Arab exotica

[Mike]

Here's another one I have that was found in a bunker stash (still hung up) ...the flag and sleeve patch are held on by pins as if waiting to be sewn on

[Mike]

#1 Saddam Hitler Youth ...This is the best grouping I've been given so far. I never heard anything about his having a version of the HJ

[Mike]

SADDAM HJ #2

[Mike]

SADDAM HJ #3

Maybe they trained the kids near the Ocean ..that would explain the color ??

[Ed_Haynes]

What a sad sad set of jokes. Some real, most not. But if there is a market . . . .

Edited October 18, 2005 by Ed_Haynes

[Mike]

Hi Ed ...were you ref to the lampshade fringe comment or ..my bad joke about the color of the kids uniform ?

I've collected mostly WW2 German for 40 years and never really paid attention to any relics from other "conflicts" but ...I know that years from now these items will be in demand.

[Mike]

Have you ever seen one of these IRAQI Youth Uniforms before ? I hope you don't think that's a fake

I noticed you edited your post adding "Some real, most not" ..the Officer that gave me the Uniform with the fake Saddam boards told me it was a fake ...every Iraqi item I have was given to me so , no "market" involved , nothing was bought. The 2 Uniforms are not Jahnke repros ..I do think they have added insignia though .

[Ed_Haynes]

While I know little about uniforms, anywhere, not even India (except contemporary), the only one that looks 100% is the kids' one. But that is just an opinion.

[Paul R]

SADDAM HJ #3

Maybe they trained the kids near the Ocean ..that would explain the color ??

That is the most eccentric camo pattern I have seen! Very nice Saddam Youth set!

Paul

[TerryG]

SADDAM HJ #3

Maybe they trained the kids near the Ocean ..that would explain the color ??

I can never understand this sort of colour as camouflage. I have seen this sort of blue uniform (no palm tree..) in the United Arab Emirates also....the sand dunes in the UAE are not blue either so why?

[Mike]

It must have been more of a fashion , or look they were going for rather than a useful camouflage. It's interesting to see how Dictators always seem to pay special attention to the Youth though ! Teach 'em at a young age. I was thrilled to get it !

[Mike]

The funny thing is ..If I had seen this set at a show ..and that poster was not with it , I would have written it off as a repro or fantasy uniform .. It's always the same I guess , the less we know about something , the easier it is to label it as a fake !

[Ed_Haynes]

Yeah, and the youth (Boy Scouts?) uniform seems to me to be the only 100% legitimate uniform here. I would appreciate closeup scans of the medals, if possible, the single one of the second uniform especially. It is on the "Mother of Battles" Medal ribbon, but is not that medal. Medals and ribbons on these uniforms are impossibly random.

Edited October 19, 2005 by Ed_Haynes

[Guest Darrell]

I can never understand this sort of colour as camouflage. I have seen this sort of blue uniform (no palm tree..) in the United Arab Emirates also....the sand dunes in the UAE are not blue either so why?

True ... but guess what color the Canadian Camo outfits were that the soldiers first took with them to Afghanistan? DARK GREEN !!!

I agree with the other comment ... camo type for show only .. not for actual combat useage

[Mike]

Yeah, and the youth (Boy Scouts?) uniform seems to me to be the only 100% legitimate uniform here.

Well Ed ...One thing you can be sure of , I didn't buy them at WalMart

[TerryG]

My Arab (Egyptian?) medal. Can anyone give me an idea of the current value?

[TerryG]

other side.

And what about the Police medal shown in post 50? Any idea of the value please?

Edited October 19, 2005 by TerryG

[Guest Darrell]

Terry, that's a unique one. Any idea from what era or timeframe it was awarded?

[Ed_Haynes]

EGYPT -- Medalyet Falasteen / Palestine Medal

Awarded to Egyptian armed forces personnel who served in the 1948-49 Arab-Israeli War. In 1953, with the revolution, the design of the medal was altered, with the earlier reverse being worn as the obverse of the medal. Established: 1948?, revised ???? Obverse: 36 x 45 mm, bronze, seven-sided, with unequal sides, seeming "off balance" to the left (until 1953). first variety: King Faruq facing left [not, as it has sometimes been described, Nasser!], between the Egyptian parliament building (to the right) and the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem (to the left); above "Medalyet / Falasteen", or "Palestine / Medal". second variety: three soldiers, with civilians gathered around them, dated "1948-1347" or "1948-1347" (the reverse of the pre-1953 variety). Reverse: first variety: three soldiers, with civilians gathered around them, dated "1948-1347" or "1948-1347" (the obverse of the post-1953 variety). second variety: blank. Ribbon: 35 mm, equal stripes (5 mm each) of green, red, yellow, red, green. A brass lotus blossom has been observed worn on ribbon bars representing this medal, though it is unknown what this represents.

-- first variety with the king on the obverse

-- second variety with the old reverse moved to the obverse

Edited October 19, 2005 by Ed_Haynes

[TerryG]

well thank you for that. Any idea of the current value and also the value of the Iraqi Police one shown above?

[Guest Darrell]

Good explanation Ed

[Bob Hunter]

This continues to be a very interesting and exotic thread. Thanks to all and especially Ed.

[Ed_Haynes]

Thanks, Bob. Will add some more.

[Ulsterman]

Same here Ed. Very interesting stuff. Do you have award docs at all?

Any idea as to where to find spare ribbons?

[Ed_Haynes]

Documents? Yes. a few, very few. Will put some up.

Ribbons are now very hard since the major Cairo manufacturer for most of the Arab world went out of business recently (with his death). The OMSA ribbon bank has some limited supplies, the last time I checked.