Table of contents for February 2022 in The Armourer

SUBSCRIBE TO THE ARMOURER NEW YEAR, NEW SUBSCRIPTION You can guarantee your 2022 copies of The Armourer by taking out a subscription OFFERS STARTING FROM £12.99 INSIDE EVERY ISSUE: Latest militaria news, reviews, auctions and events Features on naval, weapons, medals and people Regular articles on ordnance, bayonets, insignia and uniforms Historical events and battles WWI and WWII campaigns Buying and collecting militaria for both novice and experienced collectors Book reviews and competitions To view our latest subscription offers visit: militaria.ma/arm-new2022 or call on 01778 392489 and quote ARM/NEW2022…

Museum visit National Civil War Centre Kerry Culbert visits the museum in Newark, partially dedicated to the 17th century Civil Wars The War of the Three Kingdoms, as the 1640’s British Civil wars were known, saw the Protestant versus Catholic fight for dominance continue on from the Tudor Age and the subsequent emergence of democracy in the UK. The Stuart King Charles I was married to a Catholic Queen Henrietta Maria Grace, with God still central to the State and everyday life. The Wars, in England, Scotland and Ireland, challenged the right to rule by divine right. By 1649 Charles I had been executed, the House of Lords, Bishops and Church Courts abolished and a Republic declared. Lords lost lands and people weren’t forced to attend Church. It was the…

Antique arms and armour at C&T It seems November was the month for classic arms auctions as C&T chimed in with one asl well. Let’s get this started with a very attractive Japanese enamel-decorated sword. With a blade measuring 46.8cm and the hilt, scabbard and tsuba all finely enamelled en-suite with green and grey dragons upon clouds with black background, brass fittings engraved with clouds. This one crushed the estimate of £600 to sell for £2,907.20 (includes Buyer’s Premium of 26.4%). Another Japanese sword next, but more recent and a more reasonable price. This was a WWII Army officer’s katana, the blade measuring 64.6cm, signed with five characters, and struck with the Seki arsenal stamp. In good condition although the surface had been stained and buffed, in shin gunto mounts…

MEDAL FEATURE The British East Africa Company medal Peter Duckers looks at a medal awarded for strategic considerations in the headwaters of the Nile British commercial companies often played a significant role in the exploration, exploitation and administration of imperial territories in the tropics. In particular, the powerful Chartered Companies, which had a government licence to act, assumed considerable powers of government, capable of negotiating local treaties and defending their interests with their own locally-raised forces. A less well-known, but important, British commercial concern operating in Africa was the Imperial British East Africa Company (IBEAC). This developed out of the British East Africa Association founded by the trader and ship-owner Sir William McKinnon (1823–1893) which operated in East Africa, initially in the hinterland beyond the coast at Witu. Founded in…

Get in touch yourletters Let us know what you think of your favourite militaria magazine or ask other readers a question Facebook: www.facebook.com/armourermagazine Twitter: @The_Armourer Post: Letters Page, The Armourer, Warners Group Publications, West Street, Bourne, Lincs. PE10 9PH Email: armourer@warnersgroup.co.uk PANTHER TANKS Thank you for publishing my letter on Panther turret numbers but I seem to have had a brain fade. The Platoon Commander would be 215, not 219, at full strength. Also, the way to spot a ‘D’ type hull regarding hybrids is: If you can see the glacis a ‘D’ would have a letter box armoured slot for the hull MG. Second, if you can see the dished road wheels there would be 25 rim bolts, later changed to 32 on a ‘A’ and ‘G’ models. Regarding…

REGULAR militarianews EXHIBITION A gathering of Spitfires Duncan Evans reports on what’s happening in the world of military history and collecting Imperial War Museum has announced an exhibition to display largest collection of Spitfires ever seen under one roof. IWM Duxford’s historic airfield was the base from which the first RAF squadron received the Spitfire in 1938. Today the museum still boasts the largest range of different Spitfire marks anywhere in the world and, from 27 December 2021 until 20 February 2022, Spitfire: Evolution of an Icon will present the largest exhibition of these historic aircraft. Bringing together 12 Spitfires of varying marks in IWM Duxford's AirSpace hall, the exhibition – free with entry to the museum – will demonstrate how the iconic warbird evolved throughout WWII. The exhibition will…

TREASURE Hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold The largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold coins ever found in England has been declared treasure trove at Norfolk Coroner’s Court. The hoard, consisting of four gold objects and 131 coins were discovered by a metal detector enthusiast in the field in West Norfolk where other gold coins had been found previously. A coin was originally unearthed in 1991 with subsequent finds in 2014 and 2017. In the new discovery, the detectorist duly informed the coroner of the find who ruled them treasure trove and thus became the property of the Crown. The Crown will then usually pay the finder and landowner the current market value of the hoard. The gold coins date to the same era at the Sutton Hoo burial ship at Woodbridge in…

Buying and collecting FOR SALE Militaria for sale Lenny Warren trawls the internet to find bargains, rare, interesting or bizarre items of militaria One of my favourite days out is The Tank Museum at Bovington, which if you’ve never been, you really should visit. In years gone by, I used to get dropped off there as my long-suffering wife and kids went to the nearby Monkey World, with visions in my head of what would happen if the monkeys escaped and stole a tank. Is it just me that finds that both surreal and strangely hilarious? Ok, maybe it is… Here we have a probable late war Soviet T34-85 for sale. An up-gunned version of the original T34, it entered production in January 1944 with the 76.2mm gun replaced with…

