Original W.W.I Trench Art Aeroplane (Nieuport/Coxyde). c.1917 (Chris Balm Vintage Aviation & Motoring Items)

Original W.W.I Trench Art Aeroplane (Nieuport/Coxyde). c.1917

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Original W.W.I Trench Art Aeroplane (Nieuport/Coxyde). c.1917

Original W.W.I Trench Art Aeroplane (Nieuport/Coxyde). c.1917 (Side View)

Original W.W.I Trench Art Aeroplane (Nieuport/Coxyde). c.1917 (Front View)

Very nicely made, original, W.W.I. period piece of "trench art" made in the form of an early monoplane.

Trench art items such as this were manufactured by both soldiers and locals using brass from spent artillery shell cases. The locals would sell the pieces to the troops as souvenirs. This is a very nicely made example, it's fuselage is made from a bullet and cartridge case and it has both rotating wheels and propeller as well as rigging and a detailed rotary engine. The wings have been decorated with the names of the Belgian towns of Nieuport and Coxyde. Wingspan : 172mm. Good condition (nice dark patina, appears to have replacement wheels and possibly tail plane).

In June 1917, the British 4th Army relieved the French forces of an area of 6.5 kilometres of front line from the sea to a point South of Nieuport, and held this sector for six months. About 10 kilometres behind these lines was the town of Coxyde which despite occasional shelling was used for rest billets and became home to the most important commonwealth war cemetery on the Belgian coast. In December 1917 the French returned to the area and continued use of the cemetery.

Inventory No. A-110

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