Knight Of The Skies flies high at auction

An art installation that features the signature of the last surviving British Dambuster sold for the highest amount at a charity auction.

The Knight Of The Skies, which featured in the Knights’ Trail in Lincoln, includes the signature of 96-year-old George ‘Johnny’ Johnson, who grew up in Collingham and was a teacher at Highfields School, Newark.

The knight was sponsored by mechanical engineering firm GAME Engineering, based in Witham St Hughs.

The company jointly bought it for £15,000 with Caroline Wood, the niece of Squadron Leader John ‘Mitch’ Mitchell, a survivor of the first RAF mission of the second world war, who died at Copper Beeches Care Home, Collingham, on New Year’s Day, aged 98.

It was the highest price paid for any of the 36 sculptures that featured in this summer’s trail.

The sale price was donated to the Nomad Trust, a homelessness charity based in Lincoln.

The knight was designed by Rosie Ablewhite, 29, of Long Bennington, and has been donated by GAME to the International Bomber Command Centre (IBCC) in Lincoln, which will officially open in January.

The artwork features an airman holding a sword designed in the shape of the spire at the IBCC.

It also includes the initials of Bomber Command veterans who passed away recently, etched into poppies that are part of the design.

GAME Engineering is based at the site of the RAF Swinderby bomb store that was used in the second world war.

'One of the most popular knights'

Rosie said: “I am happy it is going to the International Bomber Command Centre because that is where I always imagined it would go, especially because of the features in it, such as the veteran’s initials on the poppies and Johnny Johnson’s signature.

“When I was painting it I had hoped it would go there.

“It is one of the most popular knights and one of the most recognised.

“It represents Lincolnshire and the aviation history really well because it is bomber county.”

Rosie said she was surprised the bidding for her knight went so high.

“It just kept going up and up,” she said.

“It is signed by Johnny Johnson, which I think helped.

“I did prints of the artwork and that raised £800 as well.

“The whole thing has helped raise the profile of the International Bomber Command Centre and myself as an artist and has been really successful.”

Mrs Julie Wilson, head of marketing at GAME Engineering, said: “The knight had a bit of a tour round Britain before it was positioned in Lincoln at the castle for the Knights’ Trial.

“We had it for a few weeks and it also went to RAF Coninsgby, Newark Air Museum, Witham St Hughs Primary School, King’s Cross railway station and the NEC in Birmingham.

“The Knights’ Trail organisers picked out five knights from the 36 for a promotion of Lincoln as a tourist destination, and this was one of those they picked out.”