WW1 / WW2 / 20th Century

A Very Attractive Pre WW1 German Military Beer Stein of the 46th Artillery

Souvenir of service for a WW1 volunteer.An Imperial Prussian stein for 4 Battery, Niedersachs Feld Artillery, Regt. 46, for the years 1904-1906. Lower Saxony Field Artillery Regiment No. 46. The recipient then volunteered back into the regiment and served in WW1. Superbly decorated. Transfer glazed with hand painted highlights with scenes of the field artillery in combat. Personally named 'in memory of my service' to the recipient 'Kanonier Bahrwald', and further named with every man's name from the regiment 47 names in all Souvenirs of service were purchased by reservists once there service was finished, in this case 1906. Steins seem to have been the most popular purchases. The period of popularity extended from the mid 1890s until the onset of World War I. Examples exist from the 1850s on, but were few in number and individually purchased items. Almost all early examples came from Bavarian units. Steins with wartime dates also exist but the demands of the war in terms of men and material effectively ended the manufacture of regimental steins as we know them.
Steins were ordered from military shops in the area around the garrison town or through the representatives of stein manufacturers. Normally ordered in the spring, they were delivered in early September, just prior to mustering out. The average cost approximated a month?s salary for a German private of that period. The base shows when lit internally the hidden factory 'watermark' in the porcelain. The base also has two old damage areas where the base has been penetrated and in other one area fixed see photo The lid's artillery cannon has the barrel lacking. The Regiment was part of the 20th Infantry Division in WW1. Their actions in WW1 were as follows Calendar of battles and engagements
20th Infantry Division (Western Front)
08.08.-08.16.1914 Conquest of Li?ge
23.08.-08.24.1914 Battle of Namur
29.08.-08.30.1914 Battle of St. Quentin
06.09.-09.09.1914 Battle of Petit-Morin
12.09.-09.13.1914 Fighting at Reims
13.09.1914-18.04.1915 Fighting at the Aisne
21.04.-04.30.1915 Transport to the east
20th Infantry Division (Eastern Front)
05.05.-05.23.1915 Pursuits after the Battle of Gorlice-Tarnow
16.05.-05.23.1915 Crossing over the San
24.05.-05.26.1915 Fight at Radymno and San
27.05.-04.06.1915 Fight at the bridgehead of Jaroslau
12.06.-06.15.1915 Breakthrough battle at Lubaczow
17.06.-06.22.1915 Battle of Lviv
22.06.-07.16.1915 Pursuit battles on the Galician-Polish border
16.07.-07.18.1915 Breakthrough Battle of Krasnostaw
19.07.-07.28.1915 Fighting after the breakthrough battle of Krasnostaw
29.07.-07.30.1915 Breakthrough Battle of Biskupice
31.07.-08.10.1915 Pursuit battles from Wieprz to Bug
12.09.-09.26.1915 Reserve of OH-L. and transport to the west
20th Infantry Division (Western Front)
27.09.-10.18.1915 Autumn Battle in Champagne
31.10.1915-16.05.1916 Fighting at the Aisne
03/10/1916 Storming of the mountain at La Ville aux Bois
18.05.-01.06.1916 Transport to the east
20th Infantry Division (Eastern Front)
14.06.-07.15.1916 Fights on Stochod
16.07.-07.27.1916 Fighting on the upper Styr-Stochod
28.07.-04.11.1916 Battle of Kovel
05.11.-11.18.1916 Positional fights on ob. Styr-Stochod
20.11.-11.25.1916 Transport to the west
20th Infantry Division (Western Front)
26.11.1916-05.01.1917 training
06.01.-02.03.1917 Fighting at the Aisne
10.04.-05.08.1917 Battle of the Aisne
15.05.-04.07.1917 Positional fights in Champagne
05.07.-07.12.1917 Transport to the east
20th Infantry Division (Eastern Front)
13.07.-07.22.1917 Fighting on the Lomnica near Kalusz
23.07.-07.30.1917 Pursuit battles in eastern Galicia
31.07.-02.08.1917 Fighting for Zbrucz, between Zbrucz and Sereth
03.08.-08.16.1917 Position fights between Zbrucz and Sereth
30.08.-08.31.1917 Position fights before Riga
01.09.-05.09.1917 Battle for Riga
09/02/1917 Fights on the Big Jail
09/03/1917 Wholesale Kangern
09/04/1917 Conquest of Bh. Hinzenberg
09/04/1917 Pursuit battles towards the Riga-Wenden road
06.09.-09.10.1917 Positional fighting north of the D?na
10.09.-09.20.1917 Transport to the west
20th Infantry Division (Western Front)
27.09.-10.10.1917 Battle in Flanders
20.11.1917-17.02.1918 Positional fights in the Artois
20.11.-11.29.1917 The tank battle at Cambrai
30.11.-07.12.1917 Attack Battle at Cambrai
18.02.-03.20.1918 Training and march to the "Great Battle of France"
21.03.-04.06.1918 Great battle in France
21.03.-03.23.1918 Breakthrough Battle Monchy-Cambrai
21.03.-03.23.1918 Fight for Morchies and Beugny
24.03.-03.25.1918 Battle of Bapaume
22.04.-05.25.1918 Fighting positions between Maas and Mosel: on the Maashohe at Lamorville-Spada and St. Mihiel
25.05.-06.25.1918 Reserve of OH-L. at Arlon
18.07.-07.26.1918 Defensive battle between Soissons and Reims
27.07.-03.08.1918 The mobile defensive battle between Marne and Vesle
03.08.-08.17.1918 Reserve Army Group German Kronprinz or Boehn
28.08.-02.09.1918 Battle of Monchy-Bapaume
06.09.-09.26.1918 Fighting in front of the Siegfried Front
27.09.-08.10.1918 Defensive battle between Cambrai and St. Quentin
03.11.-11.11.1918 Defensive battle on the Maas
03.11.-11.11.1918 Defensive battles between Maas and Beaumont
12.11.-12.23.1918 Clearance of the occupied territory and march home 12 inches high overall  read more

