SOLD.
This is a rare piece of WW2 military/aviation history which is linked to many famous operations including The Battle of Britain, Arnhem, D-Day to name a few, by the signatures of men who were there.
To our knowledge, this is the only mainwheel which contains these signatures. It is therefore by virtue, a one-off piece of militaria/aviation history.
 
It is signed by 23 WW2 veterans, including Captain Eric Melrose "Winkle" Brown, CBE, DSC, AFC, Hon FRAeS, RN.
Battle of Britain pilots include; Group Captain Billy Drake, Sqn Ldr Tony Pickering AFM, Flt Lt Alexander Robin Appleford.
 
This wheel was displayed at a facility in London for approximately 4 years, after being purchased from a high profile militaria show approximately 20 years ago.
More recently, it has been owned by a private collector.
There is no firm evidence connecting this to a particular aircraft.
These main-wheels were fitted to the Fairey Barracuda, a British carrier-borne torpedo and dive bomber designed by Fairey Aviation.
 
We have transformed this wheel into a practical side-table, incorporating toughened glass.
 
Captain Eric Brown was a Scottish Royal Navy officer and test pilot who flew 487 types of aircraft, more than anyone else in history. He holds the world record for the most aircraft carrier deck take-offs and landings performed (2,407 and 2,271 respectively) and achieved several "firsts" in naval aviation, including the first landings on an aircraft carrier of a twin-engined aircraft, an aircraft with a tricycle undercarriage, a jet aircraft, and a rotary-wing aircraft.
Captain Eric Brown died in 2016, aged 97.
 
Squadron Leader, Tony Pickering. 32 & 501 Sqn. Died 2016, aged 70. (see photograph, supplied by RAF Memorial Flight Club.)
Group Captain, Billy Drake. 20, 112, 128, 421 Sqn. Died 2011, aged 93.
(see photograph).
Flight Lieutenant, Alexander Robin Applewood. 66 & 274 Sqn. Died 2011, aged 90.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Brown_(pilot) (citations removed and edited).