A German WW2 Kriegsmarine Coastal Artillery BeVo Breast Eagle

Green ground with yellow eagle. A nice original Kriegsmarine yellow example. Coastal artillery was the responsibility of the Kriegsmarine, and most of the weapons employed in this manner were captured or obsolete weapons, their role was a defence against invasion, rather than proper coast defence against naval attack many of these guns were mounted in defensive works of either turrets or casemates. Marine Artillery Units were trained as ground artillery. There are several accounts of Naval Artillery Forward Observers during the Market Garden operation. Coastal batteries were used against ground targets all the way up the French coast, that is, if they could be turned towards the landward side.

Also, something to keep in mind, Naval Artillerymen are trained to hit moving targets such as ships, not much of a stretch to hit relatively stationary ground targets and the like such as a battalion area or a road junction. Coordinates, angles, grids, and trajectories are calculated much the same and a big shell is a big shell regardless of the target?  read more

Code: 20358

A Very Attractive Imperial German Bullion and Gilt Officers Brocade Belt

With royal crown and crest of Kaiser Willhelm II. Superb gilded buckle with silver bullion belt bears two horizontal stripes. Some of the cloth inner lining to belt has worn away  read more

Code: 20338

WW2 Australian Instructional Corps - Officer Bronze and Enamel Hat Badge

A mighty rare badge of WW2. Australian Instructional Corps - Officer Bronze and Enamel Hat Badge 1921 - 55. Worn from 1930 to 1942.

The Australian Instructional Corps (AIC) was the permanent force posting unit for the Warrant Officer Instructors of the Australian Army from 1921 to 1955. Complete with two lugs.

A highly desirable hat badge. These were worn by Warrant Officer trainers who were responsible for the training of the Militia Battalions and Regiments (Citizen Military Forces) from 1921 to 1942 and the Volunteer Defence Force (VDF) from 1942 to 1945 as well as the 2nd AIF post 1939.
The AIC ran qualification courses for militia and AIF officers and NCOs at specialist schools across the country.

Many of the instructors were commissioned as Officers or were employed as senior NCO's in these war time formations.
The AIC reached its peak in 1942 with 234 quartermasters and 889 warrant officers so both types of these insignia can be quite hard to come by  read more

Code: 20266

Malta's British Empire 'George Cross' for Heroism Commemorative Medal

Available to veterans who served in Malta between the dates of 10th June 1940 and 8th September 1943 to be worn with pride not alongside gallantry decorations, but separately and distinctively.
In April of 1942 King George VI in a dramatic and unprecedented gesture conferred the George Cross medal on the tiny Mediterranean island of Malta.
As it transpired April was the final month of the great Luftwaffe offensive and possibly the most difficult period of the siege so devastatingly enforced by the Axis powers. The island and its population had been subjected to a constant and unrelenting bombardment since June 1940 and were not to experience any relief from these conditions until the final months of 1942 when supplies and aid began to reach the defenders in significant quantities.
All over the world the people of the United Nations had followed the resistance of the islanders and those trying to bring aid by sea and air. The news of the award of the George Cross was internationally welcomed as it served in a tangible way to mark the heroism of all concerned.

The Government of Malta dignified the fiftieth anniversary of the presentation of the George Cross to the island in 1942 by striking the 'Malta George Cross Fiftieth Anniversary Commemorative Medal'. The closing date for application was 15th April 1994.
Next of kin could also apply for the medal which would only have been issued on receipt of a completed application form and proof of service in Malta between the dates of 10th June 1940 and 8th September 1943.
The colours of the ribbon, two narrow stripes of white and red on a background of blue, are representative of the Malta flag and the George Cross.  read more

Code: 20219

WW2 Burma Star Association Lapel Badge

The Burma Star Association was officially founded on the 26 February 1951 with 2,000 founder members. The badge of the Association incorporates a replica of the Burma Campaign Star. Permission to take advantage of this singular honour was supported by His Majesty King George VI in consultation with Earl Mountbatten and Field Marshal Viscount Slim and the badge and title were accepted by the College of Heralds. This fact recognises the rigorous nature of climate, topography and the extremely debilitating conditions in which to wage a successful campaign against a determined and fanatical enemy, thus making this Association unique among post war ex-Service Associations.The first President of the Association was Field Marshal Viscount Slim (Uncle Bill) who held this position until his death on 14 December 1970.  read more

Code: 20133

A Pair of Franco Period Late1930's Spanish Nationalist Officers Epaulettes

On green wool cloth with gilt bullion.  read more

Code: 20104

History of the Prince of Wales Own Civil Service Rifles

Published in 1921 principally the detailed history of the regiment, the men who served and who died in the Great War. The original Westminster City Reference Library copy [offically withdrawn]. A superbly detailed work of one of the famous volunteer regiments of WW1.  read more

Code: 20053

A 1930's Essex Regt. Silver Officers Cap Badge

Essex Regiment Officer?s 1935 silver cap badge. Fine example. Within an oak wreath surmounted by a Sphinx resting on ?Egypt? tablet Castle and Key of Gibraltar, across the base a scroll inscribed ?The Essex Regt?. The Essex Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 to 1958, and served in many conflicts such as the Second Boer War and both World War I and World War II, serving with distinction in all three. The regiment was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 44th (East Essex) Regiment of Foot and the 56th (West Essex) Regiment of Foot.  read more

