WW1 / WW2 / 20th Century

A Superb Solid Sterling Silver Cigarette & Cigar Box, Early H.M. Queen Elizabeth IInd Period With The Crest of the Royal Borough of Windsor, & The Castle

Presented to officers of the Household Cavalry, the mounted bodyguard of her Late Beloved Majesty, Queen Elizabeth IInd, in 1965 at Windsor Castle. Silver Birmingham hallmarked by William Neale & Son Ltd (their mark from 1909). William Neale & Son Ltd
Birmingham, 1933 hallmark. Firm established by William Neale in 1850 in Birmingham. Later the firm became William Neale & Sons as a partnership of William Neale Sr., William Neale Jr. and Arthur Neale, building new premises at 29 Warstone Lane, Birmingham (1896). In 1905, the firm was converted into a limited liability company under the style of William Neale & Sons Ltd moving in 1910 at 34 Cox Street, St. Paul's Square, Birmingham. In 1941,

The Arms of the Borough as shown upon the silver box are officially recorded in the College of Arms as having been entered in 1566 at the Visitation of Berkshire made in that year by William Hervey Clarenceux, King of Arms, in the following form:

Per fesse Argent and Vert a Stag's Head caboshed of the first in chief between the attires Sable an Escutcheon of France Modern and England quarterly in base a Castle Wall with three Towers also Argent in the central tower a open Port with Portcullis raised Or.

Origin
Arms entered (without tinctures) at the Visitation of 1532; Confirmed with tinctures at the Visitation of 1566;

The castle is, of course, a reference to Windsor's famous royal fortress, and the stag's head recalls that the Windsor Great Park around the town formed a hunting ground for the Norman kings. The shield depicts the old 1405-1603 Royal Arms and is appropriate as New Windsor is a Royal Borough.

The Freedom Of Windsor: The freedom of the Royal Borough of Windsor was given to the Household Cavalry at a special ceremony held in the home Park, Windsor Castle, today. Immediately following this ceremony the Household Cavalry exercised their right by marching through the town of Windsor with bands plkating. Armoured cars from the Lifeguards took part in the parade. May 05, 1965.

Gross weight 22.8 ozs approx 6.75 inches x 4.65 inches x 2 inches. Hallmarked silver lined with cedarwood interior.  read more

Code: 25511

1924 LZ126 Zeppelin Medal . The Flight Of The LZ 126 (ZRIII) To America (USS Los Angeles, USN) Record 81 Hours Medal 1924. Dr. Hugo Eckener, High Grade Silver

1924 LZ126 Zeppelin Medal, stunningly bright condition.
By Lauer of Nuremberg. A silver coin/medallion issued to commemorate the arrival in the USA of Zeppelin LZ-126 from the manufacturer in Friedrichshafen, Germany. It was built in 1924 with the original designation LZ-126 and given over to the US as part of war reparations. There she was commissioned into the US Navy and redesignated ZR-III (USS Los Angeles). The Zeppelin remained in service until 1932 and was finally dismantled in her hangar in 1939, having been the longest serving rigid airship ever operated by the USN.
Made in .990 grade silver, 33mm in diameter with a portrait of Dr. Hugo Eckener on one side and Zeppelin in flight over land and sea. Inscribed with caption "Amerikafahrt Des LZ126 / ZRIII 1924" and with flight details from Friedrichshafen to Lakehurst. Dr. Eckener was manager of the Luftschiffbau Zeppelin during the inter-war years, and was commander of the famous Graf Zeppelin for the majority of its record-setting flights, including the first airship flight around the world, making him the most successful airship commander in history.

The airship's hull had 24-sided transverse ring frames for most of its length, changing to an octagonal section at the tail surfaces, and the hull had an internal keel which provided an internal walkway and also contained the accommodation for the crew when off duty. For most of the ship's length the main frames were 32 ft 10 in (10 m) apart, with two secondary frames in each bay. Following the precedent set by LZ 120 Bodensee, crew and passenger accommodation was in a compartment near the front of the airship that was integrated into the hull structure. Each of the five Maybach VL I V12 engines occupied a separate engine car, arranged as four wing cars with the fifth aft on the centerline of the ship. All drove two-bladed pusher propellers and were capable of running in reverse. Auxiliary power was provided by wind-driven dynamos.


