Your most historically interesting militaria

[Turnip]

Some stuff from other grandpa, who made it back home. Pay book, Wehrpass, de-nazification instrument (necessary for returning back to work as a teacher)...still kept safely through the decades. As you can see, no trench- or combat-trooper. Don’t collect anything like that, just keeping some family stuff, to me most interesting.

 

[Dbtk44]

I had a good friend who was the navigator on a B-17 from the 36th Bombardment Sqn based out of England in WW2..they were a Top Secret radar jamming squadron, didn't get declassified till 1996. Earl flew 62 missions in the ETO. He was an amateur photographer, and had some really interesting photos of many things during the war, and two that stand out in my mind...one was of Gen Patton making a speech, and the other was the situation room map of the "box" flight pattern they did during the battle of the bulge, to disable the German tank radios. Always enjoyed talking to this guy, SO many neat stories!

Anyway, he was in his mid-80s when I met him, and had LOTS of boxes of stuff. I'm helping him one day, and he's rummaging thru a box, and hands me this and says, "Hey, you want this?"

I guess it was his souvenir from his B-17, the Ramp Rooster.

 

[Peacoat]

I had a good friend who was the navigator on a B-17 from the 36th Bombardment Sqn based out of England in WW2..they were a Top Secret radar jamming squadron, didn't get declassified till 1996. Earl flew 62 missions in the ETO. He was an amateur photographer, and had some really interesting photos of many things during the war, and two that stand out in my mind...one was of Gen Patton making a speech, and the other was the situation room map of the "box" flight pattern they did during the battle of the bulge, to disable the German tank radios. Always enjoyed talking to this guy, SO many neat stories!

Anyway, he was in his mid-80s when I met him, and had LOTS of boxes of stuff. I'm helping him one day, and he's rummaging thru a box, and hands me this and says, "Hey, you want this?"

I guess it was his souvenir from his B-17, the Ramp Rooster.

Cool. Was the purpose of the box to protect the navigation watch? I would have thought a clock would have been used.

 

[Dbtk44]

Peacoat correct, it was used to hold a watch, apparently a very precise movement watch that navigators used.
The springs inside kept it from getting bumped or dropped and the vibration of the engines wouldn't effect it, so theoretically it was always spot-on.

I never found out what happened to the watch, unfortunately. I did look into finding a replacement watch of the correct vintage at one point in time...im glad I was sitting down when i saw what they go for these days lol

 

[Peacoat]

How much over $1,000 are they?

 

[Dbtk44]

Been a while but I believe they were 4 figures. Wanted one to make it complete, but just couldn't justify the cost.

And, my Sincere apologies Peacoat...for some reason autocorrect saw it fit to call you Peacock in my last reply! I didn't catch it, sorry about that.

 

[Peacoat]

Been a while but I believe they were 4 figures. Wanted one to make it complete, but just couldn't justify the cost.

And, my Sincere apologies Peacoat...for some reason autocorrect saw it fit to call you Peacock in my last reply! I didn't catch it, sorry about that.

That's OK. I fixed it for you.

 

[Peacoat]

I found this one on ebay for $1200. I believe it is an Elgin. Notice that seconds are emphasized over the time. Probably for exact timing from the IP (Initial Point).

 

[Edward]

I collected a few bits as a kid. One thing I have is a US helmet from Vietnam. Not especially rare or valuable, but it has a huge dent in the top where it stopped a VC bullet killing the guy who wore it. The other several bullets fired at him went into his body, but the helmet saved his life. He went on the be a Major as a career soldier, spent time working in some capacity I don't know with a guy in the Inniskilling Fusiliers (if memory serves), swapped helmets, and then that guy later worked in BT, where he heard from my dad that an eleven year old me collected this stuff, and it was passed on to me. I've slways been fascinated by that helmet because it saved a guy's life.

And all good things come and go in their own time. I had this helmet at my parents' house; Dad phoned a couple of months ago, all excited that he'd made me a bit of cash from selling some bits he knew I wanted rid of..... and he sold this helmet thinking he was doing me a favour. Gah. I only hope the story went with it.... :'-(

 

[Tiki Tom]

My grandfather. I never met the man, because he died in the 1920s, in the same year that my father was born.

 

[Bugguy]

Thinking back to my high school days in Chicago, I wanted to try cross-country skiing. The only way I could afford gear was to buy army surplus from an outlet. I had a full set of WWII US 10th Mountain Division skis, boots, gloves, etc. While X-country gear was narrow, light and had sleek boots, I had these wide, white, 7' long wooden (hickory) skis with non-breakaway cable, bear-trap bindings. The boots were huge - Frankenstein-like, with square toes and deep treads for hiking and mountaineering. A selection of a-surplus waxes for each snow type added to "smooth" LOL sliding.

I used them quite a bit, but usually where no-one would see me - the kit was embarrassing. Today, that set-up would be hard to come by and in demand from collectors. Like so much else that has passed through my hands, I wish I still had the full set. I think I may still have the gloves and the wool inserts.

I found some pictures of the skis, poles, and boots... not mine, but exactly what I had.