Table of contents for March 2022 in The Armourer

Buying and collecting Militaria for sale Lenny Warren trawls the internet to find bargains, rare, interesting or bizarre items of militaria As well as collecting militaria, I’ve also been interested in shooting for many years. From air rifles as a kid, I progressed to shotguns and then target rifles, both small and full bore, including a Lee Enfield No. 4 Mk. 2 which had been converted from .303 to 7.62mm NATO. That lead me onto collecting small arms ammunition as a side interest to my main collecting areas. It can form quite an addictive pursuit, with lots of variety and scope for collecting. I’ve always wanted a comprehensive bullet display board, and here we have a small version showing a variety of military rifle cartridges from 6.5x54 Mann-Schoenauer to 7.92…

Museum visit EVENTS The Palace Armoury Graham Priest takes a trip to Malta and checks out one of the largest collections of classic arms and armour The Palace Armoury, in the Grand Master of the Military Order of St John's Palace, Valletta, Malta has been a museum since 1860. It houses one of the world's largest collections of arms and armour accumulated from the 15th to 18th centuries. The Order's knights deposited their armour and weapons here, together with arms for 12,000 soldiers, from 1604 onwards. When the organisation lost control of the islands during the French invasion in 1798 most of the usable firearms and equipment were looted. Thankfully, obsolete armour, edged weapons and trophies from the Great Siege of 1565 remained. Under British control from 1800 the Sala…

Auction sales Battle of Britain medals at DNW All images © Dix Noonan Webb Two important groups of seven awarded to two Battle of Britain fighter aces and good friends Squadron Leader AC ‘Bolshie’ Bartley and Squadron Leader TS ‘Wimpy’ Wade, both of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, fetched a combined hammer price total of £300,000 at Dix Noonan Webb. Bartley’s medals fetched £257,600 (includes Buyer’s Premium of 24%+VAT) while Wade’s medals went for £103,040. Squadron Leader Anthony Charles Bartley (1919 – 2001) was one of the founder members of the famous 92 Squadron, and is credited with at least 12 victories, eight damaged, a number of probables and possibles, and countless unclaimed. He went on to marry film star Deborah Kerr. Described as one of ‘The Few’, Trevor…

MEDAL FEATURE The Empress of India medal Peter Duckers looks at a medal from 1877 commemorating a lavish, Imperial extravaganza One of the largest medals which collectors of British awards are likely to come across is the silver medal given very selectively to those who were present at the Imperial assembly (Durbar) held at Delhi on 1 January 1877. In the years after the Indian Mutiny of 1857-59, which led to the dissolution of the East India Company and the imposition of rule from London, there was something of a desire to strengthen the ties between the British monarchy and India. There were several medallic results, notably the creation of the Order of the Star of India in 1861, the Order of the Indian Empire in 1878 and the very…

COLLECTING FEATURE Special operations collecting Edward Hallett looks at collecting items from the SOE and the German security forces who were trying to stop them The Special Operations Executive was set up in 1940 with the aim of conducting espionage and sabotage on the occupied European mainland and to support resistance groups working towards the eventual liberation of the continent. The agency quickly gathered some of the most innovative and eccentric talents in the British Isles to create a range of specialist equipment for its agents operating overseas. Countering the SOE, the German security forces used a variety of their own specialist technical innovations in the hopes of catching SOE members and the resistance. Their ruthlessness meant that this was a dangerous game of cat and mouse and once details…

FORTIFICATION FEATURE Fortification development during the Crusades Michael Stroud looks at the evolution of Crusader fortifications and their impact on fortress development in Europe The Iberian and Levantine crusades (c. 1050-c. 1300), saw the faithful of two major religious come to blows. In these martial exchanges from the Iberian Peninsula to the Middle East, there were many lessons learned on both sides. These ranged from the importance of logistics, especially in the desert environment of the Middle East, to that of combined-arms support between heavy infantry, missile troops and the execution of the heavy cavalry at the most opportune moment. The martial impacts of the Islamic (c. 8th to 13th century) and Byzantine (c. 395-1453) civilizations on Catholic Europe fortification design and structure would prove to be some of the…

