A remarkable archive of items from the Coventry Blitz will go under the hammer at a national auction later this month.
Part of a Nazi bomb, a detailed scrapbook and
even a map of Luftwaffe targets in the city are among the collection which is expected to fetch up to £2,000 in total.
The sale will take place at Hansons Auctioneers, in Derbyshire, on Monday, November 23, and the items - which all date back to the infamous attacks on Coventry 1940 and some even back to the 19th century - have already attracted nationwide interest.
Charles Hanson, manager of Hansons Auctioneers, said: “The archive takes us back 75 years this month to the devastating air raid which began over Coventry in the early evening of November 14, 1940.
“Following 11 hours of relentless bombing, three-quarters of Coventry city centre was destroyed, with 550 people killed on the first night.
“Targeted because it was a major manufacturing city, its mediaeval centre was largely destroyed.
“The archive, put together in around 1940/41, is something rarely seen.
“It’s remarkable to handle a German incendiary bomb fin which was found in the ruins of Coventry Cathedral, together with parts of old Coventry tramway retrieved from the devastation; following World War Two trams did not run again in Coventry.”
The collection, which belongs to a private individual, will be split in to six lots and Hansons’ militaria expert, Adrian Stevenson, says the collection “would rival that of any archive held by institutions local or national”.
He said: “The scrapbook, which was compiled from 1941 onwards, comprises press cuttings from the period and is a truly unique snapshot of the time of the raid.
“Several tangible artefacts are very poignant reminders of the smouldering remains of the city.
“Remarkably, a collection of shrunken, hardened, parchment scrolls which are 19th century indentures, were recovered from the safe of a Coventry solicitor’s office - the building had been razed to the ground and the heat from the fire had fried the parchments.
“Other items in the sale include gas masks and a warden’s steel helmet, and a particularly chilling Luftwaffe aerial map from the year before the raid showing the Daimler works outlined in red, already marked for destruction.”
Charles Hanson added: “Perhaps a local museum may acquire the archive for future record. The collection is certainly going to attract interest from militaria collectors and we hope the collection, which is being split into approximately six lots, will realise up to £2,000.”
The sale will take place at the Hansons’ auction centre in Etwall, Derbyshire, at 10.30am. For more details call 01283 733988.
Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2015 2:13 am
