Bidspirit auction | GERMAN HAND-CRANKED AIR RAID SIREN

GERMAN HAND-CRANKED AIR RAID SIREN - A rare wardate relic, an operational hand-cranked air-raid siren, used to notify the German people of incoming Allied bombers. Constructed of steel and bakelite, the 11.5 x 9 in. siren produces a loud wail when the attached handle is fully cranked. By pulling a spring-loaded lever at the top while cranking the handle, the alarm gets even louder. The reverse side bears a manufacturer's mark by Helin, above the largely eroded manufacturing date '1940'. Due to age, the siren is slightly fainter than originally intended with some dents, paint loss, and a broken section of bakelite at top.