Epsom News
Model aeroplanes crafted by WW2 engineer to go on display
9:10am Tuesday 21st February 2012
Two model aeroplanes crafted out of spare parts during World War Two by an RAF engineer are to go on display at Bourne Hall museum.
The planes were donated to the museum by Valerie Snow, 60, from Parkhill in Ewell whose uncle, George South, made the brass planes while waiting to be demobilised in 1947.
She said: "Any spare parts they were more or less allowed to do with what they wanted and he made the two planes out of parts around the RAF base. He made them for his mother and she had them until her death and then his brother took them on and when he died nobody wanted them. But we didn’t want to get rid of them as it is history. So I took them along to the museum to see if they were interested."
The planes, believed to be a Spitfire and a Lancaster, had been created from old pieces of brass and spark plug casings.
Jeremy Hart, curator at Bourne Hall Museum, said: "The interesting thing about them for me is that they have that 'I was there at the time' quality. They are made using recycled World War Two stuff. They are quite a testament to the level of craftsmanship they had in those days. Not many people could knock up something like that these days. He had obviously picked up some foundry skills."
Mr South, who worked as an Epsom postman for over 30 years, grew up in Kingston Road, Ewell, before moving to Lower Court Road in Epsom.
He died of cancer in 1967 while still in his 50s. Mrs Snow, who has no family to leave the heirlooms to, passed the aeroplanes onto Bourne Hall to ensure their future security.
She said: "I think he would like to know that they can still serve a useful purpose and be appreciated for the work he had put in on them."
Mr Hart added: "I’m always in favour of heirlooms remaining heirlooms but we are very much at the end of the line when people think there is no one to look after them. And it means we get the background to a story and can display items with the person’s photo and history and it allows people to have a better connection to it."