WW2 piece of history - dilemma

MadsL

So a couple of years ago I bought a flight cap with WW2 insignia at the estate sale of a WW2 veteran. I'm not a collector but I'd sold a Navy Commander's hat previously on ebay to very good profit and figured it was worth the $30.

Since the deceased owners name was in the cap I researched his service history, he was a B17 co-pilot who was shot down in 1943 and captured and put into Stalag Luft 111 - if that name sounds familiar it is the POW camp where the events of the Great Escape happened, with a mass escape through the tunnels Tom, Dick and Harry. The timeline puts him in the camp when this happened.

This is very tangible piece of a remarkable period of history for Allied aircrew. When I discovered this, I was saddened that the family chose to clear the house and not keep this symbol of his service. From research I believe his sister is alive but in her nineties and he had no children but does have nieces and nephews and I assume grandnephews/nieces.

My dilemma is if I should attempt to contact the family and return this heirloom to his grandnephews/nieces or ebay it for a few hundred dollars, which would be honestly fun to have, but I don't really need.

Opinions?

SmilesInMass

Sell it to the family?

MadsL

SmilesInMass wrote: »

Sell it to the family?

Icky.

The Backwards Man

Donate it to a museum

MadsL

The Backwards Man wrote: »

Donate it to a museum

It's not really THAT significant, I have no idea if aircrew took caps with them on bombing missions, so there is no evidence it was IN the camp, there are millions of these cap badges.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

I would imagine the family have more mementos than a flight cap and that is why they let it go. My own uncles in WW2 had uniforms, medals, insignia, knives photos diaries etc which we prize.

The Backwards Man

MadsL wrote: »

It's not really THAT significant, I have no idea if aircrew took caps with them on bombing missions, so there is no evidence it was IN the camp, there are millions of these cap badges.

Well, if I had a cap like that it would be going one of three places, the Good As New, the bin, or my head.

kneemos

Wear it when going on holiday's and bring a toy airplane wheel to use in your seat.

SEPT 23 1989

Find his grave and place the flight cap on it

MadsL

The Backwards Man wrote: »

Well, if I had a cap like that it would be going one of three places, the Good As New, the bin, or my head.

The bin?! :eek:

Do you have a soul?

DeadHand

You seem to appreciate and respect the item more than his family who flogged it in the first place.

Maybe it's better off with you.

MadsL

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

Find his grave and place the flight cap on it

Not allowed in military cemetries.

"All items placed on gravesites become the property of the U.S. Government and will be disposed of under Federal Regulations"

Markcheese

Contact family tell them what you think they know - see if they want it - if they confirm your story and want the hat back you get a warm fuzzy feeling - if they confirm your tale and don't want the hat - you know you were right and can keep or sell the hat and story -
If they say feic off weirdo you still have the hat -

kneemos

Jimmy Stewart was a bomber commander.

MadsL

DeadHand wrote: »

You seem to appreciate and respect the item more than his family who flogged it in the first place.

Maybe it's better off with you.

In fairness he seemed to have died alone, his sister's family live a thousand miles away.

LeopoldIII

I'm in the process of trying to buy a military item connected to a family member who died a century ago. If I'm successful I'll pay the going rate for it and I'll be delighted.

Op, try offering to sell it to the family at the going rate. If they are truly interested they will pay the market price. If they are not, sell it on the market. It will more than likely be purchased by a collector who will prize and look after it.

gandalf

DeadHand wrote: »

You seem to appreciate and respect the item more than his family who flogged it in the first place.

Maybe it's better off with you.

This, if they wanted to keep it they shouldn't have sold it off.

That's a great piece of WW2 memorabilia you have, if like me your a WW2 geek you should really hold onto it.

MadsL

gandalf wrote: »

That's a great piece of WW2 memorabilia you have, if like me your a WW2 geek....

<posts link to ebay ad>

;-)

gandalf

MadsL wrote: »

<posts link to ebay ad>

;-)

I'd love to but.....( the wife would kill me!)

In fairness, you don't really know the story behind it. For all you know, it might never have reached his family. I'd still contact his sister and ask what they'd like to do with it. At least then you'd know. Then, personally, I'd look into giving it to a museum and, if they're not interested, just keep it, but at least then you can keep it in the knowledge that you've tried.

Canis Lupus

I'd say sell it. It's just a hat and if someone wants to give you lots of money for it, then better that than it sitting in a box in your house or the sisters house.

Egginacup

No Americans were involved in the escape plot anyway. Likely he was just sat in a hut oblivious to what was going on in the Brit camp.

ohnonotgmail

Egginacup wrote: »

No Americans were involved in the escape plot anyway. Likely he was just sat in a hut oblivious to what was going on in the Brit camp.

you are forgetting about Steve McQueen my friend.

whisky_galore

Try family first, then a (relevant) museum.

After that if you don't really want to hang onto it and no takers, probably someone who's genuinely interested in it and will look after it.

Dr Crippen

Why not keep it, maybe set up a blog or website and highlight his time as a soldier during the war. It would be a nice way to commemorate him and keep his memory alive?

kowloon

Families will usually take these things if you offer them back, but you might just see it back up on eBay. Sell it yourself, it's most likely the person willing to pay for it cares about the history behind it. Write down what you know about it and pass it on to the new owner.

jmayo

kneemos wrote: »

Jimmy Stewart was a bomber commander.

And he actually went to great effort to firstly join up and then to see operational duty.
In fact if anything he was damm brave unlike some other Hollywood actors who stayed at home to "take on" the Germans, Japanese, and later would of course "fight" the Vietnamese.

Anyway I think the OP should hang on to the cap.
If the family were interested then they would already know the guys war history and have hung on to some of his stuff.

ohnonotgmail

jmayo wrote: »

And he actually went to great effort to firstly join up and then to see operational duty.
In fact if anything he was damm brave unlike some other Hollywood actors who stayed at home to "take on" the Germans, Japanese, and later would of course "fight" the Vietnamese.

Anyway I think the OP should hang on to the cap.
If the family were interested then they would already know the guys war history and have hung on to some of his stuff.

subtle, really subtle.

lazybones32

Give the family the offer of 'first refusal'. Send an e-mail, outlining how you have blah, blah, blah and it will be going to public auction whenever.