Auction preview In the sale rooms Third Reich at Ratisbon’s The weapons, uniforms, medals and militaria coming up for auction The 46th Contemporary History Auction at Ratisbon’s runs online until 27 February, which gives readers of the digital edition of The Armourer chance to get bidding. The very first lot is bound to draw some attention, being a Luftwaffe M38 paratrooper’s helmet. It’s a typical helmet shell with ‘ET66’ maker and size stamp on the side. Has around 80% of factory paint and 90% of the decals. Comes directly from the family estate with a card of the wearer in action. Never on the market before, bidding starts at £3,335, but don’t forget the 22.5% Buyer’s Premium as well. Staying with the Luftwaffe, here’s a summer white visor cap for an EM/NCO.…

Family archive at Bosleys Bosleys last sale of 2021 comprised 519 lots of original military collectables plus the outstanding Crofton family military archive. A dedicated section started with the state uniform of Lt Colonel Sir Morgan Crofton Bt. 2nd Life Guards. Bosleys was able to locate an original image of the Colonel wearing this uniform which sold for £14,156.80 (includes Buyer’s Premium of 22%+VAT). The following lot was his special regimental state sword and the intense bidding finished at £9,100.80. The section also saw a superb Life Guards table ink well in the form of a Life Guards helmet sell for £1,643.20 , a pair of similar silver table lighters at £2,275.20 and a Farrier’s axe at £5,561.60. The Housed Cavalry regiments featured throughout the sale with consignments from various…

PEOPLE FEATURE Soviet women in WWII Not all Russian women, at home or in the Red Army, were assigned combat roles. John C Pursley looks at those who served in a different way The Russian Revolution began in 1917 with the fall of Czar Nikolai Romanov and ended in 1923 with the creation of the Soviet Union. After the rise of Josef Stalin and Marxism, Russian women began to achieve the kind equality unseen in the rest of the world. They were allowed equal education and job opportunities because that reflected the philosophy of the Soviet Union constitution which acknowledged women and men shared equal rights and responsibilities. Women were permitted to study technical subjects and graduate from vocational schools concurrent with the rapid increase of the Stalin era industry.…

FIREARMS FEATURE THE MEN BEHIND THE GUN: The Nepalese Brunswick rifle John Walter looks at the guns made in Nepal soon after the Indian Mutiny had ended, towards the end of 1857 When the Nepalese contingent arrived to help the British, at the end of 1857, most men were still carrying flintlocks, generally derived from the Windus Pattern introduced to the East India Company armies in 1771, though a few battalions had cap-lock conversions. On 21 April 1858, Captain James Steel of the Bengal Staff Corps, attached to a Gurkha brigade, reported that: ‘Upwards of three thousand Percussion Muskets [had been] made over to Brigadier Pulwan Singh for use of the Force,’ and that old Goorkha muskets had been stored in the Fort of Jounpore. When fighting ceased, 1,000 East…

NEXT MONTH: APRIL 2022 ISSUE Berlin was in the vice-like grip of the Red Army, Hitler hadn’t been seen above ground in days and still the defenders fought, pointlessly, on. Next month, come with us to the final days of the Third Reich, as Nazi Germany faced the apocalyptic end. We take you from the River Oder, to the Seelow Heights and the burning streets of Berlin itself, as Stalin ordered his armies to seize the prize at all costs while the British and American hung back, wary of costly casualties from urban fighting. Also next month, author John Wade takes us from the dawn of photography in the Crimea to the killing fields of France and Belgium with the first of a three part guide to collecting the cameras…

REGULAR militarianews Duncan Evans reports on what’s happening in the world of military history and collecting TALKS Events at NAM Here are the events coming up at the National Army Museum, based in Chelsea, London, throughout February. For bookings go to www.nam.ac.uk. Captain Robert Parker and the Royal Irish Regiment 4 February, 12 noon Captain Robert Parker enjoyed a military career spanning 35 years. Parker saw extensive service in the wars of King William III and the Duke of Marlborough during the 1690s and 1700s. Throughout this time, he diligently kept a journal, in which he made accounts of many famous battles and sieges, including Aughrim (1691) and Blenheim (1704). In this fascinating free talk, National Army Museum curator Justin Saddington will recount some of Parker’s career-defining moment. You can…

Big guns at Rock Island May 13-15 sees a three day bonanza for antique, classic and collectable firearms from US specialist, Rock Island Auction. The auction includes elite American treasures like Ulysses S Grant's Remington New Model Army revolvers, serial numbers 1 and 2. The ivory grips on these exquisitely engraved pieces feature carvings to honour Ulysses S Grant, General and Chief of the Armies of the United States. An ultra-rare, documented Winchester ‘One of One Hundred’ 1873 lever-action rifle is another flagship item. One of only eight manufactured, this Model 1873 represents one of the most elusive variations of specia-lorder Winchesters and is a crown jewel in gun collecting. Other headline Winchesters include a documented Winchester One of One Thousand, a rare, LD Nimschke signed and engraved, gold gilt…

