Sold Gallery
These pages display a number of the rare items that I have had the pleasure of selling. To view more details and a larger photograph please click on the thumbnail picture.
GERMAN WWII JOSEF GOEBBELS SIGNED POSTCARD.
A standard postcard by ‘Albrecht & Meister AG Berlin N65’. Studio photograph of Josef Goebbels facing the camera hatless, wearing political uniform with swastika armband and Golden Party Badge, pen signed at base. It should be remembered that it was one of the strongest hobbies within the Third Reich period for young, mainly boys from the Hitler Youth to create photograph albums of both military and political leaders of the Third Reich and good collections of these autographs do turn up on the market, even today from family albums.
GERMAN WWII EARLY ALLGEMEINE SS ENLISTED MANS VISOR CAP.
A very nice condition very early period SS mans visor cap, size 55, constructed in the finely grained tricot material, white waffenfarbe to the upper and lower sections of the black centre band and the full circumference of the crown. Standard SS style patent leather strap with central buckle. On gently easing back the left hand side of the strap the rubber ink SS markings can be seen to the interior of the strap. Fitted with the early short winged M.29 eagle and jawless skull. Bright visor. To the interior of the visor the ‘RZM’ rubber ink stamping. The interior lining is of the russet brown with the central celluloid lozenge, which underneath lays the large gold circlet with the SS runes to the centre, come aging of the gilt to the circlet evident. Mid tan leather sweatband with wear use. The RZM label being the very early style larger than the later black labels.
GERMAN WWII AFRIKA WITH PALMS OFFICERS CUFF TITLE.
A most superb example of a probably private purchased officers bullion wire Afrika with palms cuff title. We would assume from the weave pattern of the block capital word ‘AFRIKA’ that it has possibly been Italian produced, on standard light tan backing cloth, there is some oxidisation and threads loose from the word ‘R I and A’. evidence from remaining stitches to the edges where it has been removed from a tunic and has seen considerable service wear. A fabulous piece of North African insignia.
GERMAN WWII LUFTWAFFE WHITE TOP SUMMER CAP, GREEN PIPED.
A very nice condition, possibly size 56 or 57 Luftwaffe mans or NCO visor cap with removable white top and green piped to the upper and lower sections of the mohair centre band indicating this was worn by a man or NCO in the Air Traffic Control Department of the Luftwaffe. The white top caps used to come in two forms, one with beautifully silk lined removable top and one unlined, this is the higher quality lined version. The cap is the standard saddle shape form, a matched set of aluminium national eagle and cockade, standard front strap with double oval buckles, extra ribbing to the front peak in the normal Luftwaffe form. The interior light tan sweatband having no evidence of wear of any form. The white top has one little minor line stain to the crown otherwise excellent, it is also of the higher quality thicker white material rarely encountered. To the interior the top is lined in light silk with a full centre celluloid lozenge with the retailer’s name of ‘Hut-Mayer Neu-totting’. An extremely nice virtually unworn scarce cap.
GERMAN WWII FLIEGERSTALHELM.
Possibly the rarest steel helmet from the Third Reich period was the helmet known as the Fliegerstalhelm. In the early stages of the war the Luftwaffe flying personnel found that they had no head protection whilst flying in combat, many images are available of flyers wearing standard steel helmets over their flying helmets, examples are known to exist of standard steel helmets being local ordnance beaten out from the inside to accommodate the headsets of the flying helmet and by 1944 a helmet was devised primarily for the head protection of flyers known as the Fliegerstelhelm. Very similar in style to one of the American anti flak helmets with two ear cut-outs to accommodate the headphones, always in Luftwaffe blue grey. A Luftwaffe eagle across the front of the helmet and sometimes having the Dutch shoe insignia hand applied indicating one of the Horstwessel bomber squadrons. The interiors are very closely associated with German paratrooper helmets, we are convinced they are made by the same company. A lot of the small leather and metal fittings are virtually identical to paratrooper strapping. In our 45 years of history we have only ever owned three of these helmets. An incredibly rare piece.
GERMAN WWII PARATROOPER BOOTS.
A very fine exact matching pair of the grained leather boots issued to German paratroopers. These boots have had nails added to both the leather sole and the heel. Standard 12 eyelet lace holes. Faint traces of size markings to the instep of the left hand boot. These boots were originally issued brown and have been blackened. There is no damage to anywhere on the boots. With side view these boots have a profile, which cannot be mistaken for anything other than correct WWII German paratrooper boots.
GERMAN WWII PARATROOPER SPLINTER PATTERN JUMP SMOCK.
The rare and very desirable splinter pattern camouflage heavy duck non reversible paratrooper jump smock. This has seen slight service wear, there are nicks to the cloth in the collar area, one small tear in the upper back panel 3cms in length otherwise no other damage, tears or staining. Two of the closure buttons would appear to have been replaced. All the zips are metallic type marked ‘Rapid’, all have their original brown leather pullers. To the interior lining the garment is size stamped ‘1A’ with RB numbers. All of the closure studs to the leg sections are intact and working correctly. The flare pistol pocket is in place. The internal waist adjuster cords are all complete. This is a very fine example of the rare splinter pattern smock.
