Militaria Collecting

[fly boy]

Originally Posted by DerAdlerIstGelandet

I own zero fakes. I have been collecting long eneogh (almost 20 years) to know what to look for. I have studied all the stuff in the many books and archives I have.



Here is the next set of pics. This is a Luftwaffe Officers tropical tunic from the N. African theatre, which is designated by a Afrika cuff title on the sleave. The rank is a Leutnant. The uniform is from a FLAK officer and that is annotated by the Luftwaffe FLAK Badge. The wearer also was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class, which is designated by the wear of the black, white and red ribbon (the same ribbon that is shown in the picture of my Iron Cross 2. Class that I recieved today) attached to the 2nd button.

This was actually the first tunic that I bought. I bought it about 15 years ago.





More to come later...

i saw a medel of a 88mm gun is that the luftwaffe aa commander thing on something?

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Originally Posted by fly boy

i saw a medel of a 88mm gun is that the luftwaffe aa commander thing on something?

No that is Luftwaffe Flak Badge on that Leutnants uniform.

More pics coming later guys.

[Lucky13]

Great stuff fellas! Do you have any RK in your collection?

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Originally Posted by Lucky13

Great stuff fellas! Do you have any RK in your collection?

RK?

Do you mean Ritterskreuz (Knights Cross)?

If so, no I do not. Knights Cross's are very very rare and very expensive. Rarely does one show up on the market and when it does, they go for aprox $9,000 up to $14,000.

The cheapest I have ever seen one was $4,500 and it was not in very good condition.

I have personally seen one however, and that was Rommels personal Knights Cross. His son showed us it as Rommels house near Ulm at the family museum.

[ToughOmbre]

Nice stuff you've got there DerAdler!

Here are some edged weapons. The dagger was taken from a German soldier (maybe an officer, not sure) by my father at the Battle of the Bulge. Don't have much detail on the Japanese bayonet, other than that it was brought back from the Pacific by my father in law.

TO

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Are you sure that first dagger was taken at the Battle of the Bulge?

It is an early period SA Dagger. If you look at the top of the handle, you will see that the little cirlcle says SA in it. The blade is inscribed with Alles Fur Deutschland which translates to Everything for Germany. SS Daggers look just like it but with a different inscription on the blade and it would be black instead of brown like your dagger.

Here are some links with information on the dagger:
E-430a* Late-Period SA Dagger with Hanger

Information on the SA:
Sturmabteilung - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

And the SA Logo that is on the upper part of your handle:




The reason I am asking is because the after 1934, the SA was not much of an organization anymore and there were no armed troops of the SA post 1934. At most they were political and were present at party rallies and nothing more. At the Battle of Bulge there were no SA.

Either way it is a beautiful knife, in excellent condition! It has a worth between $900 and $1,400.

[ToughOmbre]

Originally Posted by DerAdlerIstGelandet

Are you sure that first dagger was taken at the Battle of the Bulge?

I always thought that it it was, at least that is what I think I remember my father telling me.

One thing for sure, he arrived in the ETO on 6 June, 1944 (D-Day) and left Germany on 6 October, 1945. The dagger certainly had to be acquired by my dad sometime during that timeframe.

Thanks for the information. Your expertise is appreciated.

TO

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Oh I am not doubting your story. There were SA personel up to 1945, they were just not combat troops. Actually they never were. They were always political cronies of the NSDAP.

[Airframes]

Just a quick update. I eventually got in touch with my late friend's widow; unfortunately, she has nothing left, it was all GIVEN away to museums! However, an ex-army friend, who's mother was in the Luftwaffe during the war, used to have a collection of nice Luftwaffe/Wehrmacht/SS pieces, which he sold when he was broke. BUT, he thinks he may have some small 'bits and pieces' stashed away, and he's going to look when he gets a chance. The problem is, he's a 'hoarder', and you can't move in his four-bedroomed house due to all the stuff he has piled everywhere; example, a bath in his lounge, which is filled with books, magazines etc!!
The other news is, I should be getting a series of photographs of the armoury I mentioned, after the last Saturday of this month, when my colleague can gain access. I'll keep you all posted.
Terry.

[ToughOmbre]

Originally Posted by DerAdlerIstGelandet

Oh I am not doubting your story. There were SA personel up to 1945, they were just not combat troops. Actually they never were. They were always political cronies of the NSDAP.

No problem at all. He brought back lot's of stuff and he certainly could have been mistaken about where he got this particular piece. Wish he was still around to ask.

Actually he told me that he and many of the returning vets had lot's of battlefield prizes. As their troopship came home into NY harbor at wars end, word came down that any soldier found with "illegal contraband" from the ETO would get into big trouble. A lot of guys immediately started throwing stuff over the rail into the Hudson River. But thankfully, he and the others held on to some of their stuff.

TO

[Airframes]

Damn shame that, T.O.
Similar thing happened to my Dad. When he got back at the end of the war, his main kit bag had gone missing. It contained not only his own personal kit, but quite a few German items, some of which were given to him by a Luftwaffe pilot he'd helped, by ferrying him out of the desert after he'd bailed out. I can only just remeber what he told me, as this was back in the '50's, but apparently there was at least one 'Iron Cross', plus the pilot's cloth 'eagle' badge, and the metal pilot badge, among a host of other things.
One item I do remember he got back somehow, and somewhere, I have a photo of my Dad holding it (during the war), was an MP40, live! Unfortunately, this was 'handed in' during a Police/Home Office 'Arms Armistice', long, long before the curent firearms laws in this country. Now, in the U.K., it's a mandatory, minimum 5 years jail sentence for possesion of a firearm of that nature!

[109ROAMING]

Man amazing story Terry

Look forward to the pics!

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Originally Posted by Airframes

Just a quick update. I eventually got in touch with my late friend's widow; unfortunately, she has nothing left, it was all GIVEN away to museums! However, an ex-army friend, who's mother was in the Luftwaffe during the war, used to have a collection of nice Luftwaffe/Wehrmacht/SS pieces, which he sold when he was broke. BUT, he thinks he may have some small 'bits and pieces' stashed away, and he's going to look when he gets a chance. The problem is, he's a 'hoarder', and you can't move in his four-bedroomed house due to all the stuff he has piled everywhere; example, a bath in his lounge, which is filled with books, magazines etc!!
The other news is, I should be getting a series of photographs of the armoury I mentioned, after the last Saturday of this month, when my colleague can gain access. I'll keep you all posted.
Terry.

Yes keep us posted, I am always interested in buying nice pieces.

Also looking foward to your pics.

I will have some more posted th is weekend as well.

[comiso90]

I have a pretty good collection of knicknacks. I dont own anything significant like uniforms or Bazookas but here is a taste:

The retractable knife is in VERY good shape.. all stainless steel. My father, a veteran of Husky, Sicily push, Monte Casino and others procured these items.

He told me ( he passed in 1976) that the knife was a "German paratrooper gravity knife". I've seen plenty of paratrooper gravity knives but they are much more rustic with a wooden handle. This is almost a gentleman's piece of jewelry.. very nice. It feels more like a finely crafted cigarette lighter than a knife. -- note how thin it is

The other dagger-like item is engraved with "Napoli 1945"

Also.. a Soviet C_nt cap and a Navy Kabar from WW2

[comiso90]

I have 2 iron crosses and a few other badges which are in storage but here are a couple others:

The eagle and Swastika was "procured " by my Uncle, also a veteran of Sicily. It's my understanding that this type of patch was worn on athletic uniforms.

.