Scramble Bell.
Perhaps the most iconic item associated with the RAF involvement in the 1940 Battle of Britain are the large bronze Station (or “Scramble”) bells that once adorned British airfields. These impressive bells were used to signal incoming enemy raids to waiting RAF pilots. From the Imperial War Museum to the museums at the old Tangmere and Duxford airfields, the display of these bells often attracts the awe of visitors, and the envy of collectors.
Although there is controversy concerning the original purpose of the bells, whether used as alarms for emergencies such as crashes or fires, there is no question that the bells were used to Scramble pilots during the war. A wartime documentary that can now be viewed on Youtube, shows a young airman ringing a Station Bell with a chalked message scribbled on it: “Don’t Come and Tell/Ring This Like “Hell.” One of the last surviving Battle of Britain pilots, Pilot Officer Ken Wilkinson of No.616 Squadron, also corroborated the use of the bells, and recalled that he had “scrambled to the sound of the Bell many a time.”
It is generally accepted that Station Bells were produced by a variety of firms from 1936 to 1945. There were two different sizes of bells, a standard bell that was 11 inches in height, and a larger example that was 12 1/2” in height. The smaller bell weighs 13kg, while the larger 21kg. While both bells are etched with the crown of King George VI and the Air Ministry initials, “A.M.” and are dated between the years 1936 to 1945, it is the larger bells that have attracted the most interest of collectors and are commonly referred to as “Scramble Bells.” The bells were manufactured in two different types of bronze/nickel metal. One appears as a brass/bronze finish, while the more common appears as nickel/silver. The large bells are almost always finished in the silver tone, with the exception of the 1936 issue. The smaller bells seem to have been produced with greater variation in metal finishes. Some of the bells have special markings stamped on the top. These are usually an assortment of initials, that may be manufacturer’s or inspection stamps, along with the British Broad Arrow mark that denotes government acceptance and issue.
Scramble Bell.
Perhaps the most iconic item associated with the RAF involvement in the 1940 Battle of Britain are the large bronze Station (or “Scramble”) bells that once adorned British airfields. These impressive bells were used to signal incoming enemy raids to waiting RAF pilots. From the Imperial War Museum to the museums at the old Tangmere and Duxford airfields, the display of these bells often attracts the awe of visitors, and the envy of collectors.
Although there is controversy concerning the original purpose of the bells, whether used as alarms for emergencies such as crashes or fires, there is no question that the bells were used to Scramble pilots during the war. A wartime documentary that can now be viewed on Youtube, shows a young airman ringing a Station Bell with a chalked message scribbled on it: “Don’t Come and Tell/Ring This Like “Hell.” One of the last surviving Battle of Britain pilots, Pilot Officer Ken Wilkinson of No.616 Squadron, also corroborated the use of the bells, and recalled that he had “scrambled to the sound of the Bell many a time.”
It is generally accepted that Station Bells were produced by a variety of firms from 1936 to 1945. There were two different sizes of bells, a standard bell that was 11 inches in height, and a larger example that was 12 1/2” in height. The smaller bell weighs 13kg, while the larger 21kg. While both bells are etched with the crown of King George VI and the Air Ministry initials, “A.M.” and are dated between the years 1936 to 1945, it is the larger bells that have attracted the most interest of collectors and are commonly referred to as “Scramble Bells.” The bells were manufactured in two different types of bronze/nickel metal. One appears as a brass/bronze finish, while the more common appears as nickel/silver. The large bells are almost always finished in the silver tone, with the exception of the 1936 issue. The smaller bells seem to have been produced with greater variation in metal finishes. Some of the bells have special markings stamped on the top. These are usually an assortment of initials, that may be manufacturer’s or inspection stamps, along with the British Broad Arrow mark that denotes government acceptance and issue.