Has anyone out there got one of these ?

[BattyB]

My dad was a stoker and was posted to HMS Nabberley (Mobile Air Base) in Australia, leaving England on the Athlone Castle.  When he was demobbed he brought back an ashtray - see photo.  He always told us it was made from the casing of a plane's engine.
On one wingtip is "Australia", the other "South Pacific"  On the tail "Good Luck" and is dated 1946.  The actual ashtray is the map of Aus.

Wonder if there is anyone out there that has one like it and can give me any info on whether it was massed produced etc. for the troops.

[genechaser]

Lockheed XP-58 Chain Lightning

~~~~~~~~
The XP-58 was supposed to be the successor to the Lockheed P-38 Lightning. In April of 1940 an agreement was reached with the USAAC that would enable Lockheed to sell an export version of the Lightning to England and France, provided that Lockheed would design a more advanced version of the P-38 for U.S. needs. The concept aircraft was envisaged as coming in two versions: a single-seat and and a two-seat version (which had rear-firing guns in each of the tail booms). The project soon received a change of direction (one of many to come, and probably the main reason for the overly-long development and ultimate death of the project), in that the single-seat version was dropped, and the rear-facing guns were replaced with a dorsal turret. A number of engine changes later (and with the addition of a ventral turret as well), the XP-58 project was re-designated to be a ground attack aircraft. After several new armament configurations were designed, the purpose of the aircraft changed yet again into that of a "bomber destroyer". Still more changes to the aircraft were mandated, but by the time the single prototype took its maiden flight (after an extended four year development cycle), there was no need for any "bomber destroyers". The project was terminated in 1945, with only a single XP-58 being built.

[deryckjohn]

I don't now anything about the ashtray, but the plane looks like a p-38 Lightning not an XP-58.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P-38_Lightning




(http://www.faqs.org/docs/air/avp38.html)

[Pete Keane]

P-38's were assembled by the USAAF in Townsville, for use in the Pacific Theatre, maybe your ashtray is a memento of that period - I doubt its mass produced.

I have a link with a little detail:

http://home.st.net.au/~dunn/p38crash.htm

Regards

Pete

[aghadowey]

Can't help with the airplane i.d. but this looks like your ashtray:
www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/1940s-art-deco-wwii-p-51-airplane-air-corps

Plane on ashtray called P-38 here:
www.oldnautibits.com/stockarchive/aeroarchive_page.php?page=11

[Pete Keane]

I reckon aghadowey has hit the nail on the head with the second link - if you look at the shape of Australia on your ashtray, it has two empty holes - exactly where the cigarette resta are on the example in the second link.

Great momento to have.

Pete.

[BattyB]

Thanks for the help.

Yes, unfortunately the actual cigarette holders have been missing for some time probably when my sister and I were messing about with it when we were kids.  Can't actually remember being responsible so maybe not.
Except for that ashtray and a set of Salad servers and spoons with koalas imprinted on them that's all dad brought back.

Just one more thing - if he was a stoker, why was he based at an airbase ?

[Pete Keane]

I reckon it will be one of those quirky naval things, he was rated as a stoker but possibly did something else - a bit like calling a building 'HMS.....',   odd, but thats the navy for you.

[BattyB]

Aghadowey -
I logged onto oldnautibits and found out these people are located about 6 miles away from me so thought I would take my plane/ashtray to see if they could shed any light on the whys and wherefores and also how to clean and restore.

Thanks to all for your help

Case closed I think !!