WW1 / WW2 / 20th Century

An Exemplary WW2 1942 Dated Berlin Issue Third Reich Polizei, Gestapo, and Sicherheitspolizei PPK Holster Berlin Maker Marked & Dated With Polizei Eagle Waffen Stamp

Overall in excellent plus condition

A most rare and highly desirable holster for the concealed PPK or model 1910 FN pistol, for belt or shoulder wear by the Berlin Polizei and The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of Prussia into one organisation. On 20 April 1934, oversight of the Gestapo passed to the head of the Schutzstaffel (SS), Heinrich Himmler, who was also appointed Chief of German Police by Hitler in 1936. Instead of being exclusively a Prussian state agency, the Gestapo became a national one as a sub-office of the Sicherheitspolizei (SiPo; Security Police). From 27 September 1939, it was administered by the Reich Security Main Office (RSHA). It became known as Amt (Dept) 4 of the RSHA and was considered a sister organisation to the Sicherheitsdienst (SD; Security Service).
The Sicherheitspolizei (English: Security Police), often abbreviated as SiPo, was a term used in Germany for security police. In the Nazi era, it referred to the state political and criminal investigation security agencies. It was made up by the combined forces of the Gestapo (secret state police) and the Kriminalpolizei (criminal police; Kripo) between 1936 and 1939. As a formal agency, the SiPo was incorporated into the Reich Security Main Office (RSHA) in 1939, but the term continued to be used informally until the end of World War II in Europe.

It came together with it's Third Reich pistol, but we are offering them both separately  read more

Code: 25726

An Excellent German WW1 Iron Cross, Near Mint Condition, Silver Mount rim and Iron Centre Issued in WW1 But Worn in both WW1 and WW2. WW2 Souvenir of a Former D.Day Combat Veteran

Souvenir from a WW2 veteran. Taken from a veteran German soldier, by a British soldier after landing on Juno Beach at the Normandy landings in 1944 in the early summer.

From a 1st Btn. Suffolk Regt. veteran fighting continually right through to the end of the war near Bremen. We acquired his WW2 campaign medals about 3 years ago. A very good medal with silver rim and iron centre. Next to the Victoria Cross, it is the most famous medal in the world. The Iron Cross was awarded for bravery in battle as well as other conspicuous military contributions in a battlefield environment. The Iron Cross 2nd Class was worn in one of two different methods: When in formal dress, the entire cross was worn mounted alone or as part of a medal bar. For everyday wear, only a ribbon was worn from the second hole in the tunic button.
The Iron Cross is a black four-pointed cross with white trim, with the arms widening toward the ends, similar to a cross pattée. It was designed by the neoclassical architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel and reflects the cross borne by the Teutonic Knights in the 14th century.

The ribbon for the 1813, 1870 and 1914 Iron Cross (2nd Class) was black with two thin white bands, the colours of Prussia. The non-combatant version of this award had the same medal, but the black and white colours on the ribbon were reversed.

Initially the Iron Cross was worn with the blank side out. This did not change until 1838 when the sprig facing could be presented.

Since the Iron Cross was issued over several different periods of German history, it was annotated with the year indicating the era in which it was issued. For example, an Iron Cross from the First World War bears the year "1914", while the same decoration from the Second World War is annotated "1939". The reverse of the 1870, 1914 and 1939 series of Iron Crosses have the year "1813" appearing on the lower arm, symbolizing the year the award was created. The 1813 decoration also has the initials "FW" for King Frederick William III, while the next two have a "W" for the respective kaisers, Wilhelm I and Wilhelm II. The final version shows a swastika.

It was also possible for a holder of the 1914 Iron Cross to be awarded a second or higher grade of the 1939 Iron Cross. In such cases, a "1939 Clasp" (Spange) would be worn on the original 1914 Iron Cross. (A similar award was made in 1914 but was quite rare, since there were few in service who held the 1870 Iron Cross.) For the First Class award the Spange appears as an eagle with the date "1939" that was pinned above the Cross. Although two separate awards, in some cases the holders soldered them together.

A cross was the symbol of the Teutonic Knights (a heraldic cross pattée), and the cross design (but not the specific decoration) has been the symbol of Germany's armed forces (now the Bundeswehr) since 1871. As with all our items, each one comes with our unique, lifetime guarantee, certificate of authenticity  read more

Code: 25728

A Beautiful Antique Royal Vienna Porcelain Cabinet Plate By Griener Hand Painted by One of the Finest Artists of Royal Vienna, and Signed Griener.