Code: 21788

A Superb 'Top Secret' 'Ball Race', A Spare Part of the World Famous 'Little Boy' Bomb , The Very First Atom Bomb Ever Made, and Used in WW2

This amazing piece of history has just returned from use in a documentary on the Manhattan Project and Professor Oppenheimer, as can be seen in the current worldwide movie hit, 'Oppenheimer'

It is the second, 'back-up' spare part that we owned, the first spare part we sold previously, for the infamous 'Little Boy' bomb, the 1st ever Uranium Bomb, that ultimately led to the end of WW2 in Japan, and although devastating to Japan, saved many, many millions of lives, including the hundreds of thousands of allied WW2 POWs in Japanese slave and torture camps, who were to be instantly executed, under Imperial decree, the moment an allied soldier stepped foot on Japanese soil. And, not forgetting the imperial general staff order that every man woman and child in Japan were instructed to kill an allied invading soldier, by whatever means, and every Japanese citizen was ordered to fight to the death, and never surrender. Another most interesting and historical fact, not often known by most today, was that the emperor realised once the atom bombs were dropped, and their god like devastating power revealed, Japan was utterly lost, and what remained of his empire and his people must be saved.

Thus he decided to announce Japan's unconditional surrender. However, considerable elements of the general staff had other ideas, and passionately opposed this decision, so much so, despite him being regarded as a god, an assasination squad under command of Major Hatanaki a fiery eyed zealot, was despatched to the imperial palace to kill him. Fortunately for the world his most faithful and devoted aide hid him in a special protected room, and thus the emperor was able to escape and make his momentous surrender broadcast, and the rest, as they say, is history. In the days that followed the emperor’s radio address, at least eight generals killed themselves. On one afternoon, Vice Admiral Matome Ugaki, commander of the Fifth Air Fleet on the island of Kyushu, drank a farewell cup of sake with his staff and drove to an airfield where 11 D4Y Suisei dive-bombers were lined up, engines roaring. Before him stood 22 young men, each wearing a white headband emblazoned with a red rising sun.

Ugaki climbed onto a platform and, gazing down on them, asked, “Will all of you go with me?”

“Yes, sir!” they all shouted, raising their right hands in the air.

“Many thanks to all of you,” he said. He climbed down from the stand, got into his plane, and took off. The other planes followed him into the sky.

Aloft, he sent back a message: “I am going to proceed to Okinawa, where our men lost their lives like cherry blossoms, and ram into the arrogant American ships, displaying the real spirit of a Japanese warrior.”