GERMAN WWII –PARATROOPER TROUSERS.
A extremely rare pair of the dedicated trousers for paratrooper use only. upper medium size waist band, all the correct features of pocket flaps with closing studs, watch pocket with matching studs , 2 rear pockets , one larger than the other both with the closure studs, Long legs, ideal for mannequin fitting, complete with its left hand side leg pocket and its right hand side knife pocket all with their correct male/female studs. Original ties intact to the lower leg area. Fitted with a set of braces, which are not military. Traces of issue stampings to the rayon waist band. These have been service worn and the nap of the cloth is thin overall. One 3cm round patched hole in the seat, another tear machine repaired, small slit repair close to the crotch, L shaped tear to the lower right hand leg with a 2.5cm round patch close to the ankle. One fly button missing. All inner pocket bags present in white linen. Both waist adjusters and their buckles intact, some rust to the buckles. A fabulously rare set, ready for paratrooper mannequin display.
GERMAN WWI M.16 FRONT PLATE.
Probably the best Imperial German M.16 front plate we have owned having all of its original field grey paint remaining with slight rust markings flooding through the paint. Rubber ink stamped to the inside ?AK?, the AK rubber ink stamp is identical to the same stamp in the rear rim of an M.17 helmet we have in our own private collection. The plate is also struck with the bell mark for Krupps and individually numbered ?73?. The helmet front plate has an attachment strap, which does have conversant age however we cannot guarantee this is the original strap. The front plate in the Michael Baldwin collection had part of its original strap remaining but was held together with two rivets, this has one rivet however different manufacturers may have had different ways of applying the chinstraps.
GERMAN WWII KNIGHTS CROSS OF THE IRON CROSS PRESENTATION DOCUMENT.
The rare full sized leather bound presentation citation for the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross. These wonderful documents were all hand produced by the leather artisan Frieda Thiersch, her name in gold blocked to the lower inner section of the document. This example in used condition, the large eagle to the front in gilt block is excellent with one minor graze to the centre of the chest of the eagle. The right upper and lower corners to both the front and back of the outer document have grazes to the leather with some losses. The spine has been professionally strengthened by a leather artisan. On opening the document the inner vellum blank sections are in perfect order. The document that lies within the outer folder is held in place by a thin strip of red Morocco leather in cord form. The document itself has seen much service and age, the pen signature of Adolf Hitler is good and clear and has suffered slightly from dampness as has some of the other mid brown lettering. The gold lettering of the recipient is all in place. The left hand section of the two-piece vellum is much cleaner than the recipient page and we feel it may have been replaced. This document awarded to a well-known Luftwaffe fighter pilot ?Ernst Wilhelm Reinert? on the ?1st July 1942?. Born 1919 near Koln, at the age of 13 he joined the Deutschluftverband, which was the German amateur flying club, after learning to fly he completed his school studies and joined the RAD (The National Labour Corps). After his RAD service he was sent to the army as an infantry soldier but thanks to a friendly officer who knew him at his flying club he managed to be transferred to the Luftwaffe. Pilot training with Jagdgeschwader 77 in 1941 as an unteroffizier based in Vienna, he subsequently took part in the invasion of Crete, Operation Barbarossa was launched 22nd June against Russia. Reinert scored his first victory shooting down a Soviet I/16. Rising through the NCO ranks he was shot down by ground fire, crash landed 500 metres from German lines and was rescued by Waffen SS soldiers. During the winter of 1941 sent back to Germany for rest and refit, with at that time 24 kills to his name and he subsequently received the Ehren Pokal of the Luftwaffe. Further much service during the Russian campaign, at the end of 1942 he was transferred to Tunisia fighting against United States Army Air Force and RAF units, shooting down many allied aircraft including the Spitfire, he then left JG77 then left Tunisia and relocated to Sicily. At the end of 1944 his score had risen to 165 kills. He was hospitalised from malaria in 1943 and recovered in spring 1944 and transferred to JG27 assuming command of the 1st Staffel of JG27. He took part in the defence of Germany operations, sent to Normandy in June 44, however Reinert managed to claim one P51 Mustang and one P147 Thunderbolt and a further Spitfire. His last kills were over Germany in late 1944 and was nominated Gruppen Kommandeur of IV/JG27. At the end of December 1944 he was further awarded the swords to the Knights Cross, promoted to Hauptmann and transferred to JG7 with the revolutionary ME262 jet fight. He never completed is training when the war ended. After the war Reinert studied at university and got a degree in medicine, he eventually opened a gynaecology clinic and married an opera singer. He died at the age of 88 on the 5th September 2007. His record shows 715 missions flown,174 victories, 16 enemy aircraft destroyed on the ground, 10 armoured vehicles destroyed. A truly magnificent warrior. This citation has been in the same family hands in the United Sates since its capture by the family?s veteran father in 1945 and it is the first time it has been released into the collectors world. Further in-depth reading of this fine aviator is available through the internet.