A portrait bust of Count Graf von Zeppelin. With gold reflief border. Pre WW1 early 20th Century. Royal Vienna mark in underglazed blue. Gilding of the finest quality 99% good or better condition. The great inventor of the amazing Zeppelin Airships that eventually spanned the globe. DELAG German: Deutsche Luftschiffahrts-Aktiengesellschaft was founded on 16 November 1909 as a subsidiary of the Luftschiffbau Zeppelin Corporation to commercialize airship travel. It became the world's first passenger airline in revenue service with the launch of LZ 7 Deutschland in 1910. While DELAG's initial flights were primarily sightseeing tours, by 1919 it was operating a regular schedule between Berlin and Friedrichshafen with a stop at Munich. Between 1910 and the outbreak of World War I DELAG transported over 34,028 passengers on 1,588 commercial flights.

The first DZR (1935?1940)
The creation of the DZR as successor to DELAG occurred for both political and business reasons. Luftschiffbau Zeppelin (LZ) chairman Hugo Eckener, who had intended to run against Hitler in the 1932 presidential election, was already disliked by the Nazis. When Eckener later resisted the new Nazi government's efforts to use zeppelins for propaganda purposes, Reich Minister of Aviation Hermann G?ring insisted that a new agency be created to extend Party control over LZ Group. A personal rivalry between G?ring and Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels also played a role. To complicate matters further, the Luftschiffbau was a loss-making concern and needed cash investment, in particular to complete construction of the Hindenburg.

Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei was therefore incorporated on 22 March 1935 as a joint venture between Zeppelin Luftschiffbau, the Ministry of Aviation, and Deutsche Luft Hansa. The LZ Group's capital contribution came primarily from its two airships LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin and LZ 129 Hindenburg, the latter of which was not yet complete on the date of incorporation. Nearly all of the rest was an infusion of cash by the Air Ministry and DLH. In exchange for this, the DZR agreed to ownership apportioned as follows:  read more

Code: 22279

Set of Three German Mutterkreuz, Early Ist Pattern in Silver, Two 2nd Patterns in Gold & Silver

The first is a very rare example of the first pattern Mutterkreuz Mother's Cross in silver in good condition. all awarded to the same lady, but she was supposed to return the first pattern as it was an error in the Third Reich distribution, which is why it is so rare. 85% of the value of the three medals is for the very rare Ist pattern medal

The Cross is more or less identical to the more common later pattern, except that on the back is stamped "Das Kindadelt dir Mutter' and the early style signature of Adolf Hitler. Later models have '16 Dezember 1938' and the later version of his signature. From 1933 to 1945 Hitler's signature changed a few times.
The 2nd is the gold cross 2nd pattern and the third a silver 2nd pattern.
The first pattern only existed for a very short time thus,. as a result, it is one of the rarest non military awards.
It was Adolf Hitler’s joint experiences of witnessing the manpower losses on the Western Front in WWI and deaths in his immediate family that were the behind a desire to encourage German mothers to have large families.
Three of Adolf’s siblings died as children and even his mother, who he doted on, died when he was just 18. By the time the National Socialists gained power Hitler had already formulated plans for expansion in the east with Lebensraum, or living space. The army, as well, would need those large families to provide a stream of new recruits. The honouring of motherhood was also another way of encouraging traditional German values to counter what Hitler, and many saw as the decadence of the more liberal, roaring ‘20s and early 1930s.

The result was a civil award that recognised the contribution of German mothers to the nation. The Ehrenkreuz der Deutschen Mutter, translated as the Cross of Honour of the German Mother, or as it more informally known, the Mother’s Cross, was instituted by statutory order on 16 December, 1938 by Adolf Hitler. The Cross was originally to be awarded on the second Sunday in May, or Mother’s Day, but as some three million German women were already eligible this was extended to include other important national occasions. It did mean that the first awards weren’t given until May 1939. The Mother’s Cross came in three grades, as follows:
Gold Cross – for mothers with eight or more children
Silver Cross – for mothers with six or seven children
Bronze Cross – for mothers with four or five children
Size: 36 x 46mm
Acquired from the estate of a late collector, acquired by him from his collecting period that commenced in the 1950's. Please note 85% of the value of this small collection is the the most rare ‘1st pattern’ silver example, these single and highly rare medals can easily achieve over £1000 today, 10 times the value of the 2nd patterns as we show here.