Ugaki’s kamikazes flew off toward the expected location of the American fleet. Fortunately they were never heard from again.
Although barely 76 years old, it is probably one of the rarest items we are ever likely to offer. A unique survivor of the most expensive and intense top secret project of WW2. A superb, micro engineered gyro ball race. We had both spare part Gyro Ball Races, and the other one previously, that we had, we sold to an American private museum collector. This is the secondary spare part, that we acquired from the late collection of Professor Samuel Eilenberg, Emeritus Professor of Mathematics at Columbia University in WW2, that we are delighted to offer for sale. The first, 'principle' part, was used during the construction of 'Little Boy' Uranium Bomb, part of the ultra top secret 'Manhattan Project' and evaporated in the detonation. However, there were two spare parts made at Los Alamos, and we were delighted and most privileged to have acquired both of them. The 1st 'spare' part, we sold earlier, was engraved, this second back-up spare part, was not with it's Los Alamos part code; GYRO PT MK3 A. Code L.B.BOMB. That first spare part we sold recently to a private museum in Florida, USA, this, our second example another MK3 A, is plain and un-engraved, and the 'back-up' spare part. Apparently most component parts of both bombs made at Los Alamos code names; 'Little Boy' and 'Fat Man' had spare parts, and 'back-up' spare parts, constructed. Importantly, if a main part was damaged in assembly they could not wait the many months it would take for a spare to be made, potentially at a cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars, thus prudently, emergency spares, and secondary spares, were required. Souvenirs of the Manhattan Project were later officially gifted or presented to many of the consultants and scientists working on, or associated with, the greatest secret project of the 20th century, once the project was officially closed down by the lead physicist Dr. Oppenheimer. For information purposes the diameter of the ball race is 160mm which is within a small tolerance of the diameter of the gun barrel 165mm that barrel was central to the construction of 'Little Boy'. This measurement may indeed be a clue to the relevance to the ball races actual function or use within the project. Unfortunately due to the top secret nature of the whole event Prof Eilenberg did not reveal the ball races specific function, or, even his, no doubt significant, personal contribution, within the project, before his death in January 1998, only that he acquired them at Los Alamos in August 1945, apparently personally given by Oppenheimer. Much of the full schematics are still officially 'Top Secret'. The first spare that we sold was accompanied by top secret Royal Naval photos, and the id plate of the projector used to show the professors, physicists and scientists working on the project, the film of the dropping of 'Little Boy' by the Enola Gay. We show for information only those photos and id plate, but they are not included with this back-up spare part. We also show the engraving, as was on the original spare part we sold, but it is not on this 'back-up' spare. The Manhattan Project was the project to develop the first nuclear weapon (atomic bomb) during World War II by the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Formally designated as the Manhattan Engineer District (MED), it refers specifically to the period of the project from 1941–1946 under the control of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, under the administration of General Leslie R. Groves. The scientific research was directed by American physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer.

The project succeeded in developing and detonating three nuclear weapons in 1945: a test detonation of a plutonium implosion bomb on July 16 (the Trinity test) near Alamogordo, New Mexico; an enriched uranium bomb code-named "Little Boy" on August 6 over Hiroshima, Japan; and a second plutonium bomb, code-named "Fat Man" on August 9 over Nagasaki, Japan.

The project's roots lay in scientists' fears since the 1930s that Nazi Germany was also investigating nuclear weapons of its own. Born out of a small research program in 1939, the Manhattan Project eventually employed more than 130,000 people and cost nearly $2 billion USD ($23 billion in 2007 dollars based on CPI). It resulted in the creation of multiple production and research sites that operated in secret.

