Favourite items in your WW2 collection

Within family circles, my late father's brother's air gunners logbook would be my first thought, I have been its caretaker for the past 50 years so above all it would be the item I would think of first and foremost.
Thinking of items which I have paid for probably this binocular which was cleaned and serviced by a very good friend who has since passed away, the box is a preproduction of it's period transit case.

 

I'm very proud of my compass and kukri that survived Operation Longcloth in 1943. Even having travelled all those miles across northern Burma and several very wide rivers, the compass still correctly points to the north.

 

This scrap of paper is one my favourite objects in my collection. It is a page torn from an officer's note book in Burma in May 1944. It is effectively a medical assessment, a sick note and a prescription. It undoubtedly changed and possibly saved the life of the man it was written for. This man had seen action in Torbruk and had been part of the only Chindit Brigade that had marched into Burma during Operation Thursday. Exhausted and severely underweight, he had contracted a foot infection and this scrap of paper was his ticket out, allowing him to board a Dakota bound for India. No wonder he kept it as a souvenir.

 

Could I ask you to type in what it says? I can't make it out and I'm sure it is very good

 

'22' Enterprise

1909386 Spr Turner. F.W.

Localised inflammation of medial side of right ankle for four days. Very tender, inflamed.

Treatment.
Fomentation of Sulphanilamide Grains I? First loaf? began on 22.00 Hrs. 20.4.44

21.4.44

A.G.S. Miller

Capt. R.A.M.C.

 

A copy of the travel guide 'Lets Halt Awhile', which my father managed to retain throughout his time in Japanese POW Camps. The LHS picture is of the book, the RHS picture is from the dust cover of a post war edition of the same book with an appreciation by a fellow FEPOW.



Tim

 

No value but the sentimental: grandfather's identity discs.

 

One question that just occurred to me: was it usual for soldiers to retain identity discs after discharge?

Were they considered personal effects or army equipment?

 

Going by the number I've seen (and have) then yes, not really reusable so the Army would probably have little interest in them

 

Situation update from post #20. Anyone else any favorite items to add?!

 

Hi All, it's probably quite obvious from my Avatar, but I collect and am interested in The Rifle Brigade, reference the initial post asking for our favourite items in our collections..... so here's mine, 4x Regimental Field Service Caps for the Rifle Brigade (& Tower Hamlet Rifles). The Officers one is mid 1950's and I actually know the name of the Gent and know his Widow who lives nearby.
Anyhow there you go, I do have other items I consider favourites too, but I shall bore you no more.
Regards
T

 

That's a nice little collection there T. My great grandfather, Corporal George Fogden was with the 9th battalion during WW1 and received the Military Medal + bar and one of my grandfather's brothers, Sgt. Fred Howney served with the Rifle Brigade in Italy during WW2.

 

Thats superb, I can only imagine some of the tales they would have had, my uncle John joined The Rifle Brigade in 1941 as a Young Soldier 70th Bn, but was volunteered with others to join The Northumberland Fusiliers to go to North Africa to train up for Italy, afyer he landed at Salerno a week or so later he was put in to the 4th Recce Regiment where he stayed until the war in Europe finished and was then transfered for the final time to the 17/21st Lancers where he served in Greece fighting the Communists..... he eventually returned home in early 1947

 

Do you know which Battalion your Grandfathers Brother served in possibly? Sgt Fred Downey, I will have a look through my Books and RB Chronicles, you never know there may be a photo of him. Also your Great Grandfather should be mention in the RB Chronicles but sadly I still havent managed to get the WW1 dated books yet as they are very sought after (mine stop about 1920)

 

I don't know Fred Howney's battalion I'm afraid. He was part of a WASP Bren gun carrier team. He is sitting third left as we look in the photograph below.

 

Corporal George Fogden kept his MM awards to himself. The family only became aware of these after he had died and the medal was found amongst his effects. Please find below the two Gazette entries and a photo of the man himself:

 

I feel an attachment to S/25393 Rifleman Carlo Gatty, 2nd Battalion, Rifle Brigade, killed in action on 16th August 1917. I came across him when I was searching for family names on CWGC. Although we share the same surname, I’m not sure at all whether he is an actual relative or not as there is next to no information on him. As his body has not been found, I have come to the conclusion that he was one of the heavy casualties D Company took that day, but I don’t know that for certain.

There is not much about him anywhere, although some very helpful souls on the GWF found an entry for an Italian Carlo Gatty on the 1911 London census, whilst a record on Ancestry shows him as being born in Malta and resident in Woolwich (which is very close to where I grew up, in Eltham).

The register for his effects shows that they went to nobody, his medal card shows his medals were scrapped, both of which implying he had no known relatives and perhaps went unmourned. That makes me feel very sad.

Sorry for digressing to WW1.

 

I don’t really have a collection, my most prized possessions being grandad’s medals and a few photos, all of which I’ve posted here elsewhere.

I do have an original 5th Division formation patch and some WW2 era Royal Artillery shoulder titles and cap badges, not his I hasten to add, which I intend to include on the medal display for him (which I’ve been intending to put together for a while now). No photos of these to hand as I’m currently away on holiday.

 

Oh wow yes that is indeed very sad, poor chap, I assume any relatives he did have must have stayed in Malta and not known of what happened to him and no doubt he left no address there for the War Dept to get in touch with anyone. Very sad.

 

This is really amazing so interesting thank you for sharing, I love anything like this truly great.