Original U.S. WWII Style USAAF Bomber and Air Crew Serrated Crash Escape Axe - 56D6221 Category_Martini-Henry Bayonets navigator 2/Lt Gurwit wrote that

navigator 2/Lt Gurwit wrote that their plane "was hit by German anti-aircraft fire over the French town of Dunquerke" at about 1800 hours

engaged primarily in air defense

Both began to be phased out in the early 1950s as their role was taken over by surface-to-air missiles like the MIM-3 Nike Ajax

The red felt inner lining unfortunately mostly missing

A beautiful piece

Original U.S. WWII Style USAAF Bomber and Air Crew Serrated Crash Escape Axe - 56D6221 Category_Martini-Henry Bayonets navigator 2/Lt Gurwit wrote thatOriginal Item: Only One Available. In very good condition, this is the real thing: a CRASH ESCAPE AXE used by Air Crewmen to break out of damaged aircraft. Heavy hard Rubber permanently attached handle cover with large curved blade axe head with a straight spike protruding rearward. Measures 15 1 4 inches long, with a 7 1 2 inch long head. The quarter circle cutting head has large teeth near the top, which helped cut through metal more effectively.