Photo 5 in the gallery shows the rear view of this 1st pattern mutterkreuz medal that was used to illustrate the versions in Militaria History published in 2018  read more

Code: 23744

Autograph Photo Martin Kuehne Commander of the I./Fallschirmjager-Regiment

Martin Kuehne
Luftwaffe Hauptmann Commander of the I./Fallschirmjager-Regiment 2, awarded his Knights cross on 29 February 1944. Martin Kuehne (1 November 1918 - 25 March 2003) what a highly decorated Major in the Fallschirmjager during World War II . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross is awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Major Kuhne's Awards and decorations;
## Parachute Shield Badge (28 April 1940)
## Iron Cross (1939) ## 2nd Class (18 May 1940)
## 1st Class (18 May 1940)

## Ground Assault Badge of the Luftwaffe (26 May 1943)
## Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe (7 October 1941)
## Medaglia d'Argento al Valor Militare (9 February 1942)
## Eastern Front Medal (16 July 1942)
## Libya Medal (11 February 1943)
## German Cross in Gold (23 July 1943)
## Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 29 February 1944 as Captain and commander of the I./Fallschirmjager-regiment 2
The campaigns he took part in were; ## Crete
## Battle of the Netherlands
## Battle of Crete
## Operation Barbarossa
## Victory of Leningrad
## Second Battle of El Alamein
## Italian Campaign
## Gothic Line Offensive

The Fallschirmjager Knights Cross winners between 1939-1945 are totalling 133 recipients.


1 was awarded in Norway
were awarded in Normandy
10 in Belgium
13 in Holland, early and late war
1 at Corinth
27 in Kreta
4 in Afrika
40 in Italy
8 on the Eastern Front
2 in the Ardennes
6 within the borders of Germany at the end of the war
Out of the 133 recipients:
69 were also awarded the German Cross in Gold
6 were awarded posthumously
20 recipients were KIA
1 was executed after the war
3 were killed in accidents
3 died from wounds received in action after the event
1 was a pilot. This autograph photo was given personally by Major Kuehne, detailed on the reverse and signed twice, dated 1991. On October 23rd 1942 the second battle of El Alamein was launched, German and Italian forces started their retreat from the area on 3rd November.

The British 8th army began to push the Axis forces westward through Egypt and Libya into Tunisia. The Allied high command decided on a plan to trap the Axis forces by landing a force into French North Africa and pushing Eastwards, while Montgomery?s 8th army pushed westwards and then northwards into Tunisia.

German paratroops had been in North Africa since July 1942 when Major General Bernhard Ramcke?s Fallschirm Brigade arrived to take part in the battles at El Alamein. His brigade consisted of 4 battalions, the 1st battalion commanded by Major Kroh, 2nd Battalion commanded by Major Baron von der Heydte, 3rd Battalion commanded by Major Heubner and the 4th Fallschirm-Lehr Battalion comanded by Maj Burkhardt. It gave a good account of itself in action but was almost destroyed in the fighting around El-Alamein and the retreat afterwards and many of his men were lost in the general surrender of May 1943. The remnant of his unit were reformed into part of the new 2nd Parachute division in 1943. Excellent condition.  read more

Code: 20793

A Very Rare WW1 German Airship Bataillon 'Luftschiffer' Regt. Nr.1 Officer’s Sword, of the Elite Imperial German Kaiser's Zeppelin and Airship Guarde Infantry, Only The Second We Have Seen in 30 Years

Probably one of the rarest German swords available, from the iconic German Zeppelin force of WW1. A duluxe quality blade bearing the Luftschiffer Battalion no 1, a Luftschiffer observation balloon and the Imperial German Kaiser's Garter Star symbol, plus a troop of horses pulling the balloon limber. Airship Battalion officer's swords are so rare as to be virtually unavailable, we have only seen one other in the past 40 years or so. We have not even heard or seen of another example in over 30 years. The German Airship Battalions were a small yet vital part of the Kaiser's Imperial German war machine. It was a mix of old and new technology that created the amazing new air services which in turn resulted in the iconic and hugely successful psychological warfare, of the highly feared and indomitable, so called, Hun in the Sky. The very beginning of true aerial warfare as we know it today. Some of the most famous stories of the war were based around the German Airships Zeppelins and the like and their continued use by Hitler's Third Reich right up to the late 1930's as can be seen, impressively and incredibly depicted, in the third of the Indiana Jones movies shows just how important they were considered. Any souvenirs or militaria from those early services are incredibly sought after, and very scarce indeed. All the weaponry connected with those services are particularly rare and very highly prized. At the start of World War I the Imperial German Army had five Luftschiffer (airship) battalions and one airship company. They were used as frontline observation posts and the larger ships as long range bombers. Fatalities of the crews were very high indeed due to their vulnerability. This sword is the best you could possibly hope for, as, not only does it have a deluxe etched blade, with two blued panels regimentally marked for the Luftschiffer Battalion No1, It also bears the Imperial Garter Star to represent this battalion was part of the Guard Infantry. The most elite part of the Imperial German armed forces, based in Berlin and assigned to the front lines in France and Belgium. The Luftschiffer became the backbone of German aerial warfare in the first years of the War, conducting reconnaissance flights as well as the first bombings of cities, including Paris and London.

