An Excellent WW2 Free Dutch Navy, Royal Netherland Navy Submarine Captain's Dress Belt 1930's Used in WW2

The service dress belt of a RNN submarine commander of the Royal Netherlands 'Free' Navy of WW2. Commander of a RNN U Boat, the Free Dutch Navy Submarine of WW2 HNLMS O 19 (N 54). Capt. Van Dongen. Luitenant ter zee 1e klasse (Lt.Cdr.) Karel van Dongen, RNN 0 19, 3 Jul 1939 till 31 May 1941. On 10 May 1940, the day the Germans invaded the Netherlands, the entire mobilization was proclaimed in the Dutch colony. Most Dutch warships, including the O 19, were used to protect allied merchant ships and to patrol the Indonesian archipelago.
The submarine performed multiple patrols and missions in the Pacific theater of World War II, sinking multiple Japanese vessels, attacking shipping convoys and laying mines.
On 8 July 1945, O 19 was en route to Subic Bay in the Philippines at a speed of 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph) when it struck Ladd Reef in the South China Sea. Unable to pull free of the reef, the crew of O 19 were rescued by USS Cod. To prevent enemy capture, O 19 was scuttled by her crew using explosives, torpedoes and gunfire An example of the of the calibre of WW2 serving officers who were awarded such a highly respected decoration was the heroic Canadian born, Royal Air Force fighter pilot ace RUSSEL, F/O Blair Dalzell, DSO, DFC (C1319) -
Officer, Order of Orange-Nassau with Swords (Netherlands)
Awarded as per London Gazette dated 23 January 1948 and
AFRO 81/48 dated 6 February 1948.

Public Records Office Air 2/9293 has recommendation drafted when he was a Wing Commander: In operational command of No.126 Wing, Royal Air Force, stationed at the aerodrome Volkel from September 1944 until February until April 1945, through his excellent work has greatly contributed to the liberation of the Netherlands. During World War II, the Order of Orange-Nassau was bestowed upon both members of the Netherlands military and members of foreign services who had helped liberate the Netherlands from Nazi Germany occupation, and those who helped liberate the former Dutch colonies in the Pacific. In the modern age, the Orange-Nassau is still the most active military and civil decoration of the Netherlands, and ranks after the Order of the Netherlands Lion. The Order is typically awarded each year on the Queen's official birthday (April 30) The Order is also used to honour foreign princes, ministers, dignitaries and diplomats.
The Dutch Navy at the beginning of the war with Germany in May 1940, consisted of 1 coastal defence ship, 5 cruisers, 9 destroyers, 27 submarines, 4 gun boats, 6 minelayers and other smaller vessels. The Dutch Navy fought in many parts of sea like North Sea, Mediterranean and the Pacific sea where the Dutch navy had to defend the Dutch colonies from the Japanese advance.

Dutch naval forces had a contribution of sinking many enemy vessels, including 2 U-boats and also Japanese and even Italian submarines. But they also suffered many losses during the war, especially their submarine arm. They lost the coastal defence ship Soerabaja, the 3 cruisers De Ruyter, Java and Sumatra, 9 destroyers, 11 submarines and other smaller vessels. According to records the Royal Dutch Navy lost 59 warships during WWII [40%] Awarded to the Commander of a RNN U Boat, the Free Dutch Navy Submarine of WW2 HNMS O 19 (N 54)
Navy The Royal Dutch Navy
Type Submarine
Class O 19
Pennant N 54
Built by Wilton-Feijenoord (Schiedam, Holland)
Ordered
Laid down 15 Jun 1936
Launched 22 Sep 1938
Commissioned 3 Jul 1939
Lost 10 Jul 1945
Loss position 8? 40'N, 111? 40'E. We also havehis service medal group, for sale seperately  read more

Code: 22581

An Exception Adams Pattern Antique 120 Bore Double Bullet Mould

A singularly fine piece in stunning original patina and it's original bluing to the steel sprue-cutter. This would be absolutely perfect for a cased 120 bore Adams revolver lacking it's mould. Also superb piece for collectors of fine English antique revolver accessories. You simply couldn't find a better example.  read more

Code: 17390

Europe’s Leading Original Samurai Sword Specialists

After 50 years personal experience by Mark, since 1971, we are Europe’s leading samurai sword specialists, with hundreds of swords to view and buy online 24/7, or in our store on a personal visit, 6 days a week. In fact we know of no better and varied original samurai sword selection for sale under one roof outside of Japan, or probably, even within it. Hundreds of original pieces up to 800 years old. Whether we are selling to our clients representing museums around the globe, the world’s leading collectors, or simply a first time buyer, we offer our advice and guidance in order to assist and guide the next custodian of a fine Japanese sword, to make the very best choice for them.
Both of the partners of the company have spent literally all of their lives surrounded by objects of history, trained, almost since birth in the arts and history. Supervised and mentored, first by their grandfather, then their father, who left the RAF sometime after the war, to become one of the leading antique exporters and dealers in the entire world. Selling, around the whole world, in today’s equivalent, hundreds of millions of pounds of antiques and works of art. Both Mark and David were incredibly fortunate to be mentored by some of the world’s leading experts within their fields of antiques and militaria. Mark has been a director and partner in the family businesses since 1971, but long before that he was handling and buying swords and flintlocks since he was just seven years old, obviously in a very limited way though, naturally. David, Mark’s younger brother, also started collecting militaria when he was seven, and as you will by now guess, history, antiques and militaria is simply in their blood.  read more

