One of our heroes
At this time of recognition for those who lost their lives in wartime, a special item owned by Flight Lieutenant William Reid VC.
Lot 1420 – a 12 bore sidelock ejector rib engraved Army and Navy C.S.L. London. Some colour, 30-inch barrels, best bouquet and scroll engraving. Estimate £1,200-1,600.
The provenance says it all, owned by Flight Lieutenant Reid who flew from RAF Skellingthorpe, 61 squadron aged 22, recently converted to Lancasters. He was in command of O-OBOE mission to bomb the industrial area of Düsseldorf. Soon after crossing the Dutch coast Reid’s Lancaster was attacked by an ME110, the rear turret was damaged and Reid was wounded in the head, shoulders and hand. Another attack followed killing the navigator and fatally injuring the radio operator. Düsseldorf was still 200 miles away but Reid opted to carry on, and did the job right on target. Despite slipping into semi-consciousness on his return he managed to land, in heavy mist. For this he received the VC. On a later raid he was shot down and spent time in Stalag Luft III. After the war, he retrained in agriculture, carried on shooting and ran an estate in Scotland. The gun was gifted to him by Lady McRobert. He shot with it until shortly before his death in 2001.
Army and Navy Serial Number 21558, it duly exceeded expectations to achieve £2,200 before commission – some recognition of an extraordinary hero.
Vendors or interested parties can always call Simon Grantham on 07860 300055.
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Grantham school joins Carol Service in celebration of town’s hospital![]()
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Pupils from St Mary’s Catholic Voluntary Academy are taking part in the first Carol Service to celebrate the special relationship Grantham and District Hospital has with the town and surrounding communities.![]()
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The school children will join in the singing of favourite Christmas Carols as well as perform their own set musical piece at the Carol Service on Thursday 11th December at 7pm, in St Wulfram’s church, Grantham.![]()
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Deputy Head Teacher Olivia Mumford said: “The Carol Service is a fantastic opportunity for our pupils to share the joy of music while showing appreciation for the incredible work done at Grantham and District Hospital. It’s a privilege to support such an important event in our town."![]()
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The Carol Service has been organised by United Lincolnshire Hospitals Charity, who work closely with staff at Grantham and District Hospital and provides those extras for staff and patients that NHS budgets are unable to fund. ![]()
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Further details on the Grantham NHS Carol Service can be found by visiting www.ulhcharity.org.uk/news/christmas-carols-at-grantham-st-wulfram-church-in-thanks-for-towns-sup...