The ArmourerMay 2022的目錄

As I write all thoughts of the Covid pandemic, which has wrought so much death and chaos over the past two years, have all but vanished thanks to events in the Ukraine. It’s somewhat ironic that many of the countries in our new series on webbing of the Soviet bloc are now members of NATO, as Russia threatens Europe and the entire world. The events in Ukraine are a bitter reminder that militaria, and the ability to collect it, is a consequence of war and military force. No one in their right mind wants war, but the stories of heroism, service and battles are what make militaria such a fascinating area to collect. The attempt by Putin and the Russian Army to bludgeon Ukraine into submission is a hangover from…

Ratisbon’s 47th Contemporary History Auction The next Ratisbon’s auction starts accepting online bids from 27 March and runs until 3 March. Remember, you’ll need to add 22.5% Buyer’s Premium to all final prices. So, without further ado, let’s have a look at what’s up for grabs. Here’s a Kriegsmarine officer’s dagger with hangers and portepee, made by Carl Eickorn, Solingen. It comes with a nice etched blade to two sides showing naval motifs. ‘Eickhorn’ maker-marked. White handle with intact wire wrapping. Small crack on the top of the handle. It has a so-called Blitzscheide lightning scabbard. Made from brass. Some small dents. Including the original hangers. A matching pair. All snap-clips are fully working. Bidding starts at £420. Next is another dagger, this time and early NSKK service dagger with…

The armies of the Warsaw Pact faced off against NATO in Eastern Europe for nearly four decades. These powers were aligned with one another and shared much military technology and doctrine but were fundamentally independent countries and their armies were each equipped in their own way, with unique uniforms and equipment. These nations ranged from the enormous Soviet Union to the poorer but technologically advanced Eastern Germany and down to much smaller nations such as Romania. Over the coming six parts we will be looking at a selection of these different nations and their personal equipment, how these items worked and how you can add them to your collection. Eastern Bloc equipment has been cheap and generally unwanted for the last 30 years since the fall of communism, however in…

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 IDENTIFY THE BADGE A few years ago an embroidered badge from WWII came to me in Cyprus from Egypt. The emblem consists of the flags of Egypt (Farouk Kingdome 1936-1952) and Greece. On the back it reads: ‘I wish you Victory’. Having researched it I could not find any photograph or other evidence that would lead me to a specific unit that would have worn it. The only information I found is an extended article about the Greek community of Egypt during WWII, by historian Alexander Kitroeff. It tells of where the emigrants, on hearing of the Italian attack against Greece in October 1940, acting voluntarily, formed a military unit…

BEDFORDSHIRE ■ Southams Auctioneers Bedford, Tel: 01234 266366 guns@southamsauction.co.uk www.southamsauction.co.uk BERKSHIRE ■ Special Auction Services Newbury, Tel: 01635 580595 mail@specialauctionservices.com adam@specialauctionservices.com www.specialauctionservices.com BUCKINGHAMSHIRE ■ Bosleys Marlow, Tel: 01628 488188 sales@bosleys.co.uk www.bosleys.co.uk DEVON ■ Greenslade Taylor Hunt Tiverton, Tel: 01823 332525 www.gth.net antiques.saleroom@gth.net ESSEX ■ Reeman Dansie Auctions Colchester, Tel: 01206 754754 auctions@reemandansie.com www.reemandansie.com KENT ■ C&T Auctioneers and Valuers Kenardington, Tel: 01233 510050 enquiries@candtauctions.co.uk www.candtauctions.co.uk LONDON ■ Morton & Eden London, Tel: 020 7493 5344 info@mortonandeden.com www.mortonandeden.com ■ Dix Noonan Webb London, Tel: 020 70161 700 medals@dnw.co.uk www.dnw.co.uk SHROPSHIRE ■ Mullocks Specialist Auctioneers & Valuers Church Stretton, Tel: 01694 771771 auctions@mullocksauctions.co.uk www.mullocksauctions.co.uk ■ 2020 Auctions Shrewsbury, Tel: 01694 731781 info@2020auctions.co.uk www.2020auctions.co.uk SOMERSET ■ Greenslade Taylor Hunt Taunton, Tel: 01823 332525 www.gth.net antiques.saleroom@gth.net STAFFORDSHIRE ■ Marlows Stafford, Tel: 01785 214100 or…

Pick the rate that suits you and your budget! SAVE UP TO 16%* With offers starting from as little as £12.99 a quarter, subscribing really is the cheapest and easiest way to receive the paper magazine to your door every month! Save money every issue Quarterly, annual or one-off options available To view our latest subscription offers go to MILITARIA.MA/ARM-SUBS22 or call 01778 392489 and quote ARM/MYSUB22 Telephone lines are open Monday to Friday 8am – 6pm and Saturdays 9am – 5pm READ ON ANY DEVICE, ANYWHERE, ANYTIME! Read about battles and campaigns including features on collecting medals, weapons, uniforms and equipment. All of this one week before it’s on sale in the shops when opting for the digital magazine! pktmags.com/arm-sub22 *Saving is based on UK annual Direct Debit rate…

COVER STORY The Battle of Jutland was the clash between fleets that both the German Navy and the Royal Navy had been anticipating since the start of World War I. It was the greatest fleet battle between capital ships the world has ever seen and unsurprisingly it has held the public interest for over a century. Let’s take a look at some of the collecting opportunities it presents. Royal Navy Grand Fleet For those on a small budget wanting an interesting collecting project that relates to the Battle of Jutland, how about building up a set of postcards depicting every ship in the British fleet? Postcards were enormously popular in the run up to World War I, being used in much the same way we would use emails today, to…

