Damaged clock from German aircraft : Sapper J C Smith, 4 Field Company, Australian Engineers AIF

Charred, damaged metal clock with white face and no glass. The clock's hours and minutes are measured by gradations from 1 to 12 around the outer perimeter, while seconds are measures with a smaller face set centrally under the 12 hour and above the hour and minute hands. The clock fits loosely inside a flanged, circular steel housing, which has traces of black paint. On the frontal surfaces of the housing there is silver coloured paint, plating or galvanising. The base is approx 90 mm diameter. It was attached via eight equally spaced holes. The wording '[...eige...] der Flieger truppen' may be made out underneath the clock's hands. There is no name or serial number visible on the clock.

The clock was removed from the wreckage of a German aircraft that was shot down in flames, and crashed in 'No Mans Land' near Hamel on 4 July 1918. It was collected by Sapper J C Smith, 4 Field Company, Australian Engineers, AIF. Sources compiled post-war suggest that it is possible that the aircraft was flown by either Ltn Alfred Ponath or Ltn Theodor Lodemann, both of whom were killed in action that day.