on from my obsession with war time jeeps I have WW2 GPW which I built in the 1980’s. When they were’in service’ they had first aid kits that were stowed under the dash. The cases are about and can be picked up for around £40 but this one is quite nice as it comes with its contents. It’s a keeper I’m afraid.

03/11/2023

I have had an airmans log book come in these are very interesting hsitorical documents. This more so as the pilot was stationed on The Indefagitable one of our aircraft carriers. They took part in the final days of WW2 off the coast of Japan. Here is a picture taken from the Indefagitable's flight deck during a Kamikaze attack. The Indefagitable was hit during this raid but fortunately the carrier had an armoured deck which limited the damage inflicted upon it. I have enlarged two sections showing some aircraft the one on the right you can see by the eliptical wings is a Seafire the one on the left hasn't so I am thinking this may be a Kamikaze plane. Also if you look at the sea and the burning patches of black smoke would indicated buring oil planes possibly?

This picture as far as I know has never been published and is a window into history.

26/10/2023

In recently, I bought some items from the Airfix archives, here’s an American painting and marking of army aircraft TB 746-93-2 from 1967. Along with a nice shot of a Fairy Barracuda P9926 in flight along with a treasure trove of plans and correspondence.

08/10/2023

Watch these short videos about the Wildfire III Minesweepers.Minesweepers: https://youtu.be/aTsYiZFzv5MD-day minesweepers: https://youtu.be/ZjlA5LxCAsgClearing the Scheldt: https://youtu.be/8ELsc9T3LbwThe Relief of Holland: https://youtu.be/GghYEFHmOfY

08/10/2023

One of things that has always fascinated me, when I get items in, is the history and lives that have lived through the objects I now handle. I research and like to put that person or object into the many resources now available online. A photograph of a ship and a faded picture of a Navy Officer a ship that swept mines on D-Day. A picture slightly more coloured in, story more told.

Watch these short videos about the Wildfire III Minesweepers.Minesweepers: https://youtu.be/aTsYiZFzv5MD-day minesweepers: https://youtu.be/ZjlA5LxCAsgClearing the Scheldt: https://youtu.be/8ELsc9T3LbwThe Relief of Holland: https://youtu.be/GghYEFHmOfY

07/10/2023

It's been a while since I've put anything up so I'll post up what I bought the other day. It's a propeller mmm, it's made of a material called Duralumin, discovered in 1906 in Germany it's an alloy used in aircraft as it's very tough and light. This propeller is 78 inches tall and was manufactured by Fairy who had a bought the rights from Reed propeller manufacturers USA. It was designed to be fitted to the Gypsy Major engine. This engine powered The Tiger Moth, Gypsy Moth and Chipmunk. I'm tempted to strip back one blade and highly polish it and leave the accident damaged end as is... thoughts?

21/08/2023

So another item that's just come in, it's a toy aeroplane in it's original box from wait for it ..... 1938, yes 85 years old. Called the MW3 Hurricane.

Christie's Auction house describe it as 'Modern Wonder' magazine 'Hurricane' MW3 Presentation Flying Model Monoplane designed by Wallace Rigby.

A example was sold at Christie's in 1994 it fetched £198. Available soon!