COVER FEATURE The Battle of the River Plate The Battle of the River Plate The first naval battle of WWII ended in the destruction of the flag ship of the German Kriegsmarine but at a heavy cost, as Mark Wood explains The post-WWI restrictions imposed on Germany’s newly reformed navy by the Treaty of Versailles limited rearmament planning to six pre-Dreadnought battleships and the same number of light cruisers in the heavier classes of ships. German naval planners circumvented these conditions with the Panzerschiff design, known as the Deutschland class cruiser and nicknamed the pocket battleship by the British. The three ships of the class, Deutschland, Admiral Scheer and Admiral Graf Von Spee were armed with 28cm guns and an innovative all-diesel propulsion system while displacing between 14,000 and 15,000…

AVIATION FEATURE Willy Messerschmitt Willy Messerschmitt John C Pursley recounts the rise and fall of the famous German fighter plane designer Born in Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany in June 1898, Wilhelm Emil Messerschmitt grew up in Bamberg and as a boy, was fascinated by gliders, zeppelins, and other early forms of aviation. In his late teens, he befriended Friedrich Harth, a designer and builder of gliders, or sailplanes as they were called. Both men served in the German Army during WWI and afterwards were reunited and worked together on experimental gliders. During this time Messerschmitt also attended the Munich Technical School pursuing an engineering degree and, with Harth, designed a glider that broke a flight duration record. Soon after graduation Messerschmitt founded his own aircraft design and manufacturing firm in the city…

PHOTO FEATURE The Photo Inspector Ray Westlake looks at the uniform of a Squadron Sergeant Major of the 5th Royal Irish Lancers There had been no light cavalry regiment ranked as 5th since the disbandment of the 5th (Royal Irish) Dragoons at Chatham on 15 April 1799. But, come the Indian Mutiny and a number of other problems in the East, the regiment in 1858 was re-raised at Newbridge in Ireland under the title of the 5th (Royal Irish) Regiment of Light Dragoons (Lancers). The ‘Light Dragoons’ part of the title was dropped by 1861. After two tours in India, the regiment moved to Natal, South Africa in February 1898. This month’s photograph was taken at the studio of W Laws Caney, 208 Church Street, Pietermaritzburg in South Africa.…

DOCUMENTARY Peter Jackson’s Military Treasures A new documentary called Peter Jackson’s Military Treasures, now available on the Forces News YouTube channel, gives viewers exclusive access to the Oscar-winning director’s unrivalled collection of World War I planes and memorabilia, and the story of how this passion evolved. When talking about his collection Peter Jackson said, “Because of my day job making films, I ended up with the resources of being able to do this. I keep my eye out, and if there’s something interesting, I try to buy it. Some people might say it’s got out of control, I’d say it’s evolved.” Some of his planes can’t be found anywhere else. Others he has re-created from scratch, using 100-year-old engineering techniques and the original plans. Of his collection he said, “You…

EVENTS In the sale rooms The weapons, uniforms, medals and militaria coming up for auction As this month’s issue was completed early thanks to Christmas deadlines, it was too soon to include details of any auctions happening in January. So, instead, we’re taking a look at the militaria for sale on eBay which is available as Buy it Now, so there’s a good chance they will still be available. Let’s start then with a set of WWII German Third Reich stamps and coins. There are four 8 Reichspfennig stamps in a block, in good condition with no date stamps and three coins. The coins are 1 Reichspfennig from 1940, 5 Reichspfennig from 1940 and 10 Reichspfennig from 1944. A nice little starter package for a young collector, on sale for…

ACCOUTREMENTS FEATURE The Dutch M78 Set The Dutch M78 Set Edward Hallett takes a break from the big players in the Cold War to see how a smaller nation equipped its soldiers PA R T5/6 So far, we have looked at the web gear of some of the larger players in NATO during the Cold War. There were, however, a number of smaller nations that contributed to NATO commitments, including Holland, which was a far smaller nation by size, armed forces and resources than the US or West Germany. Despite this, it played its part in NATO commitments and consistently fielded well-trained and equipped units. The effects of its limited military procurement budget are however essential in understanding the Dutch M78 webbing set we are looking at this month. As…

CLASSIC ARMS FEATURE Fort York in the War of 1812 Fort York in the War of 1812 Graham Priest takes a look at the history and weapons used in the siege of the Canadian fort The Napoleonic Wars (1803-15) were truly global in scale. In addition to conflict in Europe, Africa and Asia further warfare took place in the Americas. Despite success at the Battle of Trafalgar (21 October 1805) and an Order in Council of 16 May 1806 to blockade French ports, Europe was basically hostile territory. The beleaguered British Isles soon stood virtually alone after Napoleon prevented its trade with any allies and neutrals through the decrees of the Continental System. As the Royal Navy (RN) was the most successful in the world more Orders in Council of…

WEAPON FEATURE China’s Kalashnikov rifles and bayonets China’s Kalashnikov rifles and bayonets Graham Priest investigates the post-WWII weapon based on the iconic Soviet design The People's Republic of China was greatly influenced by Soviet automatic weapons after WWII. The Central Military Commission was very impressed by the 7.62mm Avtomat Kalashnikov obrazets 1947g (AK47) designed by Mikhail Timofeyevich Kalashnikov. A copy of this was built with Soviet guidance at the same time as the earlier SKS or Type 56 carbine. (Two digits precede the character shi meaning 'type' or 'model') The AK47 was also called Type 56 in China, due to the year of adoption, but was classed as a rifle. As so many Chinese examples were exported they are a common sight throughout the world. The AK47 progressed through three…