A painstakingly restored Avro Lancaster cockpit section is in danger of being scrapped due to a hefty inheritance tax.
The aircraft was relegated to a field in Lincolnshire following WW2, where its remains were discovered by Jeremy Hall in the 1970s. He spent 20 years restoring the nose section and it has since been widely exhibited for educational purposes and as a tribute to Bomber Command.
However, Hall’s descendants are reportedly facing an unaffordable tax bill of roughly $60,000 on the machine – a prospect that could result in it being destroyed upon or before his passing.
The cockpit recently arrived at Royal Albert Hall to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the day the green light was given for Operation Chastise. Conducted in May 1943, 19 Lancasters of 617 Squadron attacked a number of German dams, resulting in severe flooding that destroyed or damaged power stations, factories and mines.
Click below to learn more about the display.
(via The Telegraph and Express)