Medallion is engraved '990' silver content to rim. Very nice condition.  read more

Code: 23601

A Ist Gulf War Souvenir, A Russian Scud Missile Launcher 'Level' Site. On its Original Tripod And Instrument Transit Case.

In overall excellent condition, and it’s original metal transit case for the instrument. It’s optics are truly incredible, in fact as good as anything that can be made today for the purpose of a ‘level’ instrument {somewhat similar to a theodolite}

A war trophy of the first gulf war, a Russian Scud Missile Rocket Launcher Level Site on adjustable tripod stand. Originaly designed for use with the USSR Red Army 'Frog' nuclear rocket. The Scud missiles targeting Israel were relatively ineffective, as firing at extreme range resulted in a dramatic reduction in accuracy and payload. Extensive property damage was caused, and according to Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "Damage to general property consisted of 1,302 houses, 6,142 apartments, 23 public buildings, 200 shops and 50 cars." It was feared that Iraq would fire missiles filled with nerve agents such as sarin. As a result, Israel's government issued gas masks to its citizens. When the first Iraqi missiles hit Israel, some people injected themselves with an antidote for nerve gas. It has been suggested that the sturdy construction techniques used in Israeli cities, coupled with the fact that Scuds were only launched at night, played an important role in limiting the number of casualties from Scud attacks.

Missiles were a vital part of the old Cold War. Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) threatened to hurl nuclear payloads from one side of the globe to the other, obliterating humanity, a real war to end all wars.

Before a Scud level site it was made for the Russian USSR Frog rocket. Further down the scale of destructiveness, tactical missiles were an important part of the Soviet arsenal. Following Joseph Stalin’s death in 1952, Nikita Khrushchev came to power. A great believer in rocketry and nuclear weapons, he cut back on conventional forces while boosting the USSR?s missile systems.

It led to a proliferation of vehicle-mounted ballistic missiles for use in tactical rather than global engagements. The first tactical missiles added to the Soviet arsenal under Krushchev were the Free Rocket Over Ground (FROG) series.

FROG-1 entered service in 1955. An IS-2 tank chassis was modified to become the basis of the launch vehicle. On it was mounted a ten-meter-long rocket powered by a solid fuel engine. It could carry a conventional 1,200-kilogram high explosive fragmentation warhead. In keeping with Khrushchev’s faith in nuclear solutions, it could also carry a tactical nuclear warhead.

The vehicle had a maximum road speed of 41 kilometers per hour, which went down to 30kph while carrying the 3,200-kilogram weight of the rocket.

The rocket had a range of nearly 26 kilometers. Half the rockets fired by FROG-1 landed within 700 meters of their target point.

One replaced bolt on the tripod.  read more

Code: 21696

Over 2,000 Antique & Vintage Service Military, Maritime, Police & Fire-service Uniform Buttons Just Aquired.,Boer War, WW1, WW2 and ERII

All original and some jolly interesting ones. All pretty much collected in the 1960’s.

We will be selling them individually, but just in the shop, and for just a nominal price at one price fits all {some rare ones must be worth £10+ each or more}. Often, just as souvenirs for visitors.

Sadly they are impractical to sell online for delivery as even just a 1st class letter stamp is now ruinously expensive at £1.65, so they would not be prudent to sell online simply for the cost of packing and sending, let alone the half hour one way walk to our city’s main branch Post Office. Which is now located in a back room of the basement of our local WH Smith’s newsagents. Average queue wait, from a single attended counter, up to 35 minutes!. Our former magnificent edifice, that was once our main Royal Mail Brighton Post Office, somewhat reminiscent of the size of the British Embassy in Paris, with around 20 fully attended counters, servicing Brighton and its environs now two hundred and fifty thousand souls, is now part of a restaurant chain.
By the late 19th century, 130 Years ago!, there were between six and twelve mail deliveries per day in London, permitting correspondents to exchange multiple letters within a single day. Now we count ourselves lucky to get a single delivery a day, {if at all} with many letters arriving up to a week late. However, our regular ‘postie’, Mark Garoghan, is as devoted to his job as he was decades ago, when he first trod the streets of Brighton {for the past 47 years}. Our praise of him, and his loyalty to his profession, knows no bounds.  read more