Code: 19937

The Prussian v Austria War Medal 1866, Made From Captured Cannon

Bronze cross patt?e alis?e, a laurel wreath between the arms, with ribbed loop for ribbon suspension; the face with a circular central medallion bearing the cipher ?WR? for King Wilhelm I, circumscribed ?PREUSSENS SIEGREICHEM HEERE? (Prussia?s victorious armies), the Prussian crown on the upper arm of the cross, the left, right and lower arms inscribed ?GOTT WAR MIT UNS. IHM SEI DIE EHRE? (God was with us. To Him be the glory); the reverse with a circular central medallion bearing the crowned Prussian royal eagle perched on a cannon, the upper, left, right and lower arms inscribed ?TREUEN?, KRIE-?, ?GERN?, ?1866? respectively; some slight age oxidisation and wear to gilding; on replaced correct ribbon. The medal was instituted by King Wilhelm I on 20 September 1866 following the victorious war against Austria and its German allies. The medal was cast from the bronze of captured Austrian cannon. The Austro-Prussian War or Seven Weeks' War (also known as the Unification War, Prussian?German War, German Civil War, War of 1866, as well as Brothers War or Fraternal War, and in Germany as German War) was a war fought in 1866 between the German Confederation ("Deutscher Bund") under the leadership of the Austrian Empire ("Kaisertum ?sterreich") and its German allies on one side and the Kingdom of Prussia with its German allies and Italy on the other, that resulted in Prussian dominance over the German states. In the Italian unification process, this is called the Third Independence War.

The major result of the war was a shift in power among the German states away from Austrian and towards Prussian hegemony, and impetus towards the unification of all of the northern German states in a Kleindeutsches Reich that excluded the German Austria. It saw the abolition of the German Confederation and its partial replacement by a North German Confederation ("Norddeutscher Bund") that excluded Austria and the other South German states. The war also resulted in the Italian annexation of the Austrian province of Venetia.  read more

Code: 19934

Prussian Danish War Medal, 1864, Made From Captured Guns

Prussian, Denmark Campaign Medal. 1864 - Engraved Edge. Since the London accords of 1852 the duchies of Schleswig, Holstein and Lauenburg were attached by personal union to Denmark. Following the new constitution of 1863 Denmark integrated these areas into the state which caused a protest from the Deutsche Bund. After a resolution of the German Bundestag the German states send "Execution" troops into the duchies which belonged to the German Federation (Holstein and Lauenburg) under the command of Generalleutnant Heinrich von Hake formed by a Saxon brigade under Generalmajor von Schimpff as the operational-force, a Hanoverian brigade under Generalleutnant Gebser as a supporting force and a Prussian and an Austrian brigade in reserve. The Austrians took part in this Bundesexekutionscorps by sending a brigade under the command of Generalmajor Leopold Graf Gondrecourt. But in addition to this, the two German major powers, Prussia and Austria, decided to declare war on Denmark and sent an army consisting of three corps under the command of the Prussian Feldmarschall Friedrich Graf Wrangel, whose Chief of the General staff was Generalleutnant Eduard Vogel von Falkenstein. The 1st corps was commanded by the Prussian Prince Friedrich Karl, the 2nd corps by Feldmarschall-Leutnant Ludwig Freiherr von Gablenz and the 3rd corps by Generalleutnant von der M?lbe. The 2nd (Austrian) corps was formed by the 6th army corps, enlarged by a cavalry brigade and 2 heavy batteries. Additionally Graf Gondrecourt's brigade also joined the 2nd corps after leaving the surprised federal troops. On the 1st of February 1864 58,000 Prussian and 21.000 Austrian soldiers crossed the Eider and commenced operations against the Danish land forces. On the 2nd and 6th of February the Austrians were victorious at Vejle and Oeversee whilst the Prussians were successful at the D?ppeler Schanzen near Sondersburg on the 18th of April 1864. On the 9th of May a naval squadron commanded by Contre-Admiral Wilhelm von Tegetthoff successfully engaged superior Danish forces near the island of Helgoland. The Danish forces retreated to Northern J?tland and the islands of Alsen and F?nen and an armistice for 6 weeks was agreed for a new peace treaty of London. After the failure of these negotiations the hostilities again resumed on the 25th of June 1864 and the Austrian forces reached the Northern part of J?tland and finally Cape Skagen. The Danish Captain Hammer, who had caused the most trouble for the Austro-Prussian naval forces was captured between the islands of F?hr and Sylt and a new armistice was implemented on the 20th of July 1864 which finally lead to the peace agreement of Vienna on the 30th of October 1864. Denmark was forced to hand over the contested duchies to Prussia and Austria. However disagreement over the administration of these duchies soon became one of the primary reasons, especially promoted by the Prussian prime minister Otto von Bismarck, for the coming conflict between the two German major powers in the war of 1866. Franz Joseph I, Kaiser of Austria, and Wilhelm I, King of Prussia, agreed to institute a commemorative medal for their successful army. The great number of captured guns, especially from the fortress of Frederica, made it possible to decide that the medals should be minted from the brass of the enemy's guns. Kaiser Franz Joseph signed the institution of the medal on the 10th of November 1864 and the regulations (Statuten) dated the 11th of November and both were published in the Armeeverordnungsblatt on the 20th of November 1864. The official name was: "Erinnerungs-Medaille an den Feldzug 1864 gegen D?nemark" (commemorative medal for the 1864 campaign against Denmark) Along the rim of the medal the words: "AUS EROBERTEM GESCHUETZ" (from captured guns)  read more

Code: 19933