Upon the outbreak of World War I, the Luftschifftruppe numbered around 20–25 zeppelins in service. The Luftschifftruppe began aerial surveillance early on in Belgium and France, but often came under fire by anti-aircraft guns. Because of their slow speed, they were very vulnerable. After three Zeppelins were shot down in the first month alone, the Luftschiffer were switched to naval surveillance, observing British ship movements, in which capacity they played a decisive role in the Battle of Jutland. Tests were done of dropping bombs from Zeppelins in order to increase their potential. Zeppelins had a typical carrying capacity of almost 9 metric tons, making them useful enough for this operation. Following the Christmas truce, Kaiser Wilhelm II approved of the Luftschifftruppe's bombing of England. On January 19, 1915, the first bombs fell over Britain, when two Zeppelins dropped 50 kg explosives on villages outside Great Yarmouth. Five people died in the first raid; 18 more raids that year would end in almost 900 casualties. Following the terror, the British government began taking measures to stop the bombings. Anti-aircraft guns were set up all over south-eastern England, as well as spotlights for night time.

The bombings in 1916 were more intense than in 1915. After an accidental bomb-dropping on London, the Kaiser approved of raids directly against the city's urban center. Twenty-three raids on London resulted in around 1,800 casualties. Despite safety precautions, civilians were still unprepared for the raids and zeppelins were still able to avoid defenses. By 1917 and 1918 the threat the Luftschifftruppe posed to London was diminished. Large-scale introduction of fighter planes caused nearly half of the planned bombings to end in failure. Only eleven successful raids occurred in the last year of the war. Nearly 80 zeppelins had been built for the Luftschifftruppe during the war; around 60 of them were shot down, including Peter Strasser's own zeppelin, with himself on board. The hilt is plated steel with wire bound fishskin grip. A blackened steel scabbard with slight denting.  read more

Code: 23637

Original 1930’s Third Reich Portrait of Rudolf Jordan Hitler's Personally Appointed Gauleiter of Halle-Merseburg & Magdeburg-Anhalt and Former General of the SA, Gruppenfuhrer der SA. Likely Commissioned & Paid For By Adolf Hitler Personally

Most rare surviving example of the official portrait of one of Hitler’s personally appointed district political leaders known as a Gauleiter, as almost all of around 450 original, 1930’s German portraits of Hitler’s inner circle and high command are now in the U.S. Army Center of Military History in Washington. Each portrait could have cost up to 12,000 Reichmarks each, a most considerable sum in 1939. Approximately 114 men held the highly esteemed position of Gauleiter. Many shared a common background. Most of them, particularly during the early years, were drawn from the cadre of "old fighters" that had helped Hitler forge the Party during the Kampfzeit (Time of Struggle). The rank and power of these men was shared equally and was only four below Hitler himself. Their power was thus highly significant within the echelons of the Third Reich.

Many of these portraits were either commissioned, or acquired by Hitler personally, and they are all part of the record of Hitler and his elite commanders rise to power, in order to satisfy his determination to conquer the world and subjugate and destroy all who resisted.

No dictator can effectively govern a nation on his own. This was certainly the case with Adolf Hitler who had little time for or interest in the day-to-day regional administration of the Nazi Party.

For that purpose, he appointed his most loyal, charismatic and brutal subordinates: the ‘Little Hitlers’, officially known as Gauleiters.

Firstly, after the NSDAP gained power over Germany the Nazi Party adopted a new framework, which divided Germany into regions called Gaue. Each Gaue had its own leader, a Gauleiter. Each Gaue was then divided into subsections, called Kreise. Each Kreise then had its own leader, called a Kreisleiter. Each Kreise was then divided into even smaller sections, each with its own leader, and so on. Each of these sections were responsible to the section above them, with Hitler at the very top of the party with ultimate authority.