Code: 25488

Imperial German Bronze Zeppelin Forced Landing Medal 50mm With Symbolic Cockeral & Eagle

This is Goetz’ first satirical medal. The French made quite a clamor when one of Germany’s airships developed engine trouble and was forced to land in Luneville. Goetz couldn’t hold himself back from making light of the obvious over reaction by the French.
Obverse: The French Gallic coq is speaking to the German eagle, “Par ici c’est la terre Francaise, Compris-“ ( This is French soil, do you understand?). The eagle replies, “Sehr richtig, aber mein Schiff ist deutscher boden, verstanden!!” (Right indeed, but my ship is German territory, understand!!). ZXVI in Luneville, 3. April 1913 is in exergue. Reverse: A zeppelin airship involuntarily lands in Luneville as armed French troops scurry towards it and a French bi-plane surveys the situation below. Inscription: “Vive la politesse Francaise (Cheers for the French politeness). German Empire. Due to the forced landing of the airship Z IV (LZ 16) in Lunéville on 3 April 1913. Karl Goetz, medalist.

Obv: VIVE LA POLITESSE FRANÇAISE.
Airship flying left; plane above; below, french cavalry and infantry rushing to the zeppelin.
Rev: PAR ICI C'EST LA TERRE FRANÇAISE COMPRIS - SEHR RICHTIG, ABER MEIN SCHIFF IST DEUTSCHER BODEN VERSTANDEN!!! / ZXVI IN LUNÉVILLE 3. APRIL 1913.
Cock standing right arguing with eagle standing facing.
The H class Zeppelin IV, or LZ 16, landed at Lunėville in Lorraine on 3 April 1913. This Zeppelin was powered by three 160cv engines and stretched some 148 metres in length. With a maximum diameter of 14.4 metres, it enclosed a volume of some 21,000 cubic metres.

This landing could have been construed as a provocative act by the Germans, given French sensitivity over the territories of Alsace and Lorraine. Indeed Lunėville was the seat of the last Duke of Lorraine, before Louis XV annexed the Duchy in 1766, and turned the Duke’s castle into barracks.

Indeed the Zeppelin landed on the cavalry parade ground of the French Army’s camp at Lunėville. However, the Zeppelin was still undergoing testing at this time, and was carrying civilian engineers as well as military personnel.

The crew claimed that poor atmospheric conditions had led to navigational error and the low fuel carrying capacity of the Zeppelin meant they needed to refuel.

The landing on French soil does not appear intentional as the French were able to give the airship a thorough going over. General Hirschauer, head of French aircraft inspection, rushed to the scene to oversee the examination of the Zeppelin. German technical advances were thus revealed to the French before the Zeppelin was allowed to leave.

It would not be long though before the looming shape of the Zeppelin would threaten the allies in WWI. LZ 16 would undertake reconnaissance duties over East Prussia and take part in the bombing of Warsaw.
There an identical example in the Metropolitan Museum in the USA. Accession Number: 2009.266  read more

Code: 23602

A Household Division, Welsh Guards, Drum Major's, Vintage Pace Stick. E.R II Period

Formerly used by the Welsh Guards Drum Major of H.M.Queen Elizabeth II . A pace stick is a long stick usually carried by warrant officer and non-commissioned officer drill instructors in the British and Commonwealth armed forces as an aid to military drill.
A pace stick usually consists of two pieces of wood, hinged at the top, and tapering towards the bottom, very similar to large wooden drafting compasses used on school blackboards. They are usually shod and fitted with highly polished brass. They can open so that the tips separate at fixed distances, corresponding to various lengths of marching pace, such as "double march", "quick march", "step short", etc. When opened to the correct pace length, the pace stick can be held alongside the holder's body by the hinge, with one leg of the stick vertical to the ground, and the other leg pointing forward. By twirling the stick while marching, the stick can be made to "walk" alongside its holder at the proper pace.

Otherwise, while on parade or when marching, it is normally carried tucked tightly under the left arm and parallel to the ground, with the left hand grasping the stick near the top.