The three primary research and production sites of the project were the plutonium-production facility at what is now the Hanford Site, the uranium-enrichment facilities at Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and the weapons research and design laboratory, now known as Los Alamos National Laboratory. Project research took place at over thirty different sites across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The MED maintained control over U.S. weapons production until the formation of the Atomic Energy Commission in January 1947. We also have an original photo print taken from HMS Colossus, part of 11th Aircraft Carrier Squadron, that was based in the Pacific, commanded by Rear Admiral Harcourt. It was taken on 7th August 1945 the day after Little Boy was detonated. It is a picture of two I/d profiles of two Japanese T/E fighters that were originally observed in July 1945. These photographs were sent to the Manhattan Project HQ, but why, to us, this remains a mystery. Also, another souvenir, the serial tag from the Army Air Corps Bell and Howell sound projector, that apparently showed the original film of the detonation of 'Little Boy' to Professor Eilenberg and others from the project after the Enola Gay mission. Those souvenirs we had accompanied the sale of the first and engraved spare ball race, and not this one. We show in the gallery, for information only, a Paul R. Halmos's photograph of Samuel Eilenberg (1913-1998, shielding his face left, and Gordon T. Whyburn (1904-1969) in 1958 at the International Congress of Mathematicians in Edinburgh. For example, in relation to the desirability of original items connected to this monumentally historical mission, two other souvenirs were sold some 16 years ago in the US. The Little Boy was armed on the mission by removing the green safety plugs, and arming it with red arming plugs. This was undertaken by 23 year old Lt. Morris Richard Jeppson, who armed the bomb during the flight. For this perilous task he was awarded the Silver Star for his unique contribution to the mission. Jeppson, however, kept a few of the green plugs that signified his role in the bombing as souvenirs. He sold two of them in San Francisco for $167,500, at auction, in 2002, however, the US federal government claimed they were classified material and tried, but failed dismally, to block the sale in the courts, however the presiding Judge ruled that all of the Little Boy artefacts, details etc., are effectively, now, in the public domain and free to be sold at will. We were very fortunate to acquire these fascinating pieces, from Prof Eilenberg's collection, from a doctor and lecturer of oriental studies in London, who acquired them himself some years ago from a dear colleague of Prof Eilenberg. This rare piece, the back-up gyro ball race spare part, does not bear engraving, and does not come with the camera plate or official photos, but we can supply copy photo images of the originals. Plus, an all important Certificate of Authenticity.  read more

Code: 22797

Battle of the River Plate, HMS Ajax Miniature Wooden Barrel Made From Teak from the Ship

One of the most desirable of the miniature pieces made from salvaged parts from British warships, HMS Ajax is in the premier division of maritime collectables.

A wooden miniature barrel made from wooden, teak parts of HMS Ajax, With a name plate thereon. The Battle of the River Plate.

The battle in 1939 was how 3 battleships, 3 aircraft carriers and 14 cruisers in seven Hunting Groups searched for a German raider that was the the Admiral Graf Spee and how the weakest force of three cruisers found her and the action which led to her destruction.

The Second World War against Nazi Germany had been waged for three months. At sea Britain had lost the passenger liner, Athenia, the armed merchant cruiser, HMS Rawalpindi, the battleship HMS Royal Oak and the aircraft carrier HMS Courageous. There was very little good news for Britain and France.

In the South Atlantic Captain Langsdorff in the German pocket battleship, Admiral Graf Spee had been sinking British merchant ships since September 1939. Commodore Harwood, commanding Royal Navy Hunting Group G, had studied the area and knew the attraction to a German raider of the rich pickings of British merchant ships leaving the River Plate estuary between Argentina and Uruguay in South America. The Germans claimed that their pocket battleships could out-gun any ships faster than them and outrun any ship with heavier armament.

In early December 1939 Harwood received enemy reports from the British freighters Doric Star and Tairoa as they were captured and sunk. He calculated that if the raider chose to head for South America she would probably arrive in the area off the River Plate on the morning of the 13th December. With this in mind, Harwood ordered the cruisers, HMS Ajax, Achilles and Exeter to concentrate there the previous day (12th December). They met at the pre-arranged time and exercised their action plan. On the morning of 13th December HMS Exeter was ordered to investigate smoke that was spotted on the horizon. She soon signaled, “I think it is a pocket battleship”. The three ships had finally met Admiral Graf Spee and at 0617 they went into action, following Harwood’s orders, “Attack at once, by day or night”. At first Graf Spee concentrated her fire on Exeter. Ajax and Achilles then closed on Graf Spee at speed, drawing her fire and causing significant upper deck damage and loss of morale. Graf Spee's Captain Langsdorff later said, “They came at me like destroyers”. At 0636 Graf Spee about-turned to the west, from where she started her retreat. With 66 of her crew killed, Exeter later retired from the battle badly damaged and made for the Falklands.

By 0725 Ajax and Achilles had closed to within 4 miles from Graf Spee. Harwood then decided to open the range and shadow her. However Graf Spee steadied and concentrated her fire again on Ajax and Achilles. Ajax fired a salvo of torpedoes to encourage Graf Spee to maintain her westward course, which she did, but shortly afterwards Graf Spee obtained a hit on Ajax which put her two after-turrets out of action. Achilles also suffered severe damage to her director control tower from a near-miss. This was Graf Spee's chance to turn on the pursuers and regain the initiative but it was not taken. Captain Langsdorff chose to break off the action and head for port in Montevideo, the capital of neutral Uruguay. Whether this was the result of a confused state because of wounds and concussion, a sense of defeat or to preserve the lives of his men we do not know.