As almost all these oil portraits of Germany’s ‘Little Hitler’s’ were removed from Germany in 1945/6 and transported to America, it is estimated that just a very few, perhaps as few as between five or ten remained in Europe and in private hands. This is one of those tiny few. An incredibly rare example of the original, historical, visual record of the power structure organised by Hitler himself. Which makes this an incredibly rare original artifact that is an historically important representation of likely the most important and radical political events of the past thousand years. From those three decades of the 20th century that has changed the very structure of the world for all time.

The US high command in 1945/6 realised just how important it was to keep and save as many such portraits of his gauleiters as possible, as a permanent record and reminder for the future, of the monumental fight and sacrifices in order to subdue the axis powers from their schemes of world domination, during the two most significant decades of the past 300 years..

This is original portrait, in oil on canvas, of Gauleiter Rudolf Jordan (21 June 1902 - 27 October 1988). He was a Nazi Gauleiter in Halle-Merseburg and Magdeburg-Anhalt during Hitler’s socialist Third Reich. One of the notorious and prominent high command of Hitler’s Third Reich. An original Nazi oil portrait from the 1930's. Most similar in the new Aryan style of the Nazi portrait painter Fritz Erler, and his painting of 'Minister and Gauleiter Adolf Wagner', 1936. It was exhibited in the GDK, the Great German Art Exhibition, in 1939, in room 23. It was bought there by Hitler for 12.000 RM. In fact he bought two paintings by Fritz Erler: Portrait des Staatsministers und Gauleiters Adolf Wagner and Portrait des Reichsministers Fricke.

They are now in the possession of the US Army Military Center of History. Possibly this portrait was also in that exhibition with the two other Gauleiter Wagner and Frick. Erlers similar style portrait of Hitler, also painted in his SA uniform, in 1931, is currently valued for sale at 725,000 Euros. Around 450 portraits depicting Hitler and other Nazi-officials and symbols are currently stored in the U.S. Army Center of Military History in Washington

From 19 January 1931, Jordan was appointed Nazi Gauleiter of Halle-Merseburg, and then began rising within the Party ranks, acting as member of the Prussian Landtag between April 1932 and October 1933 and being appointed to the Prussian State Council and made an SA Gruppenfuhrer. In the same year began the publication of the Mitteldeutsche Tageszeitung newspaper, led by Jordan. In March 1933 came his appointment as Plenipotentiary for the Province of Saxony in the Reichsrat and in November 1933 his election as a member of the Reichstag. On 20 April 1937, Adolf Hitler personally appointed him Reichsstatthalter (Reich Governor) in Braunschweig and Anhalt and NSDAP Gauleiter of Magdeburg-Anhalt. Jordan was succeeded as Gauleiter of Halle-Merseburg by Joachim Albrecht Eggeling.

In the same year came Jordan's promotion to SA-Obergruppenfuhrer. In 1939, Jordan became Chief of the Anhalt Provincial Government and Reichsverteidigungskommissar (Reich Defence Commissar, or RVK) in Defence District XI. On 18 April 1944 came Jordan's last leap up the career ladder when he was appointed High President (Oberpresident) of the Province of MagdeburgIn the war's dying days, Jordan managed to go underground with his family under a false name. He was nonetheless arrested by the British on 30 May 1945, and in July of the next year, the Western Allies handed him over to the Soviets. Late in 1950 after four years in custody in the Soviet occupation zone Jordan was sentenced to 25 years in a labour camp in the Soviet Union. Only Federal Chancellor Konrad Adenauer's visit to Moscow managed to persuade the Soviets to reconsider Jordan's sentence, and then he was released on 13 October 1955. In the years to come, Jordan earned a living as a sales representative, and worked as an administrator for an aircraft manufacturing firm. He died in Munich. The Gardelegen massacre was the cold-blooded murder of inmates that had been evacuated from the Dora-Mittelbau concentration camp and some of its sub-camps on April 3rd, 4th and 5th. Around 4,000 prisoners had been bound for the Bergen-Belsen, Sachsenhausen or Neuengamme concentration camps, but when the railroad tracks were bombed by American planes, they had been re-routed to Gardelegen, which was the site of a Cavalry Training School and a Parachutist Training School. The trains were forced to stop before reaching the town of Gardelegen and some of the escaped prisoners had terrorized the nearby villages, raping, looting and killing civilians.