Dinner at Tennants A signed menu from an RAF Biggin Hill dinner celebrating the destruction of the 1,000th enemy aircraft from the sector sold in Tennants Auctioneers’ auction on 3 December for £1,364 (includes Buyer’s Premium of 20%+VAT). The Sergeant’s Mess dinner was held on 11 June 1943 and had been adorned with a signed ink cartoon sketch by French fighter pilot Pierre Costerman and signed by 29 pilots including Battle of Britain aces Sailor Malan, Irving S Smith, Ralph ‘Tich’ Havercroft, T Higginson and French ace Rene Mouchette. The top lot of the sale was an early 17th century composite close helmet, which was possibly Flemish in origin, sold for £2,232. The helmet was engraved with bands of foliate strapwork, and comfortably beat its pre-sale estimate. Drawing interest from…

COVER FEATURE Operation Anthropoid Ian Baxter describes the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, chief of the Reich Main Security office, and the appalling aftermath Reinhard Heydrich was a high-ranking SS and police official and a main architect of the Holocaust. He became chief of the Reich Main Security office and then deputy and acting Reich-Protector of Bohemia and Moravia. He was regarded as one of the leading, most brutal figures in the Nazi hierarchy. Through the 1930s he was the chief enforcer of Nazi terror inside Germany. Although his remit was initially limited to internal policing, as preparations against Poland were made, his powers quickly widened. As a pretext for attacking Poland, Heydrich masterminded the plan to attack a German radio station at Gleiwitz on 31 August 1939. Then, during the…

CLASSIC ARMS FEATURE The Battle of New Orleans Graham Priest takes a look at the final battle in the War of 1812 The final major act of the War of 1812 (1812-1815) was played out on the banks of the Mississippi River near New Orleans. Even though, hundreds of miles away at Ghent in the United Netherlands (Belgium), on 24 December 1814, a treaty had been signed by each country's delegates, ratification took another two months. The British war cabinet had directed Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane to take his force of some 60 vessels from the Caribbean into the Mississippi delta to block American trade and communications. The river was a major artery for the country in both peace and war and so control of the settlement of New Orleans…

OPERATION FEATURE The tragedy of Operation Tiger John C Pursley discovers the human sacrifices incurred to ensure the plans for the D-Day landings were viable As the German armed forces were slowly forced out of the foreign territories they had previously occupied, the Allies waited in anticipation for the establishment of a second front in western Europe. Inasmuch as this was a major undertaking, the Allied forces would require specific training exercises to support the overall strategy of the invasion. To increase their chances of success in the proposed D-Day landings, Operation Tiger, sometimes referred to as Exercise Tiger, would be part of a sequence of American amphibious landing training drills organised on the beaches of south Devon, England. This area was chosen for its resemblance to Utah beach (the…

WEAPON FEATURE The Steyr Volkskarabiner Michael Heidler takes a look at a last ditch weapon of Nazi Germany and a very rare variant In autumn 1944 the development of Volkssturm (People’s Army) weapons was in full swing. Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG from Austria was represented among the companies involved. However, for the first two shooting competitions in October and November, Steyr did not manage to submit its own rifle design in time. After the beginning of December, the decision was made in favour of the Carl Walther model, in calibre 7.92x57 as the future ‘People's Rifle’. However, a final shooting competition with rifles chambered for the Kurzpatrone (short cartridge) 7.92x33, as used with the new assault rifle Sturmgewehr 44 was still pending. It finally took place from 15-22 December at the Kummersdorf…

PRINT FEATURE The Print Inspector Ray Westlake looks at a portrait of Colonel Welbore Ellis Doyle of the 14th Regiment The 14th Regiment had been raised by Sir Edward Hales during the time of the Duke of Monmouth’s Rebellion in 1865. Known by the name of its successive Colonels, the regiment was designated as the 14th Regiment of Foot in 1751, adding ‘Bedfordshire’ as a subtitle in 1782, changing to ‘Buckinghamshire’ 27 years later in 1809. It would become the Prince of Wales’s Own (West Yorkshire Regiment) in 1881. Born in Ireland in 1758, Doyle had joined the 55th Regiment as an Ensign in December 1770. He went on to serve with an American-raised formation styled as the ‘Volunteers of Ireland’, afterwards exchanging to a commission in the 14th Regiment…