Militaria Collecting

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

There was a thread for this at one time, but I can not remember where it is. So here is another one. This thread is for people who collect Militaria from any era, any country, any military service, etc...

I collect WW2 Militaria and specialize in Third Reich militaria. I do collect everything though from all countries during the World War 2 era. I also collect modern and all other periods of militaria.

As I said though I specialize in WW2 German militaria. I have quite an extensive collection of original German Uniforms, Head Gear, Helmets, Equipment, Personal Items, Badges, Medals, etc. I will post pics of my collection.

If you are collector as well, this is the place to talk and post pics.

The first pic I will post is of my new Iron Cross.

Last week I bought a Third Reich Iron Cross 2nd Class for my collection. It just arrived today. It is in excellent condition, retaining 98% of its original finish and there is absolutely no seperation of the core. It is also ring marked 128. which stands for the manufacturer of S. Joblonski GmbH, Posen.

Here are the pics of the Iron Cross 2nd Class I recieved today.

 

[wilbur1]

wow cool buy Chris can you post up some more pics?

 

[Erich]

very clean EK 2 Chris

mine has faded out sadly - the ribbon and definate war piece with patina flaking off. marked (100) on the ring. My Luftwaffe items are scattered through-out the office and I should get off my little butt and re-arrange this place and make a display ...........

what the heck I posted this years ago somewhere here like Chris said about the lost thread, my Uncle served in a US Artillery Battalion and as they were going through a village in Central Germany this thing was flying over a burning barn full of guns/ammo which they grabbed as well, one of the guys went up on the smoldering roof and cut the flag down and Ferrule and gave them to my Uncle who had them stored very clean in a protective box for a number of years giving this to me back in the early 1960's

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Very nice stuff there Eric, good story behind it as well.

And yes Wilber I will be posting more pics of my collection later including uniforms and badges and stuff.

I have to go and eat dinner with the wife first. It might not be until tomorrow when I post more pics. I am eating freshly smoked salmon that was caught up in Norway. There is no way I am missing out on that!

 

[Lucky13]

Chris, WHAT is the difference between an Iron Cross 1st and 2nd class in itself, is just the difference on the paper and crosses identical?

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Chris, WHAT is the difference between an Iron Cross 1st and 2nd class in itself, is just the difference on the paper and crosses identical?

The crosses are built the same. The difference is how the Iron Cross is worn and what it was awarded for. The 2nd Class is the lesser award of the two.

The 2nd Class is worn from a ribbon as shown in the pics above. (most soldiers did not actually wear the cross, but would only wear the ribbon from the button on there uniform, I will show you this later, when I post pics of my uniforms).

The 1st Class does not have a ring to attach a ribbon two and is worn on the breast pocket. Here is a pic of a 1st Class (this is not mine, I will post a pic of mine later).

Notice that there is no ring to attach the black, red and white ribbon to.

 

[Erich]

that is a negative lucky but Chris needs to answer as you posed the question to him ........... sve me some Salmon Chris !! 8)

here is another item actually pretty rare, JG 27 was the first to wear these distinquishing armbands in late December 1944 so the LW guys would not get pitchforked by their own folk upon parachuting over the Homeland.

this was worn almost exclusively by the JG crews over the Reich but also by the NJG's though not that common.

funny in the latter part of the war some of the pilot just tucked them into a closed pocket on the Lederjacke or leather pants - cargo pocket. Photos indicate the left arm generally worn or even on the left leg, as long as it could be seen by the populace in some fashion

 

[Erich]

another piece of LW equipment

you guys know what this is ? in fact I know of at least 1 LW ace-pilot who flys small single engine jobs who used to use his when he flew for Lufthansa as a commercial pilot

mine is a well used piece you can still find them from spot to spot mint almost un-issued

April 1941.............Anforderz. Fl 23825, Gerät Nr. 127 - 107 B

manufactured by Dennert and Pape, Hamburg-Altena

 

[Lucky13]

I do apologise Erich...

 

[Erich]

for what Lucky ?

collect war-time periodicals LW and KM primarily and a host of Death Cards

 

[Lucky13]

How about fakes, any stories guys?

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

another piece of LW equipment

you guys know what this is ? in fact I know of at least 1 LW ace-pilot who flys small single engine jobs who used to use his when he flew for Lufthansa as a commercial pilot

mine is a well used piece you can still find them from spot to spot mint almost un-issued

April 1941.............Anforderz. Fl 23825, Gerät Nr. 127 - 107 B

manufactured by Dennert and Pape, Hamburg-Altena

We still get them issued to us. Of course they are a lot more modern looking though.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

How about fakes, any stories guys?

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...

 

[Erich]

yes they are.............so besides Chris anyone know what we are talking about .... ?

Lucky I deal in Militaria that I know of and have researched before I make purchase, so eliminating the fakes almost 100% of the time. My biggest thing has been the collection of Ww 2 photos through several different means since the early 1960's with correspondance with many veterans.

As to fakes ~ Chris probably has done the same am sure, think we all have gotten burned though in the past, hopeful we are now smarter

Chris isn't that the white summer tunic not the sand colored tropical ?? Beautiful piece

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Chris isn't that the white summer tunic not the sand colored tropical ?? Beautiful piece

That I believe so. The material is very faded, if you open the tunic up, you can see the original color, and it is not sand colored. The tunic however has been subjected to lots of sun, as it is faded.

I am not sure if the wearer of this uniform (I am not sure who he is either), wore it in N. Africa or if this was worn after he returned from N. Africa. The cuff title could still be worn even after they left the theatre.

 

[Lucky13]

I was thinking more in the lines, if someone has tried to take you for b*m and sell you something that you spotted miles away as a fake....thanks for the reply anyhoo.
Did they wear the same light colored uniforms in North Africa and Italy at times?

Great pics fellas!

 

[Airframes]

Hi Erich. Thanks for the info about the arm band. It's something I didn't know about, and have often wondered what could happen to LW crew bailing out into an area of hostile civilians, if unable to identify themselves quickly; now i know!
Am I right in thinking the instrument is a navigation computer, similar to a R.A.F. navigator's 'Mercator rule'/protractor? When I was still flying (PPL) I used a modern-day equivalent.
Terry.

 

[Erich]

Terry yes a flight navigational computer used by the Bördfunker in twin engines for recon, bomber work, night fighters etc.

cool eh

E ~ more coming

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I was thinking more in the lines, if someone has tried to take you for b*m and sell you something that you spotted miles away as a fake....thanks for the reply anyhoo.
Did they wear the same light colored uniforms in North Africa and Italy at times?

Great pics fellas!

Yeah I had a guy try and sell me a modern German Firefighters helmet (with everything removed and painted like an old stahlhelm) as if it were an old Stahlhelm.

You could tell the fake a mile away, especially since he built in modern US Kevlar webbing inside of it.

 

[Airframes]

Nice Erich, and in good condition, by the look of it.
If I can contact a late friends' widow, she had the remains of a once VERY large collection of (his) Luftwaffe and Wehrmacht militaria, and would more than likely part with it now. Last I saw, the remainders were mainly badges, caps and some documents. Doubt if there's any uniforms or medals, and all the stalhelm went rapidly! I'll see what I can find out, but I haven't seen her since I moved house years ago.
Terry.