As we head into the summer fair and show months, with all Covid regulations now in the rearview mirror, it’s time to discover the events that you can now go to. Tim Heath has your guide to all the upcoming militaria shows. Now, to the cover feature, and it’s the full story of the Anglo-Zulu war that featured the catastrophe at Islandlwana and the epic defence at Rorke’s Drift. Discover the roots of the conflict and the various bloody battles that ensued before the British Army eventually prevailed. We’ll have a look at what collectables are on the market for this campaign as well. In terms of WWII-related content, Ian Baxter is looking at the wartime activities of SS Nord while Graham Caldwell examines Hitler’s Olympics. These were the games…

As a father of three daughters, it would be remiss of me to not talk about women’s contribution to the war effort. Without women working in ammunition factories, the aviation industry and of course the Women’s Land Army there would have been a very different outcome to both WWI and WWII. The Women’s Land Army (WLA) made a significant contribution to boosting Britain’s food production during WWII, before then Britain had imported much of its food. When war broke out, it was necessary to grow more food at home and increase the amount of land in cultivation. With many male agricultural workers joining the armed forces, women were needed to provide a new rural workforce. The WLA had originally been set up in 1917 but disbanded at the end of…

The newly appointed Vice-Admiral Reinhard Scheer brought a fresh offensive spirit to the Imperial German Navy in 1916. A career sailor who had joined as an officer cadet at the age of 16, Scheer was a stern disciplinarian, well-schooled in the art of maritime warfare. Scheer served in various appointments at sea and on the Imperial Naval Staff, most notably as a torpedo specialist with the East Africa Squadron prior to the outbreak of war. Taking command of the High Seas Fleet early in the year, Scheer’s strategy was to break the naval stalemate by luring a sizeable part of the Royal Navy’s Grand Fleet into an ambush which would transform the balance of naval superiority in the Atlantic. The German High Seas Fleet under Scheer was composed of a…

While this is generally known as the E-Boat War Badge, thanks to the Allies referring to German torpedo boats as enemy boats, shortened to E-boats, in Germany it was called the S-Boot War Badge. These were the Schnellboot, or speed boats, hence S-Boot. Initially, from 1939-1941, crews of these fast, coastal raiders, received the Destroyer War Badge for their efforts but when the number of raids by E-boats increased significantly it was decided to create a new, specific award badge. So, on 30 May 1941 the Schnellboot Kriegsabzeichen, designed by Wilhelm Ernst Peekhaus of Berlin, was instituted for E-boat personnel. The award criteria was fairly generous, with crews having to either mount 12 sorties, participate in successful missions, be wounded while serving or be on a boat that was sunk.…

Z Special Unit GAVIN MORTIMER The Story of the Special Operations Executive has been covered in The Armourer, but few have heard of the offshoot set up in the Far East to combat the Japanese. Not the Chindits, but the Special Operations Australia and its guerrilla warfare unit, Z Special Unit, manned by Australians. In fact, it was so secretive, that many of the soldiers who served in it were unaware of who they were actually working for. Here are the main people involved and the missions they undertook, including manning a ship that was described as: ‘… dirty, untidy, full of cockroaches.’ With superb production standards and lots of interesting photos, this is an intriguing look at the chaotic world of spec ops down under. • Osprey Publishing •…

AUCTIONS 13 April 2022 C&T Auctions T: 01233 510050 www.candtauctions.co.uk enquiries@candtauctions.co.uk 20 April 2022 Dix Noonan Webb T: 020 7016 1700 www.dnw.co.uk medals@dnw.co.uk 20 April 2022 Warwick & Warwick T: 01926 499031 www.warwickandwarwick.com richard.beale@warwickandwarwick.com 20 April 2022 Marlow’s T: 01785 214100 OR 07789 628030 www.marlowsauctions.co.uk info@marlowsauctions.co.uk 27 April 2022 C&T Auctions T: 01233 510050 www.candtauctions.co.uk enquiries@candtauctions.co.uk FAIRS 10 April 2022 Chatham Militaria Fair T: 07595 511981 www.chathammilitariafairs.co.uk james@chathammilitariafairs.co.uk 10 April 2022 Wolverley Militaria Fair T: 07816 853878 www.facebook.com/wolverleymilitariafair/ 10 April 2022 Peterborough Militaria Fair T: 07895 483904 tedge46@outlook.com 24 April 2022 Thetford Militaria Fair T: 07596 436260 thetfordmilitariafair.com thetfordmilitariafair@gmail.com…

WORTH £75 WIN 3 copies of… Z Special Unit If you thought that the Special Operations Executive was simply concerned with causing mischief in Europe, think again. Because of SOE, various other secretive operations were set up around the world, including the Chindits, the Long Range Desert Group and the SOA. Who, you might ask? That would be Special Operations Australia and its clandestine commandos, Z Special Unit. Discover what missions they got up to against the Japanese in this glossy and fascinating book. Now, thanks to the generosity of military book publisher, Osprey Publishing, we have three copies to give away. Simply answer the question below and go to the website to enter. Win 3 copies of… New Vanguard 304: British Gunboats of Victoria’s Empire Here are the steam-powered ships that…