The man who is considered to be the main instigator of the Gardelegen massacre is 34-year-old Gerhard Thiele , who was the Nazi party district leader of Gardelegen. On April 6, 1945, Thiele called a meeting of his staff and other officials at which he issued an order, which had been given to him a few days before by Gauleiter Rudolf Jordan , that any prisoners who were caught looting or who tried to escape should be shot on the spot. In 1932, Nazi Gauleiter Rudolf Jordan claimed that SS Security Chief Reinhard Heydrich was not a pure "Aryan". Within the Nazi organisation such innuendo could be damning, even for the head of the Reich's counterintelligence service. Gregor Strasser passed the allegations on to Achim Gercke who investigated Heydrich's genealogy. Gercke reported that Heydrich was "... of German origin and free from any coloured and Jewish blood". He insisted that the rumours were baseless. Even with this report, Heydrich privately engaged SD member Ernst Hoffman to further investigate and deny the rumours. The last two pictures in the gallery of Jordan with Hitler and his Gaulieters at his 50th birthday examining his convertible Volkwagen Beetle, and the Erler painting of Gauleiter Wagner, bought by Hitler. 2 foot x 3 foot unframed. Water stain at the rear of the canvas. Surviving original portraits of Third Reich leaders are now very rare for at the end of the war thousands of paintings, portraits of Nazi-leaders, paintings containing a swastika or depicting military/war sceneries were destroyed. With knives, fires and hammers, they smashed countless sculptures and burned thousands of paintings. However around 8,722 artworks were shipped to military deposits in the U.S. From 1933 to 1949 Germany experienced two massive art purges. Both the National Socialist government and OMGUS (the U.S. Military Government in Germany) were highly concerned with controlling what people saw and how they saw it. The Nazis eliminated what they called Degenerate art, erasing the pictorial traces of turmoil and heterogeneity that they associated with modern art. The Western Allies in turn eradicated Nazi art. Whatever one considers about the actions of all of the entire third reich, art is art, and every piece is a representation of a portion of history, good or bad. One thing we learned very well from the tragic 1930s and 1940s is that classifying art as non-art and forbidding books or art for political reasons is a dead-end street. No matter how much one dislikes or despises the infamous despots and dictators of history, such as Hitler, Caligula, Pol Pot & Stalin, and no matter how much their depictions were used as propaganda, a painting or sculpture of them cannot be re-classified as 'non art'. This painting depicts a member of Hitler’s notorious inner circle, that for a brief period of world history very nearly placed the entire world in subjugation to the will of Germany and it’s ally Japan. It is the embodiment of why the preservation of such art can remind the thousands of its observers, for generations to come, that those people such as Rudolf Jordan, who were just ordinary looking nondescript individuals, that if left unchecked would have condemned the entire world to a nightmarish dystopia, of slavery, starvation and misery. And thanks to great leaders such as Winston Churchill, who had the talent and skill to embolden a solitary nation, racked by trepidation, facing the free world’s greatest foe alone, they were utterly routed and deposed by the near defeated and subdued great democracies. Part of the theory of Hannah Ahrend Johanna "Hannah" Arendt, 14 October 1906 - 4 December 1975 was a German-born Jewish American political theorist. Though often described as a philosopher, she rejected that label on the grounds that philosophy is concerned with "man in the singular" and instead described herself as a political theorist because her work centres on the fact that "men, not Man, live on the earth and inhabit the world." This portrait would nicely improve with some cosmetic restoration and cleaning.  read more

Code: 20504

A Very Good Deactivated Smith & Wesson .38 Cal. 6 Shot Double Action Revolver 5" Barrel Superb Tight Action With Much Original Mirror Blue Finish Remaining

The Smith & Wesson Model 10, previously known as the Smith & Wesson .38 Hand Ejector Model of 1899, the Smith & Wesson Military & Police or the Smith & Wesson Victory Model, is a K-frame revolver. In production since 1899, the Model 10 is a six-shot, .38 Special, double-action revolver with fixed sights. Over its production run it has been available with barrel lengths of 2 in (51 mm), 3 in (76 mm), 4 in (100 mm), 5 in (130 mm), and 6 in (150 mm). Barrels of 2.5 inches (64 mm) are also known to have been made for special contracts.

In 1899, the United States Army and Navy placed orders with Smith & Wesson for two to three thousand Model 1899 Hand Ejector revolvers chambered for the M1892 .38 Long Colt U.S. Service Cartridge. With this order, the Hand Ejector Model became known as the .38 Military and Police model.5 That same year, in response to reports from military sources serving in the Philippines on the relative ineffectiveness of the new cartridge, Smith & Wesson began offering the Military & Police in a new chambering, .38 S&W Special

The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) supplied thousands of these .38 5" barrel model revolvers to resistance forces.

