The Armourer November 2023

This month is the 30th anniversary of the Battle of Mogadishu, otherwise known as the Black Hawk Down Incident, which was popularised by the film of the same name. It started with the attempted seizure of two of SNA leader Mohammed Farah Aidid’s top commanders. Unfortunately for the Americans three Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters were shot down, leading to an escalating battle in the middle of the city. We have the story of the battle and take a look at the collectables associated with the UN mission in Somalia. Well, the summer has come and gone, with a dismal July and August, only slightly redeemed by an early September heatwave. However, on the Bank Holiday at the end of August, the weather was decidedly changeable, but that didn’t put…

Here’s what’s coming up at the museum in Chelsea, London, during October, in addition to the long-running exhibitions. Art of the Crimean War Join Professor Meaghan Clarke as she examines some of the art inspired by the Crimean War, 170 years after the outbreak of the conflict. The events of the Crimean War inspired a range of artists to capture and reimagine the conflict in different ways and for different reasons. Iconic artworks like The Relief of the Light Brigade and The Thin Red Line not only offer insights into how the war was fought, but also the artists’ minds. • Date: 6 October • Cost: Free, but requires booking Uniforms of the Crimean War On this special guided tour, uniform curator Mel Price will reveal some of the stories…

A trove of unique documents relating to the design and development of the Mark I tank has been acquired by The Tank Museum. The collection contains hundreds of pages of documents, illustrations and correspondence that was once the property of Sir William Tritton – who with Major Walter Wilson – is regarded as the inventor of the tank. The museum team will now work through each document to record and catalogue them so that the importance of the trove can be fully understood. But a few gems have already been discovered. Among them, Sir William Tritton’s business card, a telegram sent by Fosters of Lincoln (Manufacturer of the Mark I tank) to the trademark office to ‘register the word tank’ and some sketches that appear to indicate that the rear…

Hermann Historica hits five Busy times in October for European auction house Hermann Historica with no fewer than five auctions, comprising Antique Arms and Armour; Fine Antique and Modern Firearms, on 11 and 12 October respectively; Orders and Military Collectibles until 1918; The Dave Delich Collection/private Californian collection/Italian SS collection; Orders and Military Collectibles from 1919, on 17, 18 and 19 October respectively. Let’s start with the antique arms and Lot 109, a gold-damascened Ottoman yatagan, dated 1826. It has a characteristically curved single-edged blade with slender fuller on both sides. Richly decorated with gold-damascened flowers, calligraphic cartouches on both sides, dated ‘1242’ (which means 1826). This can only be shipped within the EU and has a starting price of €3,000 (plus BP of 25%). This is an interesting lot,…

This was always going to be an interesting year for the south-east based show. How much had it recovered from Covid? Would it profit from the demise of War & Peace, usually held just 20 miles miles away and one month earlier? Would it be a wash out thanks to the dismal summer (I’m looking at you Jetstream)? Well, despite showers over the weekend, I’m happy to report that by Bank Holiday Monday the sun was out (intermittently), the ground was dry and the crowds were there in force. Best of all, Military Odyssey had been boosted by the absence of its traditional neighbour and featured more trade stalls and re-enactors, to the extent that the Arena had been relocated to a new area to make space for them. With…

Premier Firearms at Rock Island The late August auction at Rock Island had a wealth of classic and premier firearms up for grabs. Let’s kick things off with the very first lot, an antique Winchester Model 1886 lever action saddle ring carbine with Juan Canedo Buenos Aires retailer marking. It was manufactured in 1894 with the desirable casehardened receiver that was standard until approximately serial number 108000. The top of the barrel on this example is marked with the standard two-line Winchester address, and the calibre marking at the breech. Just below the address on the upper left of the barrel, the retailer marking ‘Juan Canedo y Cia Rivadavia 611-Buenos Aires’ is hand engraved. It hammered for $11,750 (plus BP of 17.5%). If you wanted fancy though, then this next…