WW1 / WW2 / 20th Century

A WW2 'Bowie' Type Fighting Knife With Pressed Leather Grip

A most similar Bowie is illustrated in Gordon Hughes seminal work of fighting knive a Primer on Military Knives Part Two, illustration 121. Described as a private purchase knife used by a WW2 Commando before and during the issue of the standard Commando FS knife. Good robust quality, large width size blade, with good rivetted leather scabbard. Very popular both with British, Commonwealth and American forces. Overall 12 inches, shortened clip blade 5.5 inches.  read more

Code: 17543

The LZ 130 "Graf Zeppelin" - 100th birthday 1938 Medal

By Bayer Hauptmanzampt Finesilber Silver Medal 1938 Medal, Zeppelin 100th Birthday of Count Zeppelin 1938 Bayer. Main Mint Office prfr. Mat. A rare fine silver German medal issued just before WW2.  read more

Code: 22708

German 1905 Bavarian Prinz Luitpold Pair With WW1 Hindenberg Cross

Rare Imperial German WW1 medal group. By an Armeebefehl dated 12. M?rz 1905, Luitpold, Prinz von Bayern, regent of Bavaria, announced the creation of the Jubilee Medal (Jubil?umsmedaille) for the Bavarian Army. The event was the 70th anniversary of Luitpold's entering the army. This medal of merit is a bronze medal, oval in form. It is worn on a watered ribbon in the colors of the House and Knighly Order of St. Hubertus (cinnabar red with light green edges/zinnoberrot mit hellgr?nen Randstreifen). The obverse has a bust of Luitpold and the inscription "LUITPOLD PRINZ-REGENT VON BAYERN". The reverse has the inscription: "AM 70. JAHRESTAG MEINES DIENST-ANTRITTES DER BAYER. ARMEE GEWIDMET XII. III. MCMV." Only 22,003 were ever awarded.  read more

Code: 21990

Sterling Silver & Enamel WW2 Royal Artillery Badge Pin

Hallmarked Sterling.  read more

Code: 21837

Zaire Awarded Congo Medal 1977,Operation Shaba

To a French special advisor to the Zaire military. Zaire, Military Merit Medal, Operation Shaba I. Shaba I was a conflict in Zaire's Shaba (Katanga) Province lasting from March 8, 1977, to May 26, 1977. The conflict began when the Front for the National Liberation of the Congo (FNLC), a group of about 2,000 Katangan Congolese soldiers (veterans of the Congo Crisis, the Angolan War of Independence, and the Angolan Civil War) crossed the border into Shaba from Angola. The FNLC made quick progress through the region, due to sympathizing locals and to the disorganization of the Zairian military (Forces Arm?es Za?roises, or FAZ). Traveling east from Zaire's border with Angola, the rebels reached Mutshatsha, a small town near to the key mining town of Kolwezi.

President Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire accused Angola, East Germany, Cuba, and the Soviet Union of sponsoring the rebels. Motivated by anti-Communism and by economic interests, the Western Bloc and China sent assistance to support the Mobutu regime. The most significant intervention, orchestrated by the Safari Club, featured a French airlift of Moroccan troops into the war zone. This intervention turned the tide of the conflict. U.S. President Jimmy Carter approved the shipment of supplies to Zaire, but refused to send weapons or troops and maintained that there was no evidence of Cuban involvement  read more

Code: 21688

Medal for the Liberation of Kuwait, 1991, Wisam al-Tahrir al-Kuwait, AH1411

Circular bronze medal with laterally-pierced ball for ribbon suspension; the face with a map of Kuwait imposed on the Bahraini flag, a flaming sun above left, a winged ribbon rising like a whirlwind from the Kuwait Towers, an inscription in Arab characters above right and below; the reverse with the crowned emblem of Bahrain, palm leaves to either side, an inscription in Arab characters above and below; on original ribbon with brooch bar mounted with pin for wear. The medal was instituted by Emir Isa bin Salman al Khalifa in 1991 to be awarded to members of Bahrain's military who served during the First Gulf War. Although Bahrain was the main naval base for Coalition forces and a major base for air operations, the number of its military was relatively small. A good example.  read more

Code: 21687

Framed Original Photo of His Majesty's Airship R100,

His Majesty's Airship R100, known simply as R100, was a privately designed and built British rigid airship made as part of a two-ship competition to develop a commercial airship service for use on British Empire routes as part of the Imperial Airship Scheme. The other airship, the R101, was built by the British Air Ministry, but both airships were funded by the Government.

R100 was built by the Airship Guarantee Company, a specially created subsidiary of the armaments firm Vickers-Armstrongs, led by Commander Dennis Burney. The design team was headed by Barnes Wallis, later famous for his invention of the bouncing bomb and Knighted by the King. David Hawkins Senior, formerly of our family business, was Sir Barnes Wallis's bodyguard during his time that he served in the RAF. The design team also included Nevil Shute Norway as the senior stress engineer.

R100 first flew in December 1929. It made a series of trial flights and a successful return crossing of the Atlantic in July?August 1930, but following the crash of R101 in October 1930 the Imperial Airship Scheme was terminated and R100 was broken up for scrap. We show [for illustration only] a photo R100 over Canadian Bank of Commerce building in Toronto, Canada, then the highest building in the British Empire (August 1930).  read more

Code: 21487

Original Mounted Photograph of HM Airship Parseval PL18 In 1913

Photographed at Farnboro. Maiden flight: 23. April 1913
1913 delivered to the English Navy, under the marking "Parseval No.4". The Royal Navy described its service as very successful
Length: 80 m; diameter: 15 m; volume: 8800 m?.
Power plant: 2x 132 kW (180 PS) Maybach-engines, max speed 68 km/h,
Crew: 2 officers and 7 men. Radio and Weaponry installed
Served during the World War I first with the BEF then on the Western Front as a patrol ship, she was demobilised by the Royal Navy in July 1917. The original mounting card has some foxing but the photo has none and is good. Hand written in pencil on the mount. Dated 1913. Photo 19 x 24 cm, mount size 38 x 30cm  read more

Code: 21484

HMS Ceylon WW2 Tiepin. In Blue and Gilt Enamel

HMS Ceylon was a Crown Colony-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was of the Ceylon sub class, named after the island of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). The cruiser saw service in the Atlantic and Pacific theatres during the Second World War. Built by Stephens at Govan and launched on 30 July 1942, she was completed on 13 July 1943. After two months in the Home Fleet she was transferred to the 4th Cruiser Squadron, with the Eastern Fleet and took part in many carrier raids, bombardments and patrols against Japanese-held territory, including Operations Cockpit, Meridian and Diplomat. In November 1944 she joined the British Pacific Fleet and sailed from Trincomalee on 16 January, taking part in a raid on Pankalan Bradan en route. By May 1945, however, she was back in the Indian Ocean, shelling the Nicobar Islands, and remained in that theatre until the end of the war.  read more

Code: 21418

Royal Indian Army Service Corps Post 1921 Officer`s Cap Badge.

Part of the 7th Armoured Div. in WW2. logistical support of the Indian Army to keep the fighting forces supplied was a specialised activity over the decades and centuries. Original this was the job of the Supply Department and the Transport Departments, but these two units were merged to form the Royal Indian Army Service Corps in 1884. After Indian's independence in 1947 the RIASC became The Indian Army Service Corps.  read more

Code: 21407