They have been used in more movies than we are able to list here, but two exceptional examples would be our old customer, the late and much lamented 'Chuck' Heston, in 55 Days in Peking in which he starred with David Niven and Ava Gardner, and by Pierce Brosnan as James Bond. Photographs of both actors with their .38 DA S&W we show in the gallery {for illustrative purposes only}

We show a WW2 photograph of a Milice officer with his S&W pattern revolver, note his German wound badge worn upon his left uniform breast pocket
The Milice française (French Militia), generally called la Milice, was a political paramilitary organization created on 30 January 1943 by the Vichy régime (with German aid) to help fight against the French Resistance during World War II. The Milice's formal head was Vichy France's Prime Minister Pierre Laval (in office 1942 to 1944), although its chief of operations and de facto leader was Secretary General Joseph Darnand. The Milice participated in summary executions and assassinations, helping to round up Jews and résistants in France for deportation. It was the successor to Darnand's Service d'ordre légionnaire (SOL) militia (founded in 1941). The Milice was the Vichy régime's most extreme manifestation of fascism. Ultimately, Darnand envisaged the Milice as a fascist single-party political movement for the French State

Deactivated with certificate but fully actionable. Not suitable to export.  read more

Code: 25698

Private Purchase WW2, 1941, "Taylor's Eye Witness" Desert Rat Commando Knife 'Afrika Korps Campaign' Against Rommel At Tobruk. With North African Scabbard With WW2 Hand Made British Service Belt & Strap Loop

Around 25 years ago we bought another identical Taylors Eye Witness fighting knife from a Desert Rat No 8 {Guards} Commando veteran that also had the very same form of North African made scabbard with the same military service belt and strap loop. The blade still has its original cross-grain polish, and is near razor sharp. There are a few rust stains which we have left untouched. Overall it has remained unmolested since the war.

During World War II, the "Taylor's Eye Witness" Sheffield-made stiletto double edged bladed fighting knife, a private purchase item, gained popularity among British commandos and US troops stationed in Britain, particularly prior to D-Day.

The Twin Pimples was a feature in the Axis lines surrounding Tobruk. It was a defensive strong point consisting of two hills very close together that dominated the opposing Allied lines and at the time of the raid was held by units of the Italian Army. The 18th King Edward's Own Cavalry, normally part of the 3rd Indian Motor Brigade, held the line across from the Twin Pimples when it was decided to take out the Italian position. The No. 8 Commando was selected to carry out the operation and for some days prior they conducted patrols with the Indians to get to know the lay of the land.

The plan called for three officers and 40 men of No. 8 Commando and a small number of Australian Engineers (to deal with ammunition dumps and gun emplacements) to cross the Italian forward positions to the road that they used to bring up supplies and then follow the road to the rear of the Twin Pimples and engage the position from behind. The 18th Cavalry were to carry out a diversionary raid just before the commando assault to divert the defenders' attention. The man chosen to lead the raid was Captain M. Keely, the second in command was Captain Dunne and the third officer was Lieutenant Lewes On the night of the raid, 17/18 July, half the Commandos were armed with Thompson submachine guns and the other half with Lee–Enfield rifles with bayonets fixed. All carried hand grenades and every third man wore a groundsheet slung bandoleer fashion to use as a stretcher.
The Commandos left their own lines at 23:00 hours on 17 July and crossed the Italian forward positions and main lines undetected. Upon reaching the supply road they had to take cover and wait, as the attack was planned for 01:00 hours on 18 July. They moved closer to their objective just prior to the start of the diversionary attack by the 18th Cavalry. The diversion was a success, and Italian machine-gun fire and very lights were directed towards the Indian cavalrymen. The Commandos managed to get within 30 yards (27 m) on the Twin Pimples before being challenged. The challenge was answered by a frontal attack by the Commandos. So as not to confuse their own forces with the Italians in the darkness, the password Jock was used when a position had been taken. The fire fight lasted about four minutes and the Australian Engineers planted explosives on several mortars and an ammunition dump. The planners had estimated that the Commandos could spend no longer than 15 minutes on the Italian position before it was engaged by the Italian artillery. The raiders had only got about 100 yards (91 m) from the Twin Pimples when the Italian artillery started to come down onto their own position.
Aftermath
The cost of the raid to the Commandos was five wounded, one of whom later died of his wounds. The No. 8 Commando, together with the rest of Layforce, was disbanded soon after. The operational difficulties that had been exposed, combined with the inability of the high command to fully embrace the commando concept, had largely served to make them ineffective. Two members of No. 8 Commando, David Stirling and Jock Lewes, would form the Special Air Service by the end of July 1941. Tobruk would remain under siege until relieved by Operation Crusader in November 1941.