The objective of the pace stick drill is to ensure uniformity in the use of the stick, as well as to maintain a high standard of steadiness and cohesion among the instructors. This meticulous display of drill prowess highlights the discipline and precision that are hallmarks of military training. Photo by David Friel - originally posted to Flickr as Colour Sergeant, Welsh Guards, with pace stick
This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.  read more

Code: 25474

A Rare WW2 21st Army Group Commander-in-Chief's, Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, April 1945 Signed Certificate for Outstanding Good Service & Devotion To Duty As a Combatant.

This certificate states:

“21st Army Group, 1659410 Gnr W Fox 98 HAA Regt RA

" it has been bright to my notice that you have performed outstanding good service, and shown great devotion to duty, during the campaign in north west Europe. I award you this certificate as a token of my appreciation and I have given instructions that this should be noted in your Record of Service. Date April 1945, signed B.L Montgomery, Field Marshal Commander in Chief, 21st Army group.”

This certificate is in nice condition, but with age foxing, and is mounted behind glass.  read more

Code: 25462

Very Scarce British Army GPMG 'Jungle' Box 50 Round Magazine

After the Second World War the Belgian Mitrailleuse d’Appui General (MAG – General Purpose Machine Gun) was selected as the winning design to replace both the Vickers Heavy Machine Gun and Bren Light Machine Gun.

Built under licence at the Royal Small Arms Factory, Enfield it was renamed 7.62mm L7A2 General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), or 'Gimpy'.

L7A2 '50rnd Belt Box' GPMG 4,000rnd Auto-Winding Box Magazine

The design uses piston and bolt derived from the proven Browning Automatic Rifle, with the belt feed mechanism being based on that of German wartime designs, providing for a reliable and robust weapon.

The GPMG can be used as both a Light Machine Gun, firing from the shoulder or in the sustained fire mode installed on a tripod. In the sustained role it is operated by a two-man team, in a specialist machine gun platoon to provide battalion-level fire support.

The Parachute Regiment has always been a major user of the GPMG and in operations from the Middle East, Northern Ireland through to the Falklands, Kosovo and Afghanistan the GPMG has provided over 50 years of service.

The newer 5.56mm Minimi Light Machine Gun has supplemented the Gimpy in the British Army, but the Parachute Regiment still carry the Gimpy on foot patrols in Afghanistan for its superior weight of fire, stopping power and range.

Statistics

Length: 1,232mm

Weight: 10.9Kg

Calibre: 7.62mm

Feed: Belt

Range: Bipod 800m, Tripod 1,400m

Rate of Fire: 1,000 RPM

This item is for sale to UK only, Not suitable for export.  read more

Code: 23866

A Fabulous, Original, Cased Set of 3 German 15cm Howitzer Steel Shell Cases

The box case still with it's original German Army camouflage paint. Each shell case is dated. The 15 cm schwere Feldhaubitze 18 or sFH 18 (German: "heavy field howitzer, model 18"), nicknamed Immergren ("Evergreen"), was the basic German division-level heavy howitzer during the Second World War, serving alongside the smaller but more numerous 10.5 cm leFH 18. It was based on the earlier, First World War-era design of the 15 cm sFH 13, and while improved over that weapon, it was generally outdated compared to the weapons it faced. It was, however, the first artillery weapon equipped with rocket-assisted ammunition to increase range. The sFH 18 was also used in the self-propelled artillery piece schwere Panzerhaubitze 18/1 (more commonly known as Hummel).

***We bought a collection of these scarce collectors items, original Third Reich shell cases, some are now sold.

The sFH 18 was one of Germany's three main 15 cm calibre weapons, the others being the 15 cm Kanone 18, a corps-level heavy gun, and the 15 cm sIG 33, a short-barreled infantry gun. The gun originated with a contest between Rheinmetall and Krupp, both of whom entered several designs that were all considered unsatisfactory for one reason or another. In the end the army decided the solution was to combine the best features of both designs, using the Rheinmetall gun on a Krupp carriage.

The carriage was a relatively standard split-trail design with box legs. Spades were carried on the sides of the legs that could be mounted onto the ends for added stability. The carriage also saw use on the 10 cm schwere Kanone 18 gun. As the howitzer was designed for horse towing, it used an unsprung axle and hard rubber tires. A two-wheel bogie was introduced to allow it to be towed, but the lack of suspension made it unsuitable for towing at high speed. The inability of heavy artillery like the sFH 18 to keep up with the fast-moving tank forces was one of the reasons that the Luftwaffe invested so heavily in dive bombing, in order to provide a sort of "flying artillery" for reducing strongpoints.

