Any militaria collectors here??

Ok, some pics as requested :


Above (top to bottom): Pattern 1796 Infantry Officers sword; Brown Bess socket bayonet from Ballinahinch (possible 1798 connection); Pattern 1907 SMLE bayonet and scabbard; KAR98 German bayonet 'allegedly' recovered from Russia; home made dagger (possible 1798 connection again).



British '37 pattern binocular case (marked MEC Co 1941) and binoculars; WWII German 6X30 Carl Zeiss binoculars and bakelittle case, these were a bragain buy! £20 in 2001, the things are crystal clear and I still use them, worth a bit of money!



1903 pattern five pocket bandoleer, black to donate artillery use, date marked 1922; very rare 'relic' condition No1 MkII wire cutters to fit on the end of the Lee Enfield rifle, from the first world war.




The medals (left to right); British WWII victory medal (miniture); 1914/15 star; WWI war medal; WWI victory medal; Iron Cross 2nd class; Belgian resistance medal WWII; 56th 'Fighting Irish' lapel badge; 'The Kings Own' cap badge; Royal Military Police cap badge; Irish cavalry badge.



British 'Set L' field telephone, date stamped 1941, still in working condition! Also two shell dressings, marked ' OVELLE LTD, Manufacturing Chemists, DUNDALK'.



British MkI 'Brodie' tin hat, dated 1939 and used by the Irish army in its later life; German Model 1916 Stahlhelm, this one had to be restored, it had been left in the basement of a local pub for years and had gone completely rusty, the only visible remaining finish is on the inside, its refinished in the late 1917/18 camoflauge colours as the most of them were.



The one that started it, WWII German mess tin, a '37 pattern British canteen and a holster(?) dated 1918.



The gasmasks; British civilian gasmask with custom made leather box cover, dated 1938, Danish civilian gasmask with instruction booklet, dated 1940; British army issue gasmask and bag, dated 1938/39.


So there you are, thats the most of it, not pictued is:
Another field telephone 'Set M'
A second Brodie helmet, an American M1 helmet variant, and a British '44 pattern 'victory' helmet.
A pair of Irish army, 1930's brown leather puttees.
Two WW1 artillery brass shell casings
German, post WW2 officers dress jacket and peaked cap.

I think thats it really.......:D

CroppyBoy1798

Cheers Deise_boi, sounds like you have a nice little collection started yourself there, items which you know the background to and have a family connection, which is excellent! and so makes them priceless, non of my stuff has any family connection, so they are just 'items' without a story.

I'd guess the bayonet is probably a P'07 for the SMLE (third bayonet from top in first pic) or the Pattern '13 for the No3 rifle, has it got two groves at an angle on eachside of the wooden handgrip? If so its a P'13. Depends on how bad the rust is, a pic would help, I might be able to provide you with a few links.

CroppyBoy1798

EDIT: just re read your post, I thought the bayonet was from your LDF Granfather too, but its not, is it a British bayonet?

Thanks for the info kowloon, unfortunately I wont be in Dublin again anytime soon so will have to pass on that one. Any idea what the price was just out of interest?

I assume its a No4 Lee Enfield you are looking for? Might be a bit difficult over here, but hey, you find any sources let me know

If you are enquiring make sure you say its a No4 you are looking for, not a Mark IV, the mark IV was the No1 MkIV, better known as the No2 (.22 trainer verson of the No1). The No4, included the following models: MkI, MkI*, Mk2, Mk1/2 and Mk1/3, all were various upgrades on each model during and post war.

Lee Enfield are my thing , complex family of rifles with amazing history and still being used to this day in India, Nepal and Canada!

Check out the link below, might be of interest to you:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054871380&referrerid=59211&highlight=lee+enfield

Of course Hagar, just de-ac's, but they are like gold dust around here, so 'tis just a dream really :rolleyes:

Hagar wrote:

A friend of mine in the 82nd Airborne bought a LE No 4 in the States that the Irish Govt sold off a few years ago. He paid $40 for it fully functional. I hate him.

*DROOLING*.......lucky bugger!! What I wouldnt give for a nice 'FF' marked No1 (Wouldnt pass up a No4 either for that matter )