Crash Rescue Bar

[Clive From Canada]

Hi Every One!!

This one's probably more for Carolyn or Stevie K but feel free to add your knowledge of the subject, pictures would be great if you have any.

Does any one know the dimensions of the crash rescue bar seen clipped to the entrance door of the Spitfire? Is the shank round or is it hexagon shaped? I got a bunch of odd rusty tools from my late wife's uncle's place some time ago. Among them was a pair of folding military wire cutters dated 1917. A cool find in it's own right for sure and a pinch bar with a curved end and taper at the end of the shank.  It looks like one I've seen in some pictures but I haven't had a chance to clean it up and look for AM markings, if indeed it has any.

He was a WW II veteran so possibly he may have found/bought the bar surplus after the war as it's a useful thing around the house for renovations etc.


I've not seen this type of bar at the hardware stores so I was just thinking, could it be what I hope it is?


Cheers,
Clive from Canada

[Clive From Canada]

Hi everyone.

Well, I wish I had better news but sadly it looks like that what I had hoped was a Spitfire crash rescue bar isn't one after all. Andrew sent me a picture of one partially hidden by some maps on ML407 and while mine looks like it, it isn't. ML407's is round on the shaft where mine is hexagon shaped. Can't see spending time on manufacturing something like that when time was of the essence, besides, there's no markings or numbers on it anywhere which is unlike the Government's equipment and the love of stores keepers everywhere.

Oh well, who knows what turns up at jumble sales.

Cheers,
Clive from Canada.

[rrmerlin]

Hello Clive, post a picture of your bar.  Perhaps it is from a different mark of Spitfire or other aircraft as crash rescue bars evolve just as aircraft do. Cheers
David