Any militaria collectors here??

SpitfireIV

Hi!

Well, as the title says, any militaria collectors here?? I've been collecting bits and pieces over the years, everything from WW2 to curently, 1798, have a few WW1 bits in there too. First thing I bought (a few year back now!) was a second world war German mess tin and the most recent a pattern 1796 Infantry Officers sword :eek:

So, any other collectors out there? Or anyone have any interesting military collectables or curio's??

CroppyBoy1798

Hagar

Please feel free to stick up pics of your treasures for the rest of us to admire.

SpitfireIV

Hi Hagar, I'll get some pics up in the next few days, takes a while to root out all the stuff from there hiding places

Hagar

I look forward to that.

BNC

Lash up some pics there, I'd be interested to see some of the stuff too.

SpitfireIV

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

deise_boi

Wow, very nice collection. I've only recently started collecting and so far I have my late grandfather's LDF helmet from WW2, a WW1 bayonet (which sadly the previous owner did not look after and is quite badly rusted, if anyone knows if there is a chance of saving it please do tell). Also I recently recieved a German ww2 bayonet for a Kar98 and a mess tin from my Uncles father who fought on the German side.
Hopefully there'll be more to come in the near future.

SpitfireIV

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?

kowloon

Cyril in yesteryear (at the top of O'Connell St. near Temple St. Childrens Hospital) has a nice brown bess carbine bayonet with an intact leather scabbard if youre interested, might still be there.

Anyone here looking to part with an Enf. MkIV ?

SpitfireIV

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

kowloon

Cant remember a price.

Yup, looking for a standard issue mark IV service, any common variety.

SpitfireIV

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

Hagar

Gentlemen, I can only assume that you are seeking certified de-activated firearms, as anything else would be in breach of the Charter.

SpitfireIV

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

Hagar

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.

kowloon

I have a habit of mixing mk/no./type etc.
Its not the cadet rifle, i meant the no.4 mkI, a No.5 would be good too, but might look a bit short where i plan on putting it.
Originally i was all set for a large frame Martini Henry but thats not going to happen!

Unfortunately i think you need an importation license for a live weapon regardless of it being de-act'd or not.

kowloon

I remember getting a go with one of the old Irish army Enfields in Gormanstown when i was a kid, i would have snapped one up.

SpitfireIV

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 )

Silvera

I have a small collection of Irish Air Corps patches.
.....plus a few other Irish Emergency Services patches.

kowloon

Hold on to anything you have, dont let it all end up in the States, i was shocked to see the amount of Irish militaria over there brought back by Irish american collectors.

SpitfireIV

Silvera wrote:

I have a small collection of Irish Air Corps patches.
.....plus a few other Irish Emergency Services patches.

Sounds interesting Silvera, any chance of a few pics?

Silvera

I'll see what I can do (got a digital camera recently, havent uploaded pics yet).

You could also look at www.irishmilitaryinsignia.com for pics.

Hagar

Stick it.... here... http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054953030

Clare gunner

CroppyBoy1798 wrote:

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

Correct me if I am wrong.But I thought the Irish Army never proof stamped for acceptance any of their weapons???
BTW is there anyone out there who has an old Irish Army helmet in the German Vickers pattern that they would like to sell/trade?

SpitfireIV

Clare gunner, the first LE's issued to the new 'Free State' army in 1922 were No1 MkI's, these were stamped with an FF inside a circle on the knox form, they continued to stamp there No1 MkIII's up until the start of the second world war, the practice was never carried out on the No4's.

deckycoop

any collectors still active..

kabakuyu

some here http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=1003

Hedgemeister

While I'm not a Militaria Collector, some years ago while re-roofing this old house I found what seems to be an old Pike head.
I was told at the time it was a badly made Thatcher's Needle, but after much research this is not what it is.
The 'object' is about 17" long, a nasty pointed end (roughly hammered into the shape of the business end of the old .303 bayonet)
The other end is hammered flat, mayby so as it would'nt twist in the long stick into which it was inserted?
As there were at least five old 'Smithys' in this village back in the day, it's not beyond the bounds of possibility that one of them had a sideline making Pikes!

Anyway, as I've not (yet) mastered the art of putting pics in this site, maybe a kind Mod would email me and I'll send the pics of this article via email?