Glider release handle - from which aircraft?

Read the forum code of contact

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 2,835

Can anyone help ID this handle please? It was found on a long disused WW2 RAF airfield. It’s made of machined paxolin or tufnol and has a central hole for a cable. It’s painted red and the white writing seems to say  ‘GLIDER RELEASE’.
 

But does anyone know which aircraft was it fitted to?! 

Candidates I can think of are Albermarle, Halifax, Stirling, Whitley and C-47.

Thanks in advance!

 

Attachments
Original post

Member for

5 years 9 months

Posts: 27

I happen to have another one, 4 1/2in long, 1 in diam. paxolin.  It came from Lincoln WD144 which came to a sticky end at Aldergrove 23rd March 1961 and subsequently with the fire service at Nutts Corner.  Did anyone ever see a Lincoln towing?  Me neither.

Feroxeng.

Attachments

Member for

16 years 2 months

Posts: 1,911

The Lancaster was prepared for glider towing, so why not the Lincoln too?   Might have been useful in the Far East in the event of a prolonged war?

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 2,835

That was a real surprise Feroxeng! Great you have one too... My airfield was shut by the time Lincolns came into service. So far we seem to have ruled out Stirling and Halifax. I confess I wouldn’t know what a Whitley glider release handle looked like if one came up and bit me! Air Min’s Lanc comment and the Avro link suggests a Lanc may be a possibility.

It’s quite crude so I did wonder if it was a mod.

Do you know what the two screws are for?