From a collection of two signed RAF Mess Christmas Dinner menus
Menu – 5751 M & G Construction Flight, RAF Hong Kong. Victory Christmas, 25th December 1945. Signed on the reverse, including, ” SGT MARSHALL (owner of Kilkenneth Naafi)”
From a collection of two signed RAF Mess Christmas Dinner menus
Menu – Christmas 1943 Dinner. RAF Station, Ben Hough, Isle of Tiree. Signed on the reverse.
an Iron Age mortar
Found by divers Michael Sharpe, Charles Guest and Simon Arnold from North of Scotland Archaeology Society (NOSAS) in September 2023 in Loch Bhassapol on the south side of Eilean Àirde na Brathan, 15m offshore in 1m of water.
From Dr Fraser Hunter’s report:
Large ovoid cobble (stone not identified) with a pecked oval hollow (60 x 70 mm) centrally on the flattest face. The base is pecked but part of the sides are worn smooth, suggesting use as a mortar.
Also an Iron Age quern fragment at 2025.50.1
see entry at tireeandcollarchaeology.org
With the permission of His Grace the Duke of Argyll
Fragment of an Iron Age bun quern
Found by divers Michael Sharpe, Charles Guest and Simon Arnold from North of Scotland Archaeology Society (NOSAS) in September 2023 in Loch Bhassapol on the south side of Eilean Àirde na Brathan, 15m offshore in 1m of water.
From Dr Fraser Hunter’s report:
The quern fragment represents around a quarter of the upper stone of a bun quern. It has been heavily used: the lower surface is worn to the point where it is so smooth that it would need re-dressed to be functional, and there are two handle sockets on the upper surface, the outer (less worn) one replacing the heavily worn inner one.
Bun querns are an Iron Age type, appearing (rarely) around the 4th century BC and persisting through the earlier first millennium AD.
Also an Iron Age mortar at 2025.50.2
see entry at tireeandcollarchaeology.org
With the permission of His Grace the Duke of Argyll
Prisoner of War Camp “banknote”
A War Department sixpence Camp Banknote issued at RAF Tiree
On reverse is a stamped date 16 June 1945. This form of note was only valid for use at the camp of issue.
Two handwoven woolen blankets, thought to be woven by Euphemia Lamont (MacFadyen) at the Post Office, Ruaig.
These are thought to be examples of traditional Highland Wedding Blankets. They are made with hand spun wool which is then hand dyed with Indigo and handwoven on a 30 inch hand loom, a ‘beart beag’, the two single widths being sewn together to make a wider blanket. They are the cream colour of the sheep with indigo stripes. (There would sometimes be seven stripes for good luck.) Both are woven with a twill weave, the smaller one is all wool but it looks as if the large one has a cotton warp.
Original ribbons from the medals of F/Eng John Young. 518 Sqn
518 Squadron crest, wooden plaque. Painted wood
Tha an iuchair againn – ne We hold the key
belonged to F/Eng John Young See 2025.33
Mounted photograph and medals of WO John A Young 1920-1993, who flew as a Flight Engineer with 518 Sqn.
Medals L-R: 1939–1945 Star, Atlantic Star with Air Crew Europe clasp, Defence Medal, War Medal 1939–1945. Atlantic Star with Air Crew Europe clasp is relatively rare and indicates operational sorties over Europe aligning with service in 518 Squadron.
John Young is mentioned in “Even the Birds Were Walking – The Story of Wartime Meteorological Reconnaissance” by John A Kington & Peter G Rackliff. See 2010.46.2
Peter Rackliff MAO and F/Eng John Young were member’s of F/Lt Keith McGonigal’s (RAAF) crew involved in a take-off accident, described on pages 107-108 in which Halifax Met Mk V M-Mike left the runway in Tiree during an aborted take-off.
fire bellows of wood, metal and leather, from Vaul.
