Bidspirit auction | Cap / Photo / Ashtray

Cap / Photo / Ashtray Airship R101 - 1. British Crew Member Visor Cap. Shows signs of wear. Displays King’s Crown embroidered emblem on the front over a central oval that reads AIRSHIP R101. Built by the Royal Airship Works at Cardington the R101 was one of a pair of rigid airships completed in 1929 alongside the privately built R100.On 05Oct1930, during its maiden overseas voyage to India, the R101 crashed in Beauvais France. There were 48 deaths and the British imperial airship program was ended. The officer’s badges were gold bullion embroidered. Crew members were red on black or red on blue. Initials inside sweatband AD for Arthur Disley. Arthur Disley was the Wireless Operator on board the R101. He served on both the R100 and the R101. He was one of only 6 crew members to survive the crash. King George V awarded Disley the Order of the British Empire Medal (BEM). The cap was manufactured by Bernards of Greenwich. 11” front to back, 10.5” across, 4.75” deep. 2. Photo of His Majesty’s Airship R101 (registration G-FAAW) in flight. Photo in good condition. R101 was operational for about 1 year from Oct1929 until it crashed 05Oct1930. Photo measures 8” by 10”. 3. 1930s Art Deco Trinket Dish / Aluminum Ashtray, marked Metal from R101 on reversed. Good condition, some scratches. Cast from the wreck of the R101 by the salvage and demolition firm Thos. W. Ward Ltd. of Sheffield. A large portion of the salvaged structural framework was melted down and sold to Germany’s Zeppelin Company and use in constructing the Hindenburg. 6.5” long, 4.75” wide, 0.75” tall. Please see photos. Disclaimer: Due to the high quality of WWII German fakes, this item is sold as-is without warranty of authenticity.