Code: 23792

A Good Original Antique Nickel G &JW Hawksley Gun Case Oil Bottle

19th century Ideal for all kinds of cased pistols or long guns. Excellent condition. 3cm across [at widest] 5.5cm inches high  read more

Code: 17402

A Beautiful Antique African Tribal Art Carved Paddle-Spear Possiblt From The Itsekiri PeopleOr Even Benin

In carved native wood with geometric carving and piercing. This is a dance paddle of the kind used in ceremonies by the Itsekiri people of the Niger delta. The river was at the centre of tribal society and economy – it provided food and transport for the communities who lived in the area. Canoes were an extremely important part of traditional society and so the paddle was an important symbol for prosperity. Local people relied on the river for their quality of life and believed in water spirits. This paddle is decorated with intricate carving and may have been used in ceremonial dances. Alternatively, it may have been made for trading with Europeans as ethnic objects became fashionable possessions. Although African, like Oceanic art it is often infused with ancestral spirits, as well as spirits of water, air and land. These spirits are contacted in ceremonies to ensure fertility, or invoke protection from famine, disease or enemies.

Sometimes these invocations serve extremely practical purposes. There was a ceremony in Papua New Guinea where ancestral spirits were activated in a carved wooden crocodile. Men carrying the crocodile were then led, like people holding a divining rod are led, to the home of a local murderer.
African and Oceanic art is not only made for decoration. It is made to be used as a tool in the culture. In the 20th century, Cubist painters, and especially Surrealists, were moved by the power of Oceanic abstractions, as they were by traditional African art. This wonderful piece would make a stunning additional display of object d’art in any setting, albeit traditional or contemporary  read more

Code: 17934

A Solid Gilt Bronze, Beautiful, Independence of Brunei 1984 Desk Cannon

In fine deluxe gilt finish, a modern representation of a an early Lantaka Cannon and Carriage, bearing the Royal Crest of the Sultan of Brunei. Especially commissioned for the Independence of Brunei in January 1984. Brunei, officially the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace, it is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its coastline with the South China Sea, the country is completely surrounded by the insular Malaysian state of Sarawak. It is separated into two parts by the Sarawak district of Limbang. Brunei is the only sovereign state completely on the island of Borneo; the remainder of the island's territory is divided between the nations of Malaysia and Indonesia.. The government is an absolute monarchy under the Sultan, which implements a combination of English common law and sharia law, as well as direct general Islamic practices.

At the peak of the Bruneian Empire, Sultan Bolkiah (reigned 1485–1528) is alleged to have had control over most regions of Borneo, including modern-day Sarawak and Sabah, as well as the Sulu Archipelago off the northeast tip of Borneo, Seludong (modern-day Manila), and the islands off the northwest tip of Borneo. The maritime state was visited by Spain's Magellan Expedition in 1521 and fought against Spain in the 1578 Castilian War.

During the 19th century, the Bruneian Empire began to decline. The Sultanate ceded Sarawak (Kuching) to James Brooke and installed him as the White Rajah, and it ceded Sabah to the British North Borneo Chartered Company. In 1888, Brunei became a British protectorate and was assigned a British resident as colonial manager in 1906. After the Japanese occupation during World War II, in 1959 a new constitution was written. In 1962, a small armed rebellion against the monarchy was ended with the help of the British.

Brunei gained its independence from the United Kingdom on 1 January 1984. 28cm long  read more

Code: 11497

3 Neolithic Stone Age 'Scraper' Flints around 5000 Years Old

3 Parts of Stone Age Scraper Group. Hand knapped by a Stone Age person in Britain around 5000 years ago, from whole flints to create three scraping tools.
Neolithic, 3rd millennium BC. From the Arthur Halcrow Versage collection, Reigate, Surrey, UK; discovered from Hallard’s Fen, Burwell, Cambridgeshire, in 1969. In the Neolithic period (later stone age) people started to settle down and start farming. At places such as Springfield Lyons, these early settlements have been identified. It was also at this time when stone tools, which up until this point had been purely functional, started to take on a more symbolic meaning. Polished stone axes and other tools that were never used have been found across the county, showing changes in social hierarchy and possibly even the development of religion. The Neolithic also known as the "New Stone Age", the final division of the Stone Age, began about 12,000 years ago when the first development of farming appeared in the Epipalaeolithic Near East, and later in other parts of the world. The division lasted until the transitional period of the Chalcolithic from about 6,500 years ago (4500 BC), marked by the development of metallurgy, leading up to the Bronze Age and Iron Age. In Northern Europe, the Neolithic lasted until about 1700 BC, while in China it extended until 1200 BC. Other parts of the world (the New World) remained in the Neolithic stage of development until European contact.

