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The Hucknall Flight Test Museum charity has suffered an setback to its planned reopening after a three years of closure due to Covid and re-development work after it was raided by thieves.

Burglars broke into the Grade II-listed hangar museum buildings, which stand on the old Rolls-Royce site at Hucknall Aerodrome, and stole items from one of the museum’s most popular exhibits – the Franz von Werra display cabinet.

Items taken include a copy of the 1956 book about von Werra, entitled The One That Got Away, with original dust jacket in a library cover, photographs and documents, a vintage aircraft skin riveter with its wooden case and an instruction manual and engineering models which pertain to Rolls-Royce or HFTM.

Von Werra was the famous Luftwaffe pilot who, having been shot down and captured during the Battle of Britain, escaped from Swanwick Prisoner of War camp and made his way cross country to Hucknall – pretending to be a Dutch pilot flying with the RAF – where he attempted to steal an aircraft to fly himself back to Germany before being recaptured.

Items have been stolen from the von Werra cabinet at Hucknall Flight Test Museum

He was later imprisoned in Canada, but again successfully escaped and returned to Germany, where he was celebrated as a hero.

The museum is run and staffed entirely by volunteers who with the help of the Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust, and the break-in is a huge blow to those who have worked hard to get the museum ready again after a long closure period.

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Alan Spray, chairman of trustees, said: “Most of our volunteers are retired Rolls-Royce employees, some of them aged in their late 80s, so It has been an upsetting shock to discover this terrible break-in.

“The volunteers have been giving every moment of their spare time to get the museum re-open, so this is devastating for us when we are so close to opening up the public properly for the first time since Rolls-Royce sold the site two years ago.

“I know they will all rally round again and we won’t be beaten by this.

“They can’t wait to get open and tell the world the amazing things that happened on this incredible site and their part in making history.”

Nottinghamshire Police are currently investigating and anyone with any information should call the police on 101, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

Thieves steal rare pieces from Hucknall Test Flight Museum