The Hindenburg was a symbol of Hitler’s Germany, a sign of Nazi strength and power in a world edging ever closer to war.

In the 1930s the hydrogen-filled airship seemed to be the future of commercial air travel, and when the Hindenburg exploded on May 6, 1937 in the US, the ramifications were felt around the world.

Now, 78 years after the famous disaster, two unique fire-damaged relics which survived are going under the hammer in Devizes, Wiltshire.

The silver-plated hollowware pitcher and serving tray were saved from the Zeppelin disaster by volunteer fire chief Leroy Smith, who had rushed to the scene in New Jersey with five others to help.

After performing his duties, he recovered the pitcher and tray and buried them in the surrounding sand as guards were not allowing any objects to be removed from the site.

Smith returned several days later and recovered the pitcher and serving tray, along with six full bottles of beer which he shared with his five co-rescuers.

The fire-damaged silver-plated pitcher and service tray which survived the Hindenburg disaster.

Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge, of Henry Aldridge & Son, said: “They bear witness to the immense destructive power of the fire that overcame the mighty Hindenburg on May 6, 1937, in Lakehurst, New Jersey.

“She was the largest aircraft ever flown, measuring over 244 metres, but was destroyed in a little over 90 seconds.

“The items consist of a silver -plated hollowware pitcher and serving tray.

“Both show obvious signs of exposure to extremely-high temper-atures, which include metal that has melted on to the face of the tray.”

The pitcher and tray are being sold alongside a number of other airship and Zeppelin items that include a finely-formed cast-iron medallion given to Richard Kollmer, a 24-year-old mechanic who survived the disaster.

The front side dramatically depicts flames soaring from the airship, with the date 6/V/1937 in and under the flames. On the reverse, there is a soaring eagle over a swastika.

The items, which are all estimated to fetch between £6,000 and £8,000, go under the hammer today.

The Hindenburg ferried passengers across the Atlantic Ocean and reached a cruising speed of 135 kilometres per hour.

Thousands of spectators were watching the airship land when it suddenly burst into flames and drifted to the ground, killing 36 of the 97 people on board.