View Full Version : Brian Trubshaw's logbooks for sale
Tankertrashnav
1st Nov 2013, 17:38
I see from yesterday's Times that Brian Trubshaw's widow has decided to put his medals, logbooks and other memorabilia up for sale at auction. The sale is in Cirencester next Thursday (7th November). Here's a link to the auction Two Day Sale - Historic Aviation Memorabilia & Medals, Arms & Militaria (07 nov. 2013) - Live Auction - Dominic Winter Auctions - the-saleroom.com (http://www.the-saleroom.com/fr-fr/auction-catalogues/dominic-winter-book-auctions/catalogue-id-2888949?categoryid=165544) - some fascinating stuff, I quite fancy the Concorde weathervane for my chimney top!
Included are Trubshaw's medals, including his CBE, MVO and WW2 campaign medals and all of his logbooks from his time in Bomber Command where he flew Stirlings and Lancasters, right through his time as a test pilot for Vickers, where he was involved in test flying the Valiant, and other well-known Vickers types, and famously, of course, the Concorde.
There will be those who will say that this stuff rightly belongs in a museum, but I say good luck to Mrs Trubshawe - I hope they make a packet, which I'm sure they will. Possibly some museum will get them anyway, but they will have to pay the going rate for them, which IMHO is how it should be. Wish I could afford to bid, but unfortunately I think they'll be a bit beyond my pocket!
Courtney Mil
1st Nov 2013, 18:40
Totally agree, Tanker. Wonderful memorabilia of a fantastic life. I was lucky enough to meet one of his colleagues at the Queen's Garter Day Parade last summer and stand in awe of what these gents did.
Fingers crossed for a successful auction.
CoffmanStarter
1st Nov 2013, 18:50
Totally agree Tanker, Courtney ...
What an entry to have in your 414 :ok:
http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/af162/CoffmanStarter/image_zps7cc58ace.jpg
Image Credit as shown
Always a Sapper
1st Nov 2013, 18:56
With luck they will be sold at a price that will look after his Widow and then get re-united with 002 at Yeovilton to be put on display.
Tankertrashnav
1st Nov 2013, 21:04
Coffman - great link to the logbook
Heron - Heron - Concorde - Heron - Concorde - Heron - Heron!
Great, as long as he remembered which one he was flying!
brokenlink
1st Nov 2013, 21:46
Former lady boss of mine (now sadly deceased) used to have a pub with her dad close to RAF Fairford when Concorde was tested there and got to know the test crew well, including Brian Trubshaw, as they used to come in most evenings for dinner (she was a Cordon Bleu cook). Apparently if the day had gone well it was wine/champagne with dinner, if not beer!
TTN,
Have you seen this?
BBC News - Brecon campaign to buy Rorke's Drift Victoria Crosses' museum (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-mid-wales-24778031)
Tankertrashnav
2nd Nov 2013, 17:55
No I hadn't seen that, Al - very interesting. I wasn't really sure what the £500k was actually supposed to be buying, certainly as they pointed out the six Rorkes Drift VCs alone would certainly fetch well into 7 figures.
I also find that with museums, the law of diminishing returns applies and small is definitely better I remember being hugely impressed visiting a small local museum where the curator got their single Victoria Cross out of the safe (a replica was on display) and allowed me to handle it while wearing white gloves.
One the other hand when I saw Lord Ashcroft's admittedly impressive collection of VCs at the Imperial War Museum I found that after the first half dozen they were tending to pass in front of my eyes in a bit of a blur. I've had the same experience in art galleries - one Renoir - fantastic - twenty Renoirs one after the other - yawn!
I agree. Go to the home of any 14th Mess-tin and Bottle-washers Light of Foot and Mouth, and you can almost smell the heritage (possibly rising damp though). It's a shame that the MoD can't make an exception to preserve the memory of such an action.
Some do.
Eleven VCs were awarded for the defence, more than for any single battle before or since.
It seems that it is often a private benefactor who puts together collections.
Here in Aus we have one called Kerry Stokes, he buys every Aussie VC he can
(sometimes in conjunction with the Gov't) and more often than not they end up at the Australian War Memorial with what they had already. This has also prompted
two of the recent VC winners to also donate them to the same place.
Tankertrashnav
7th Nov 2013, 15:14
Just rang the auctioneers to see how it went and apparently the logbooks remain unsold (I take it that means they didnt reach the reserve price).
Looks like there is now a chance for some benefactor along the lines of 500N's bloke to step in and do a private deal on behalf of some museum or other where they might go on display.
The medals made £2,100 - not a huge sum, considering the recipient.