On return home the men of HMS Ajax and HMS Exeter were feted in London by King George VI and Winston Churchill (First Lord of the Admiralty at the time). HMS Achilles' crew were similarly feted in their home town of Auckland, New Zealand.  read more

Code: 24923

A Fabulous, Huge, & Very Rare Original 1909 Poster For Schichtl's Marine-Theater. Depicting Germany’s Military Might In The Air, and Sea. Produced by the Showman Known at the Time as Germany’s P,T. Barnum The Greatest Showman on Earth

An extraordinarily beautiful original theatre poster from the turn of the 1900’s, and as far a we know, it may well the the only surviving example outside of a museum collection. In Excellent plus condition.

This spectacularly beautiful piece would grace any home or office surrounding, from contemporary modern to classical. The vibrant colours, artistry and the subject are a unique combination in antique poster art

A most rare collectors piece in that it covers the areas of interest of numerous fields. Such as, original theatrical production advertising posters, the rare artwork associated with the centuries old art of puppetry, early Imperial German propaganda of their military might, as a direct taunt to the British Empire of the Kaisers cousin King Edward VIIth, a rare poster of early German airships, and last but not least a beautiful surviving example of the very specific form artistry that appeared in the late 19th century and up to WW1.

Schichtl's Puppet Theater - The Original Marine Spectacles.

Museum of Adolph Friedländer. A variety theatre that put on a production depicting Imperial Germany's Maritime and Aeronautical might for the amazement of the viewing public.

Set's and artists provided a theatrical view of Germany's Grand Fleet and Airships using clever sets, backdrops and marionettes.

A little like America's P.T.Barnum's circus and curiosity side shows, but more typically Germanic, having a greater militaristic perspective.

Schichtl's Marine-Theater
Werbeplakat, feine Farblithographie, Hamburg 1909, 71 x 95 cm,

gemarkt "Lith. Adolph Friedlender, Hamburg", selten.  read more

Code: 16905

An American WW2, M3 Pattern, Fighting Knife, in its Beckwith Manufacturing Company, Victoria Plastics, M8 Scabbard

The scabbard has the VP mark over a 41 on the scabbard reverse side. It is the logo of the Victory Plastics Division of the Beckwith Manufacturing Company. The number is believed to be a mould identification number for quality control purposes. the metal throat has very old applied black surface protective paint which may reveal a US M8 BMCO stamp beneath, but we would not recommend removing it, as it is part of its character and history. One can see the layered cotton ducking and Tenite under the surface of the scabbard green paint on the both the front and reverse very easily. Metal tip to scabbard with lanyard hole,

The traditional double edged bladed M3 has no maker markings, it has a usual stacked leather washer grip but with a three washer, composition material, replaced top section. possibly through combat damage. The crossguards have both been custom shortened and squared off etc, likely accomplished when the three top washers were replaced. It came from a WW2 and Korean War American US Marine veteran who settled here and married in the UK in the 1960's. The blade has grey overall old surface corrosion traces. We have no knowledge of its past service use anymore, but one can see it has certainly seen use for the purpose for which it was designed. An interesting and speculative vintage combat piece, with old repairs etc. but none the less interesting for that

When the United States adopted the M3 fighting knife, they also adopted the M6 leather sheath to carry the new combat knife in. Despite having been one of the first militaries to adopt cloth field gear in place of leather belts, cartridge cases, etc., the U.S. military still used leather goods extensively for holsters, knife handles, and other materials. While perfectly fine for hunting knives, leather sheaths (as well as other leather products) have a tendency to mildew and rot in wet weather conditions like those found in the trenches of WWI or the jungles of the Pacific. As reports from the field came in, the shortcomings of the leather M6 soon became apparent. The Ordnance Department began looking for an alternative.The new scabbard consisted of a composite plastic material made from a combination of layered cotton ducking and Tenite. By heat treating the combination, it could be pressure moulded into a solid shape.The new scabbard was able to withstand temperatures fluctuations from 170 degrees Fahrenheit to 45 below. Superior to the Model 1910 in durability, the Army Ordnance Department adopted it as the M3 in the summer of 1941. To meet the contract, Beckwith purchased a plant in Hudson, Mass. Victory Plastics was born.

