Help with identity

[Walsallwizard]

I’m here looking for some information and maybe some help identifying a wooden propeller.
My Scout Group, 1st Hartburn, was founded in 1921 by Captain Graham Mellanby, a former pilot during WW1 he died in 1926 whilst District Commissioner for Scouting in Stockton as a consequence of injuries sustained during his service on the Western Font.
We have had in possession of our Group a Wooden Propeller that is believed to have belonged to Captain Mellenaby and our oldest member, 78years young, has been with the Group since he was 8 and he insists that he was told the Prop was from Captain Mellanby’s plane. This is probably just a flight of fancy but it would be nice to know if it was from the era.

The details on it are
100HP
VW46
SERIS 12
DRG2187V
B.2.MONO.GNOME
PITCH 5.67
DIA 9’.0”

Some fool managed to get white gloss paint on parts of it and it been bashed around a bit, what would be best to remove this paint. My intention once paint is removed is to clean off the dust and dirt and then to wax it. Then it will be displayed in our Scout hut and hopefully we will have more details of Captain Mellanby to go with it. In celebration of our 90th aniversary

Hope some one can help Thanks in Advance.
Richard Fenton
Cub Scout Leader
1st Hartburn (Graham Mellanby’s own) Sea Scouts

[Bob Gardner]

'Morning Richard,

Welcome to the forum. Good to see your scout troop flourishing. I very much enjoyed my scouting days (1957-1964).

Your prop is from a Vickers Gunbus, specifically the EFB9 (where EFB stands for experimental fighting biplane). It wasn't experimental when introduced into service but the name stuck.

Your data translates as;

100HP 100 horse power
VW46 made at Vickers Weybridge
SERIS 12 Series 12, but what this means I don't know
DRG2187V drawing number 2187V, where V indicates Vickers
B.2.MONO.GNOME The French rotary engine, made by Gnome and called the monosoupape, which tr. as one valve. There was one valve which allowed air in and exhaust gases out.
PITCH 5.67 (pitch in decimal feet; i.e 5ft 8ins)
DIA 9’.0” diameter of the prop in feet.

It might have a block of four numbers somewhere on or near the hub, each number in a square the size of your little finger nail. They are air worthiness stamps applied by inspectors at the factory and read, for example, as AID42 or AID18V (where AID indicates the Aeronautical Inspection Department). [These examples are spurious numbers]. Tell me if you can read them. It will help my research into the aeronautical inspection dept.

With kind regards,

Bob

[Walsallwizard]

Hi Bob,

Many thanks for the reply. The Scout Group was in serious danger of closing down when the wife and I were asked to join it with the long term goal of ensuring its survival. I was a Leader with another Group. We have since last June recruited 10 new Cubs and 4 new Beavers, these are 6-8 year olds not around in your days of Scouting, we have also recruited 5 new Leaders, started a complete refurbishment of the Scout hut and grounds (not bad considering the Group is broke!) and we are pushing like mad to fund raise.

A big part of this Groups appeal to me was/is its history. When the wife researched Graham Mallenby she found out part of his history. We know he joined he joined up in 1916,aged 24. He was listed as an equipment officer 2nd Lt 20th May 1917 with the special reserves, made temporary Capt 12th Sept 1917 and 3 June 1919 he is listed as Capt in France. Local press carried a story after his death in 1926 that he early returned from a Scout Camp with acute stomach pains and that he died a week later from the injuries received during a crash in active service. The Group was renamed in his honour in 1932, he was a very popular and noted Scouter in the area.

The Propeller is stamped A.I.D 94 and the numbers 7085 are below this. Each blade has a “V” paper stamp on it about half way along it.

I’ll try and get a couple of photo’s but thank you so much for the information so far.

Regards
Richard

[Bob Gardner]

Thanks for the additional data Richard. I would much appreciate some photographs, particularly of the data stamped on the hub and of the decals on the blades.

Congrats on saving your troop.

Bob