The Neolithic comprises a progression of behavioral and cultural characteristics and changes, including the use of wild and domestic crops and of domesticated animals.

The term Neolithic derives from the Greek neos and lithos "New Stone Age". The term was coined by Sir John Lubbock in 1865 as a refinement of the three-age system..
 read more

Code: 23773

A King George Vth Die Struck Grenadier Guards Pagri Badge

The front has lost its gilt wash due to polishing, the rear has it remaining.The Regiment, as the Royal Regiment of Foot Guards, was formed in 1656 by King Charles the Second who was then in exile in Bruges, Flanders. It was known as the First Guards, later becoming the First Regiment of Foot Guards, and now bears the title "The First or Grenadier Regiment of Foot Guards" in honour or the defeat of the Grenadiers of the French Imperial Guard at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.
It is the only Regiment in the British Army that has directly gained it's title from the part it played in action. As seen in all of Her Majesty The Queen's ceremonial occasions, such as Changing of The Guard and Trooping the Colour.  read more

Code: 23760

A Superb Victorian London-Scottish Rifle Volunteer Regt. Doublet

In wonderful condition for age, just a few very tiny moth holes, all the original regimental buttons are present. The tunic and buttons were tailored by Hobson & Sons of London, and it bears a makers label and an original old storage label. In 1859 the London Scottish Rifle Volunteers were raised, sponsored by the Highland Society and the Caledonian Society of London, and commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Lord Elcho. The soldiers were given a uniform of homespun cloth known as Hodden Grey to avoid inter-clan rivalry and kilts today are still made of this distinctive material.
During the Boer War, the Regiment supplied contingents of Volunteers who served with the Gordon Highlanders and those links survive still. In 1908 the Volunteer Force ceased to exist and became the Territorial Force. The 7th Middlesex (London Scottish) Volunteer Rifle Corps changed its name to the 14th (County of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (London Scottish).
The 1st Battalion was mobilised on 5 August 1914 and was the first Territorial battalion to go into action against the Germans at Messines, near Ypres on 31 October. The Battalion continued to serve in France and Flanders throughout the War taking part in all the major offensives. The 2nd Battalion served in France, the Balkans and Palestine, while a 3rd Battalion was a Reserve Battalion and supplied drafts to the other two. Two Victoria Crosses and nineteen Distinguished Service Orders were awarded to members of the Regiment. We have a very fine and pristine antique London Scottish regimental silver buckle and belt for sale seperately [website catalogue number 20999]. We show in the gallery a picture of a London Scottish soldier in profile wearing his same doublet from the Zulu War period, holding his Martini Henry MK 1/11 Rifle  read more

Code: 21066

Deutschland Silver Medal 1929 Auf die Erste Weltfahrt des Zeppelin

Germany Medal 1929 On the first world voyage of the Zeppelin.In August 1929 Graf Zeppelin departed for another daring enterprise: a circumnavigation of the globe. The growing popularity of the "giant of the air" made it easy for Eckener to find sponsors. One of these was the American press tycoon William Randolph Hearst, who requested that the tour officially start in Lakehurst. As with the October 1928 flight to New York, Hearst had placed a reporter, Grace Marguerite Hay Drummond-Hay, on board: she therefore became the first woman to circumnavigate the globe by air. From there, Graf Zeppelin flew to Friedrichshafen, then Tokyo, Los Angeles, and back to Lakehurst, in 21 days 5 hours and 31 minutes. Including the initial and final trips between Friedrichshafen and Lakehurst and back, the dirigible had travelled 49,618 kilometres (30,831 mi).
In the following year, Graf Zeppelin undertook trips around Europe, and following a successful tour to Recife, Brazil in May 1930, it was decided to open the first regular transatlantic airship line. This line operated between Frankfurt and Recife, and was later extended to Rio de Janeiro, with a stop in Recife. Despite the beginning of the Great Depression and growing competition from fixed-wing aircraft, LZ 127 transported an increasing volume of passengers and mail across the ocean every year until 1936. The ship made another spectacular voyage in July 1931 when it made a seven-day research trip to the Arctic. This had already been a dream of Count von Zeppelin twenty years earlier, which could not be realised at the time due to the outbreak of war.
Grade: VF-EF, Kratzer, fleckig
Material: Silver
Weight: 19.77 g
Diameter: 36.00 mm
Silbermedaille 1929. (Signatur R).

Vs.: Büste von Graf Zeppelin über den Büsten von Eckener und Dürr
Rs.: Adler n. r., darunter Globus zwischen zwei Sternen
Randpunze: BAYER. HAUPTMÜNZAMT FEINSILBER  read more

Code: 23717