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I have a clock made from a propeller. My dad was born in Jubbulpore (now Jubalpur) in India in 1922 and when I was young he told me the clock was made from the propeller of Amy Johnson's D. H. Gypsy Moth. Father had gone to boarding school in England from 1928-39 and, on returning to India, my grandfather, a military engineer, who ran a gun carriage factory in Jubbulpore, told him it was Amy Johnson's. I decided to look into this claim.
At first I was excited when I read that Miss Johnson landed roughly at Jahnsi, which isn't a million miles from Jubbulpore, on her way to Australia and also that she had replaced her prop on the same journey. Then I read the detail and discovered that she replaced the propeller in Burma, not India. Also, her flight to Australia was in 1930 and the propeller clock I have has a date on it of APR/32. I am assuming this date would be manufacture date? It wouldn't be (I say, clutching at straws) a 'change by' date?
So it almost certainly isn't 'Jason's' prop but I am still interested in the history of the propeller, why it was made into a clock and wonder if you could help? It has serial numbers and the like on it. Would there be a record anywhere to help trace it's history? Any help would be gratefully received. I attach a photo of the clock.
The inscriptions on it are as follows:
DRG NO D.H.5180/5
ISSUE 17
D.H.GYPSY
L.H.
D6' - 4'' P5' - 1'' APR/32
A.C.G NO 26078
As you can probably tell I know nothing about propellers so I would find any information interesting. I just read of Jean Batten who crashed in Karachi in 1933 trying to beat Amy Johnson's record. I wonder...
At first I was excited when I read that Miss Johnson landed roughly at Jahnsi, which isn't a million miles from Jubbulpore, on her way to Australia and also that she had replaced her prop on the same journey. Then I read the detail and discovered that she replaced the propeller in Burma, not India. Also, her flight to Australia was in 1930 and the propeller clock I have has a date on it of APR/32. I am assuming this date would be manufacture date? It wouldn't be (I say, clutching at straws) a 'change by' date?
So it almost certainly isn't 'Jason's' prop but I am still interested in the history of the propeller, why it was made into a clock and wonder if you could help? It has serial numbers and the like on it. Would there be a record anywhere to help trace it's history? Any help would be gratefully received. I attach a photo of the clock.
The inscriptions on it are as follows:
DRG NO D.H.5180/5
ISSUE 17
D.H.GYPSY
L.H.
D6' - 4'' P5' - 1'' APR/32
A.C.G NO 26078
As you can probably tell I know nothing about propellers so I would find any information interesting. I just read of Jean Batten who crashed in Karachi in 1933 trying to beat Amy Johnson's record. I wonder...