HAVE you ever dreamt of owning a fully operational World War II tank, or ringing in the new year with an original Bondi Surf Life Saving Club bell, or even riding the rails in your very own full-length railway carriage?

Well, now is your chance with self-confessed “hoarder” and the owner of Australia’s “most unique collection” of war and rail memorabilia calling time on his addiction — for now at least.

Cowra War, Rail and Rural ­Museum owner Ron Horsfall will auction his entire collection in March and April in a sale expected to raise more than $1 million.

Mr Horsfall is ready to let it all go under the hammer, including 450 railway signs, Nazi flags and an early Australian cash register.

But it is the one-of-its-kind Bondi Surf Life Saving Club bell that he will find the hardest to let go. It’s believed the bell was made around 1901.

“I grew up in Chippendale and used to catch the tram to Bondi as a kid,” the 77-year-old said. “I love the bell because it has become attached to a memory. I bought the bell from a scrap-metal seller 30 years ago.

SEE GALLERY

“It will be sad to see some of the items go, but I’m not going to cry myself to sleep about it. Everyone is ­addicted to something, whether it be religion, work or whatever — I’m addicted to hoarding.”

Mr Horsfall is also reluctantly giving up five posters from the original Luna Park, items he acquired during a 1981 auction.

A Centurion tank, designed by the English during World War II and used by Australian forces in Vietnam, is probably the rarest and most sought-after item. The 55-tonne tank has a 105mm gun and a 12-cylinder Rolls-Royce ­engine, the same engine that was used in the famous Spitfire aircraft.

Curator Trevor Davidson, who served for 35 years in the Australian Navy, said the tank still runs on regular petrol. “They use up that much fuel you’d want to have a petrol station following them around,” Mr ­Davidson said.

“They held onto them because they had such good firepower. The 4.5-inch bullets would destroy another tank.”

Other military items include a German half tank acquired from the former Czechoslovakia, a Willys Jeep from the 1940s and an Italian cannon from World War I. Auctioneers are even selling a ­demountable jail cell used to house Japanese prisoners of war when they were kept in Cowra during World War II. The walls of the cell are covered in Japanese graffiti.

A number of rare guns are also up for grabs, although they will be sold apart from the auction at another site.

There is also a World War I Minen-werfer 76mm trench mortar on offer.

“The German weapon was captured by the 8th Australian Battalion in France,” Mr Davidson said.

“This is the most unique collection I’ve ever seen. We are expecting a lot of train buffs, returned servicemen and military collectors.”

Auctioneer Ashley Burns said he has had interest from US military collectors and expects to hear from the Australian War Museum in the coming weeks.

“You have to ask yourself where on Earth are you ever going to be able to source items such as these on the open market,” the Burns and Co auctioneer said.

“ There must be about 100 flags that were collected around World War II. Many of these flags are from countries that don’t exist anymore because of changes after the war.”

The auction runs from March 31 to April 2 at The Cowra War, Rail And Rural Museum, 10291 Mid Western Hwy, Cowra, (Bathurst Rd) NSW.

View more ­photos at burnsandco.com.au