Beckwith began production of replacement for the M6 sheath, as well. Incorporating the materials produced at Victory Plastics, the new M8 had a metal throat, stamped “U.S. M8” and “BMCO” (for Beckwith Manufacturing Company). The “ears” of the throat were turned down to accommodate the angled hilt on the M3 knife.  read more

Code: 24911

Very Rare Aeronautical Stamps. Canada: 1918 (Aug) Aero Club of Canada 25c "flaming Zeppelin" Stamps

label CLP2 tete-beche pair, perfectly centred, one stamp very lightly mounted, the other unmounted, one with surface tear. A scarce collectable stamp from the very earliest Canadian Airmail service. We have seen good single stamps of this type achieving prices up to $1100. We are pricing as for a single stamp with it's matching companion free.  read more

Code: 16711

A Most Rare Original, Nazi Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei Serving Platter From the Graf Zeppelin

The platter has the German Zeppelin Co. logo, of the Third Reich Zeppelin, flying across the globe, the Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei. Manufactured by GEBRUDER HEPP PFORZHEIM, in 90 grade. In March 1935, the South Atlantic flights became the responsibility of the Nazi controlled Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei, after this company had been set up jointly by Luftschiffbau Zeppelin, the German Air Ministry and Deutsche Lufthansa. The DZR was created at the instigation of Air Minister Hermann Goring as a way to increase Nazi control over zeppelin operations, and can be see as part of the larger policy of Gleichschaltung, or coordination, which affected all aspects of German life in the years following Hitler?s assumption of power.

Consistent with Nazi ideology, the airship was expected to be more than just a private commercial venture; it was to be a public symbol of the new German nation. In a speech marking the founding of the DZR, Goring commented: ?I hope that the new ship will also fulfil its duty in furthering the cause of Germany? The airship does not have the exclusive purpose of flying across the Atlantic, but also has a responsibility to act as the nation?s representative.?

The even larger airship, the LZ 129 'Hindenburg' joined the 'Graf Zeppelin' in 1936, and, in addition to South Atlantic flights with its partner, inaugurated a service over the North Atlantic, between Frankfurt and Lakehurst in New Jersey, in the summer. Also in 1936 the South American route was extended to Rio de Janeiro. Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei ceased operations as the commercial use of airships came to an abrupt end on 6 May 1937, when the 'Hindenburg' exploded at Lakehurst.
This large silver tray is made of German silver plate, 90 grade, and was the product of the same silver company that made the Third Reich military cutlery and other silver objects for the Third Reich hierarchy - Gbr. Hepp. His company alongside his rival, Wellner, was a maker of much of the Fuhrer's formal dinnerware, and the Reich chancellery dinnerware pieces. Many items by were used in several of Hitler's residences, the Hotel [Der Deutscher Hof] personally used by Hitler, and numerous state offices. The Zeppelin Corps became one of the shortest-lived German service branches of World War II. After the German invasion of Poland in 1939, the Luftwaffe ordered the last two Zeppelin airships moved to a large Zeppelin hangar in Frankfurt. In March of 1940, Goring ordered their destruction and the aluminium fed into the Nazi war industry. In May, a fire broke out in the Zeppelin facility which destroyed most of the remaining parts. The rest of the parts and materials were soon scrapped with almost no trace of the German "Giants of the Air" remaining by the end of the year. 49cm x 32.5cm  read more

Code: 22618

Solid Silver Hallmarked L.Z.127 Graf Zeppelin Airship Aerospace Medal 1929 World Flight Issue

FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, STADT Medal 1929 (stamped by Josef Bernhart) on the 1st world flight of the LZ 127 "Graf Zeppelin". Busts of Zeppelin and Eckener l. Rev: Zeppelin. Beautiful patina. 36mm; 25g excellent condition Edge stamped hallmark: PREUSS. STATE COIN. SILVER 900

The around-the-globe flight of the German-built and -operated hydrogen-filled airship began in August 1929 at Lakehurst Naval Air Station in New Jersey, where it ended 21 days, five hours and 31 minutes later after covering some 20,651 miles in four legs.

Sponsored in part by Newspaper baron William Randolph Hearst, one of the worlds most influential newspaper owners and also one of the richest men in the world, in his day. His notoriety was also subject to a biographical movie loosely based on his life, Citizen Kane, directed by Orson Welles. The result of which caused W.R.Hearst to spend many years trying, and in many ways succeeding, to destroy Orson Welles' career.