The gun was officially introduced into service on 23 May 1935, and by the outbreak of war the Wehrmacht had about 1,353 of these guns in service. Production continued throughout the war, reaching a peak of 2,295 guns in 1944 Inert empty and safe, but not suitable for export or for sale to under 18'  read more

Code: 18417

An Amazing WW1 British Trench Howitzer Maker Marked and Dated 1915, An Intriguing and Fascinating Souvenir of The Great War's Trench Warfare

What an amazing display and conversation piece!

Trench mortars were the army’s most forward artillery, right up on the front line. These short range weapons were able to throw large, high explosive projectiles, short distances across No Man’s Land at the enemy trench system opposite.

Llewelyn Wyn Griffith, a captain with the 15th Royal Welch Fusiliers, described a battery of 2 inch mortars opening fire on enemy lines:

“A pop, and then a black ball went soaring up, spinning round as it went through the air slowly; more pops and more queer birds against the sky. A stutter of terrific detonations seems to shake the air and the ground, sandbags and bits of timber sailed up slowly and then fell in a calm deliberate way. In the silence that followed the explosions, an angry voice called out in English [with a distinct German accent no doubt] across No Man’s Land, ‘YOU BLOODY WELSH MURDERERS.’

Somewhat ironic, since the Kaiser invaded France and Belgium, slaughtered the allies, both civilians and combatants, in their hundreds of thousands, yet when the British -Welsh have the temerity to fight back and thus kill the German invaders, they are called murderers by the German combatants [sound familiar?]

The 2 inch mortar [named for the size of the rod not the huge explosive head] was considered accurate out to 350 yards with a maximum effective range out to just under 600 yards.

Introduced in 1915, the 2 inch mortar was originally crewed by men taken from the battalion it was stationed with, along with some specialists from the Royal Artillery. However, with the introduction of the 3 inch Stokes mortar which was operated by the infantry themselves the 2 inch mortars became the sole responsibility of the Royal Field Artillery.

The British Army entered the First World War with very few mortars, and certainly none at the battalion level. As the stalemate of trench warfare set in and the effectiveness of enemy mortars became clear it was decided that trench mortars of various sizes would be needed.

Nicknamed ‘plum pudding’ or ‘toffee apple’ mortars after their projectile’s characteristic shape, the 2 inch Medium Mortar or 2 inch Trench Howitzer, was one of Britain’s first effective light trench mortars to be introduced.

Mortar positions were often in secondary trenches just behind the infantry’s frontline. This was to help protect the infantry from potential counter-battery fire. The trench mortars were often deployed to sectors to provide counter battery fire against German minenwerfers or in the run up to an offensive or local action. A British Army report on artillery use, drawn up in February 1917, noted that “Owing to their liability to be destroyed by hostile artillery fire it may often be advisable to defer opening fire with these mortars till the last day of bombardment.” The mortars were also tasked with keeping gaps made in the wire clear and with supporting any feint attacks made by infantry during gaps in the bombardment running up to a larger offensive.

Llewelyn Wyn Griffith, a captain with the 15th Royal Welch Fusiliers and later a novelist, recalled in his war memoir:

“At night a trench mortar officer set his guns in a derelict trench about twenty yards behind the line and carried up his ammunition, heavy globes of iron with a little cylindrical projection like a broken handle. In the morning I moved the men from the bays between the trench mortars and their target, to lighten the risk of loss from retaliatory fire.”

The 2 inch medium mortar entered service in spring 1915 and remained in use into 1917 with British and Empire troops. It was used on the Western Front and in Mesopotamia. Over 800 were ordered initially with 675,000 bombs, many of the mortars were made in railway and agricultural machinery workshops, allowing larger factories to focus on more complex weapons. The 2 inch mortar was superseded by the larger bore Newton 6 inch mortar later in the war. Some of the remaining 2 inch projectiles were re-purposed as makeshift anti-tank mines, buried in no man’s land in anticipation of possible German tank attacks.

Not suitable for export, inert, safe and perfectly harmless, but of substantial heft. UK mainland delivery only. 34 inches long overall head 9 inch diameter.  read more

Code: 24389