Wanted to share some pictures of my collection that has been growing for 40 years. People always ask what I enjoy collecting the most and I never have one answer. I spent countless hours reading about the BOB and have collected many personnel grouping of pilots who flew out of England. I also have collected about three thousand photos including color slides from the Normandy coast under German occupation. Interested to hear your feedback as always
That lot must not of been cheap.. How the hell have you managed to obtain all that while you have been doing your day job? Over the years,(your day job must of been well paid?) Well done. We need a video guided tour has to how you came across your collection & (how much you paid for them?) Stu.
The Chindit Society has a fair collection of artefacts kept in the various homes of it's members. Although we are not really in the position to create a small exhibition or museum, I have often thought that a virtual (video) museum might be the answer going forward. Either that or hire out John's basement!!
A careful reader might notice I have edited (removed) my earlier comment. I guess I should have noticed earlier (before #14), but given the whole theme of the collection I am not so sure what to make of it anymore...
Thanks everyone for your remarks. Over the years when we have moved and bought homes the first thing I looked at was if it had the space for my collection. I always made sure it had the proper equipment and this room has two dehumidifier to protect my collection. I have never bought anything from EBay and through the years have made friendships with people who run businesses that deal in estates. Some items have come through there and other through traveling with work. Not sure I made a lot of money, when I started collecting items were very reasonable compared to now. The signed aviation art is also special to me. Unfortunately many of those who signed are no longer with us. Some of the ones that I consider the most important are Douglas Bader, Johnny Johnson, Hub Zemke, Adolf Galland and Erich Hartmann. I have a very heavy hand in BOB/RAF and the work of Robert Taylor I have actually thinned out some pieces of my collection in the last five years. A large Afrika corps grouping that included some Rommel items to purchase a ring for my wife for our 25th anniversary. I also sold a complete Luftwaffe grouping that started with HJ and followed through BOB. It included his early sword and badge and I used to redo my kitchen at my shore house. Both of these made my wife very happy. I still have the very first item I purchased at 14 and will post later today. It is going to be very hard to pick a ‘Favorite Item” but coming to mind I would pick two.. 1. SS Dutch Honor Ring Grouping/Das Reich killed in 1942. Ring has been certified 2. Göring Silver Cup given to 101st Officer. Engraved with name, battles at the stem I will post detailed pictures later today once all the crazy holiday work is done. Please let me know if there are any questions.
25th anniversary. Congratulations. Any woman who allows that much of her home to be dedicated to WW2 is certainly a keeper! Is she allowed to touch anything?
So below are the first two item of WW2 memorabilia I found as a 14 year old. I was walking around a small flea market and saw a group of tables that included some military items. In a small case I saw these two items and I thought I had just found the treasures of King Solomon Mines. Who thought so many years later it would grow as much as it has. One of my favorite Items is the Goring chalice given to certain 101st officers. This one was given to Lt. Col. Lee E. Jones Chemical Warfare. At the base of the chalice it is inscribed Normandy*Holland*Bastogne*Central Europe
There are certain pieces from WW2 that for me always had an air of mystery surrounding them. For me the SS Honor Ring always was one of those pieces. There are so many fakes surrounding memorabilia I stayed away for many years. About ten years back I was presented with the opportunity to purchase a grouping and could not resist. The ring came certified The grouping belongs to Hauptcharfuhrer Clemend Tost a Dutch volunteer. It includes is SS Honor Ring, Dutch SS Membership Pin(membership#B15080) and a Dutch Faithful Service Pin. He was a member of the SS Das Reich and was killed in 1942
An interesting grouping belonging to Lt Colonel Howard "Hi" I. Price. He served in both WW2 and Korea with a 157 combat missions and three air kills. On April 11 1946 his P47 was shot down by ground fire over the Ruhr Valley and he was captured by the German Infantry. After 11 days as a POW he convinced 282 German soldiers and officers to surrender and marched them to the US 8th Infantry at Wupertal Germany. The grouping includes the arm band that he liberated from a German soldier, Flight helmet from Korea, Tunic with wings and bars, squadron patches. Signed picture from the USAF Thunderbirds Also have other pictures not shown.
Small interesting grouping to Paul E Hastings. He was part of the Blue Raiders and also participated after the war In Operation Crossroads which was the testing of Atomic Bombs on naval vessels at Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands. I read recently that radiation still prohibits people from inhabiting the area again. They also were doing search and rescue and I copied the log from the beginning of August. What is interesting is it was still very dangerous for crews because they report that a B29 goes down on the 1st. The war was almost over but men were still risking there lives. They also log that later they are within a 100 miles where the first A bomb was dropped. So much history in a couple lines
Glad you enjoy. I keep add a few small pieces but always want to make sure that what I have is presented correctly and is also protected. I always am amazed with families who don't want to keep and preserve the items.
It is true some people place no attachment value on what has been in " a drawer" or have been found in the bottom of a wardrobe, some on the other hand simply want to know " what is it worth"? You have some very good items which it is always good to see in safe hands. One item which I was pleased to find on eBay was a Royal Navy directors binocular made by "Ottway", it arrived sinking of tobacco and nicotine. Washed with a damp soapy cloth and well dried. ( two or three times) and the stink died away. For me, it was a real find - no history of it I needed it to complete the optical gear as seen in a photograph of a directors position. What was really good it was undamaged and had not been polished and ruined, the correct rubber brow pad added it is complete, sadly no transit case.