Two watercolour on ivory portraits of Albert Ball VC – £900 at Sutton Hill Farm Country Auctions.
Captain Albert Ball (1896-1917) is remembered as one of Britain’s greatest heroes of the skies. At the time of his death over Arras in the First World War, aged just 19, he had shot down at least 44 German planes and was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross.
However, the 3ft 7in (1.09m) long piece of propeller blade sold at Mellors & Kirk (20% buyer’s premium) in Nottingham on March 20 reflects a more ignominious incident in November 1916, when he crashed a Bristol Scout biplane at Wollaton Park, Nottingham during a ‘jaunt’ while on leave.