1915 Grahame-White Aviation Co. Ltd. -- WWI War Service Certificate
An original First World War certificate card issued by the Grahame-White Aviation Co. Ltd. of the London Aerodrome, Hendon -- the pioneering British aircraft firm founded by the aviator Claude Grahame-White. It certifies that the bearer, hand-inscribed "Britton", "is serving his King and Country", and is dated by a partial APR 1915 handstamp. The reverse carries the Admiralty (Whitehall) crest and a printed message of appreciation to the men building aircraft for the Royal Navy, closing with the name of Winston S. Churchill, then First Lord of the Admiralty. PLEASE NOTE: that Churchill signature is a PRINTED FACSIMILE, part of the printed message -- it is NOT hand-signed, and this is not an autograph.
- Issued by the Grahame-White Aviation Co. Ltd., London Aerodrome, Hendon
- Hand-inscribed to "Britton"; partial APR 1915 handstamp; numbered 281; printed form reference W. D. 15
- Certifies the holder as engaged in vital wartime Government / Royal Navy work -- the wartime equivalent of an exemption card for a skilled aircraft worker
- Reverse: Admiralty (Whitehall) crest above a printed message to war-industry employees, ending with the Churchill signature
- THE CHURCHILL SIGNATURE IS A PRINTED FACSIMILE, NOT AN ORIGINAL AUTOGRAPH. It is printed as part of the message, exactly as issued. No autograph is offered or implied, and the piece is not priced as a signed item.
- Small format: approximately 3 5/8 x 2 1/8 inches (measured: 3.64 x 2.10 in)
- From the G. Miller aviation scrapbook
- Ships UPS Ground in a rigid stay-flat mailer, insured for the full purchase price
From the G. Miller aviation scrapbook.
Condition
Original WWI-period printed card on aged tan stock. Toning and light foxing, minor edge and corner wear; all text fully legible. Front hand-inscribed and handstamped as described. Please see the photographs of both sides -- they are part of the description.
Shipping & Packaging
How a card ships depends on its price, and the rate is shown on every listing before you buy.
- Standard-size card under $20 — $1.00 flat. Semi-rigid protective sleeve, sent tracked by Standard Envelope. (Oversize, fold-out and lot listings cannot go by envelope: they ship at the calculated rate below whatever their price -- the listing\'s own shipping line is always the one that applies.)
- $20 to $100 — postage calculated at checkout for your address. Rigid stay-flat mailer, USPS Ground Advantage, tracked, with $100 of carrier insurance included.
- Over $100 — postage calculated at checkout. Rigid mailer, UPS Ground, insured for the full purchase price. Orders over $250 require a signature on delivery.
Buying more than one? They travel together in a single well-protected package, and shipping is charged per card at the rate shown on each listing. On a larger order we will often upgrade the whole lot into one tracked stay-flat package at our own cost — you are never charged more than the rates above.
About Scanthology
Scanthology specializes in carefully digitized vintage paper. Every card is scanned at high resolution, stored flat, and shipped protected. Questions welcome -- thanks for looking!
Related Items:
c 1915 Claude Grahame-White Aviation Pioneer monoplane Photo Postcard England
$39.99
1915 Grahame-White Aviation WWI War Service Certificate Churchill Hendon RNAS
$249.99
Early Aviation The Grahame White Tractor Biplane At Hendon 1915 Old Photo
$5.94