Costs for the flight were subsidized by the transport of souvenir mail to and from the stops in Lakehurst, Friedrichshafen, Tokyo, and Los Angeles, and these pieces are highly collectible today. 1929. it was originally owned and run by Deutsche Luftschiffahrts-Aktiengesellschaft German Airship Transportation Corporation Ltd But in 1935 Reich Minister of Aviation, Hermann Göring insisted that a new agency be created to extend Party control over LZ Group. A personal rivalry between Göring and Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels also played a role. Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei was therefore incorporated on 22 March 1935 as a joint venture between Zeppelin Luftschiffbau, the Ministry of Aviation, and Deutsche Lufthansa.

LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin was a German passenger-carrying, hydrogen-filled rigid airship which flew from 1928 to 1937. It was designed and built to show that intercontinental airship travel was practicable. Its operational history included several long flights, such as a polar exploration mission, a round-the-world trip, trips to the Middle East and the Americas (operating five years of regular passenger and mail flights from Germany to Brazil), and latterly being used as a propaganda vehicle for the ruling Nazi Party. The airship was withdrawn from service following the Hindenburg disaster.

Although to most this piece looks like a coin, in Germany and also in France, medals could come in the table medal variety, not ever meant to be worn but for display in a table cabinet or mounted and framed. Awarded for the same reason as a medal made to be only worn on the person, as all British medals are.


Photo in the gallery of the medals with the armband of the Ortsgruppenleiter, from whom the medals came from all sold seperately  read more

Code: 24905

Solid Silver Hallmarked L.Z.127 Graf Zeppelin Airship Aerospace Medal 1928 Issue

Zeppelin Aerospace medal in solid siver.
Silver medal 1928 (J. Bernhart) Airship LZ 127 "Graf Zeppelin". Half-length portraits of Zeppelin and Eckener side by side to the left / Airship over ocean. Edge stamped hallmark: PREUSS. STATE COIN. SILVER 900 FINE. 36 mm, 24.37 g Fine patina,

L.Z.127 Graf Zeppelin airship medals, one awarded in 1928 the other 1929. Sold separately, acquired with the Ortsgruppenleiter's armband taken as war souvenirs in 1945, sadly the name of the NSDAP Ortsgruppenleiter and his medals was not noted at the time.

LZ127 it was originally owned and run by Deutsche Luftschiffahrts-Aktiengesellschaft German Airship Transportation Corporation Ltd But in 1935 Reich Minister of Aviation, Hermann Göring insisted that a new agency be created to extend Party control over LZ Group. A personal rivalry between Göring and Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels also played a role.Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei was therefore incorporated on 22 March 1935 as a joint venture between Zeppelin Luftschiffbau, the Ministry of Aviation, and Deutsche Luft Hansa.

LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin was a German passenger-carrying, hydrogen-filled rigid airship which flew from 1928 to 1937. It was designed and built to show that intercontinental airship travel was practicable. Its operational history included several long flights, such as a polar exploration mission, a round-the-world trip, trips to the Middle East and the Americas (operating five years of regular passenger and mail flights from Germany to Brazil), and latterly being used as a propaganda vehicle for the ruling Nazi Party. The airship was withdrawn from service following the Hindenburg disaster.

Photo in the gallery of the medals with the armband of the Ortsgruppenleiter, from whom the medals came from all sold seperately

Although to most this piece looks like a coin, in Germany and also in France, medals could come in the table medal variety, not ever meant to be worn but for display in a table cabinet or mounted and framed. Awarded for the same reason as a medal made to be only worn on the person, as all British medals are.  read more

Code: 24904

Original Third Reich NSDAP, German 1930's National Socialist WW2 German Greatcoat or Tunic Armband of an Ortsgruppenleiter, Only 4 ranks Below Hitler In The Order of Seniority & Authority

Thanks to a very similar example, also of another Ortsgruppenleiter, that we had around four months ago, it was viewed and noticed by a regular of ours, we were offered by him this fine example, also with the German NSDAP man's two Zeppelin silver medals, but unfortunately we know not from which region or district in Berlin as Operational Regional Office Leader, who wore this arm band and owned the medals, was in control of. The medals are offered for sale separately.

Our other past example, complete with his collar tabs, was for a Group Leader of Berlin. This piece came with two solid silver L.Z.127 Graf Zeppelin airship medals, one awarded in 1928 the other 1929.

