Parachute Fabric from the final flight of Pilot Officer William Meade Lindsley Fiske

Fragment of charred silk parachute framed with written history and press cutting of Pilot Officer William Meade Lindsley (Billy) Fiske's funeral.

This is a fragment of the parachute worn by Billy Fiske, the first American to be shot down in the Battle of Britain. On 16 August 1940, Fiske's aircraft received damage whilst intercepting a Luftwaffe attack. Fiske successfully returned his damaged Hurricane to base, but it was ablaze by the time he landed. Fiske was terribly burnt and died the following day. He could have bailed out before landing but he wished to save the valuable aircraft.