'You never know what might turn up!' - rare Spitfire compass donated in Oldham

This turned out to be a Second World War Type P8M Compass

Volunteers at Oldham’s Oxfam shop on Yorkshire Street are used to receiving boxes and bags of items that donors have collected together after tidying spare rooms or sorting out lofts.

They often see the same things – ornaments, vases, jewellery, stamp albums, vintage clothes – but last week they received a mysterious, important-looking box containing something they had never set eyes on before.

Taking note of the instruction to handle with great care, they lifted the lid not knowing what they would find.

Inside was a compass, which on further investigation turned out to be a Second World War Type P8M Compass.

The P8 was in common use from about 1937 and was used in the Spitfire, Hurricane, Tiger Moths, and more.

It was a wonderful donation of a rare item.

Nic Oakes, manager of the Oldham Oxfam shop, urges everyone to look around and see what no longer used items, clothes, books, bric-a-brac, might be hiding in a corner of the house that could be passed on to Oxfam for sale.

She doesn’t expect any more Spitfire compasses, but said: “You never know what might turn up."

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