Spitfire Fund Brooch

Lapel brooches like this one, formed from an old penny, were sold to raise money for Fighter Funds. This example was purchased by Mary Avis Taylor, a member of the Woman’s Auxiliary Air Force.

Fighter Funds were set up in 1940 with £5,000 needed to purchase a fighter aircraft, which was then named after an individual, business, town or city. They enabled ordinary people to contribute to the war effort and brought communities and Allied counties together. The popularity of Spitfires helped make the schemes a huge success and, by 1943, over 1,500 aircraft had been presented to the RAF.