The Zeppelin Airship company was originally owned and run by Deutsche Luftschiffahrts-Aktiengesellschaft the German Airship Transportation Corporation Ltd But in 1935 Reich Minister of Aviation, Hermann Göring insisted that a new agency be created to extend Party control over LZ Group. A personal rivalry between Göring and Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels also played a role.Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei was therefore incorporated on 22 March 1935 as a joint venture between Zeppelin Luftschiffbau, the Ministry of Aviation, and Deutsche Luft Hansa.

In exceptional almost mint condition. Ortsgruppenleiter (Operational Regional Office Group Leader) was a Nazi Party political rank and title which existed between 1930 and 1945. The term first came into being during the German elections of 1930, and was held by the head Nazi of a town or city, or in larger cities, of a neighbourhood, for the purposes of election district organization. After 1933, through the process of Gleichschaltung, the position of Ortsgruppenleiter evolved into the Nazi leader of a large town or city or of a city district. The rank of Ortsgruppenleiter was originally the fourth tier in the Nazi Party hierarchy after the Führer, Reichsleiter, Gauleiter, and Kriesleiter

As with Gauleiters and Kriesleiter they were appointed by Hitler personally.

The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (German: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterparte or NSDAP), was an extreme socialist political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported the ideology of Nazism. Its precursor, the German Workers' Party (Deutsche Arbeiterpartei; DAP), existed from 1919 to 1920. The Nazi Party emerged from the extremist German nationalist, racist and populist Freikorps paramilitary culture, which fought against the communist uprisings in post–World War I Germany. The party was created to draw workers away from communism and into völkisch nationalism. Initially, Nazi political strategy focused on anti–big business, anti-bourgeois, and anti-capitalist rhetoric, which was later downplayed to gain the support of business leaders. By the 1930s, the party's main focus shifted to antisemitic and anti-Marxist themes. The party had little popular support until the Great Depression, where worsening living standards and vast unemployment drove Germans into political extremism.

The NSDAP had supporters and branches throughout other European countries, for example in Ireland They operated like a normal political party, collected subscriptions, kept membership files and reported regularly to party headquarters. The difference with the German Nazi Party (NSDAP) in 1930s Ireland, however, was that its headquarters was not in Dublin but in Berlin. The party’s membership—numbering from 50 to 100, depending on whether visitors are included—owed their loyalty to Adolf Hitler. Their Christmas parties were held at the Gresham Hotel, while other social events took place at the Red Bank restaurant in D’Olier Street and at the Kilmacurragh Park Hotel in County Wicklow.

Fritz Brase, was the first Ortsgruppenleiter of Ireland
But who were these Germans and Austrians who rallied to the Nazi Party colours in pre-war Ireland? The first Ortsgruppenleiter, or branch leader, in Dublin was a Prussian bandsman called Fritz Brase, who in 1923 became director of the new Irish army’s school of music, with the rank of colonel. Brase—who rearranged many traditional Irish jigs and reels to sound like thundering Prussian martial pieces—got into hot water in the early 1930s when he wrote to the army’s chief of staff, Maj.-Gen. Michael Brennan, seeking permission to set up a branch of the Nazi Party in Dublin. Brase was either unaware of or chose to ignore the obvious conflict of interest that his request implied—an Irish army colonel swearing loyalty to the Third Reich—but Brennan got the point. He told the German to choose the party or the army, but Brase wanted the best of both worlds. Records held in Berlin show that he joined the Nazis in April 1932, just a month before his 57th birthday. Brase appears to have tried to keep his party membership a secret from the Irish army, but pressure from the military’s top brass is the most likely reason why he relinquished his post as local Nazi leader in 1934.

The latter report was likely written by the editor of the Irish times, Robert Smylie, a German speaker, also an attendee of the funeral of the German diplomat, Robert Wenzel.

"Christian Sauerzweig, mentioned some of Brase's activities to his superior, who in turn informed the head of Office of the Directorate of Intelligence, than named "G2", that at least twice in early September 1939 Brase burned papers in the boiler house of the school of music, and that, in April 1940, on the occasion of the funeral of the German diplomat, Robert Wenzel, that he and Brase wore their military uniforms and Brase gave the Nazi salute at the graveside. Besides these reports, a military intelligence file was kept on Brase also notes that he sent Adolf Hitler birthday greetings in 1939 by telegraph to the Reich Chancellery

Shown in the gallery a full uniform for illustration and context purposes only, we just offer the armband for sale.  read more

Code: 24903