The only soldier to be killed on this raid was Corporal John “Jackie” Edward Trestrail Maynard of the Duke of Cornwall's light Infantry and No 8 (Guards) Commando

These knives were often purchased from private/commercial suppliers and were favoured by British and US troops.
The knives featured a double-edged blade, a grip made of pressed leather washers, and a brass pommel. The original leather scabbard was often missing its small retaining strap, so local made replacement were often made and used
More and more photographic evidence has emerged showing these knives being used by British/Commonwealth and US troops, making them more sought after.
Due to the increasing evidence and the rising value of Fairbairn-Sykes knives, this pattern of fighting knife has become difficult to source.

The story starts in 1820 when John Taylor founded a small pocketknife & edge tools workshop in the very heart of Sheffield, the ancestral home of cutlery in Great Britain. As was normal back then, makers would seek the use of a symbol by which their products would be recognised, even by those unable to read. In 1838 Taylor was granted the "Eye Witness" trademark for his goods, accompanied by an illustration of an all-seeing eye, hence the Eye Witness name.

The last photo in the gallery is of a US sergeant sharpening his eye witness fighting knife in his tent before his departure for D-Day, with another picture of an eye witness fighting knife, in its regular scabbard, that appears in Ron Flook's book {12.1}

See 'The Fairbairn Sykes Fighting Knife And Other Commando Knives' By Ron Flook , page 179 {12.1}  read more

Code: 25689

1907 King Edward VIIth Wilkinson Sword Enfield Bayonet For the Early SMLE Rifle in Original Scabbard & Canvas Frog. issued To The 2nd Bt. Lancashire Fusiliers

Just returned from 12 hours of hand polishing and conservation to reveal at last its completely original, near as new, condition, with original leather and steel mounted scabbard and its early canvas frog, with regimental stamps for the 2nd Bt, Lancashire Fusiliers. Numerous ordnance inspection stamps at the ricasso from 1909, 1910,1911,1913 & 1914 alongside the service pattern 1907 date Wilkinson maker stamp and ER Crown

2nd Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers were in Dover with 12th Brigade, 4th Division when war was declared in August 1914. 4th Division was held back from the original British Expeditionary Force by a last minute decision to defend England against a possible German landing. The fate of the BEF in France and the lack of any move by the Enemy to cross the channel, reversed this decision and they proceeded to France landing at Boulogne on the 20th of August 1914, arriving in time to provide infantry reinforcements at the Battle of Le Cateau, the Divisional Artillery, Engineers, Field Ambulances and mounted troops being still en-route at this time. They were in action at the The Battle of the Marne, The Battle of the Aisne and at Messines in 1914. In 1915 they fought in The Second Battle of Ypres. On the 4th of November 1915 the 2nd Lancashires moved with 12th Brigade to 36th (Ulster) Division to provide training over the winter months and returned to 4th Division on the 3rd of February 1916.


In 1916 moved south and were in action during the Battles of the Somme. In 1917 they were at Arras, in action during the The First and Third Battles of the Scarpe, before heading north for the Third Battle of Ypres, where they fought in The Battle of Polygon Wood, The Battle of Broodseinde, The Battle of Poelcapelle and The First Battle of Passchendaele. In 1918 they were in action on The Somme, then returned to Flanders fighting in the Defence of Hinges Ridge during The Battle of Hazebrouck and in The Battle of Bethune, The Advance in Flanders The Second Battles of Arras, the Battles of the Hindenburg Line and the Final Advance in Picardy. The 4th Division was demobilised in Belgium in early 1919.

On Wednesday 4th July 2007 four soldiers from the First World War were laid to rest in Belgium. One was clearly identified as Private Richard Lancaster of the 2nd Battalion of the Lancashire Fusiliers who died on the 10th November 1914. He was found with two other bodies who may have been LFs but there was not enough evidence to prove it. The other body was that of a soldier, possibly and officer from the TA Fusilier Brigade in the 66th East Lancashire Division. He was killed on the 10th October 1917 during the battle for Passchendaele  read more

Code: 25692