Product Details
WINKLER
AN HISTORICALLY IMPORTANT GERMAN LUFTWAFFE M-38 GAS MASK,
FE37 type filter dated to 1938 with additional issue marks and spread eagle holding a Swastika, A2B curved snout-piece, maker's label to one head-strap bearing the name 'Leushake' in contemporary ink, the whole in complete and original condition and in its maker's ribbed metal canister (some general surface oxidisation) and containing two newspaper cuttings referring to Gp. Capt. Peter Townsend, C.V.O., D.S.O., D.F.C. and Bar, R.A.F. and also a paper label bearing the name 'Leushake' (indistinct)
Provenance: We are kindly informed by the vendor, and substantiated by our initial research, that this mask was issued to Luftwaffe Observer Peter Leushake who was crew aboard the first German aircraft to be shot down over Great Britain in World War II.
Leushake was Observer aboard Heinkel HE.III of KG26, the 'Lion Geshwade' of II Gruppe flying over the North East coast on 3rd February 1940. The Heinkel, a medium bomber, was engaged and shot down close to the town of Whitby by Blue Section Hawker Hurricanes of 43 Squadron led by Squadron Leader (later Gp. Capt.) Peter Townsend, one of Churchill's brave 'Few'.
The vendor's great grandfather, an R.A.F. Warrant Officer, was sent to guard the wreck of the aircraft until the salvage teams had arrived, and he secured the gas mask as a souvenir. As the war gathered pace the family buried the mask in their garden in case it should be found by invading German forces and the family punished. After victory was assured the mask was un-earthed and has been passed down through the Alderson family to the vendor.
The lot is accompanied by a letter from the vendor illustrating the provenance and also two period newspaper cuttings referring to Townsend.
Estimate £80-120