The rarest of opportunities to own a piece of iconic RAF history and be the first to open the box for nearly 75 years.

The Bathtub Morse key gained its name from its shape and was used in WW2 for British bombers, like the Lancaster & Halifax, where it was thought high levels of fuel fumes could be ignited by unprotected sparks from Morse keys.

One notable Morse key was what is often termed the RAF 'Bathtub' key in view of its rather unusual shape.

The key was developed for operation by the British Royal Air Force, RAF, where a sealed key was needed. It was initially used in open cockpit aircraft like the Fairey Swordfish (the aircraft the torpedoed and disabled the Bismark).

The Bathtub key was used most widely with the radio communications set-up in the heavy bombers used by the RAF in WW2. This was because it was thought that high levels of aviation fuel could be ignited by the sparks from the Morse key on board the aircraft and this might lead to an explosion. The Bathtub key saw operation in many British bombers during the war and in collectors circles it has gained a certain curiosity value, although today, it is rarely used. The key's enclosed Bakelite case made it durable and functional even in harsh conditions like open-cockpit aircraft and during turbulence, while a spring-loaded mechanism allowed it to be used with heavy flying gloves.