grimble-nibitz

You're all very kind, I love it too, he was there when history was made, and unlike 'minty' crap, it has a story to tell beyond being well stored and unused...I am not chasing the other stuff, a good friend has part of it, and the rest went to the woodrow wilson library...so there's nowhere to go. I am happy with that I have though.

He was named Harold R. Madsen of Wilkes Barre, PA, near where I got it.

Here's the paperwork, I LOVE that its taken still in April of 45, before the end of the war, not a postwar pickup piece but during combat...I wish I knew where he got it.

I have shown my age by thinking I had to do thumbnail shots...

A trunk from his Massachusetts Militia days, all sorts of invitations and paper souvenirs, lots of earlier family stuff, several studio portraits, and a letter to his Dad from 1898, when he was a child, demanding to be allowed to join the US Navy and help defeat the wicked Spanish. Also his medals, some other insignia, a full tan cotton uniform and more...its a nice lot. It fits into the trunk perfectly, so I guess if I had gotten the rest, I would have had a problem...fate set me up just right.

Oddly, the only full uniform I have had was to the Polish Engineers also...same red piping, but a visorless cap, I will attach a photo of it, sadly, this uniform went away, and paid for my Kitchen...you gotta eat, you know?

Its rare, occasionally the central part is cut out and worn as a shoulder patch, I have seen a "hello girl" telephone operator uniform done this way, but its really supposed to be an armband.

I have about a third of this man's material, sadly it was all sold off piecemeal some time ago. I did my best chasing it all and did OK. In his trunk are all his letters detailing his time with Wilson, especially during the 1918-19 winter tour Wilson took of Italy, Belgium and the UK, meeting Albert and George V in the process. The peace conference armband is nearly mint, and came with a note as to the day he got it. There is even a Pathe film online of this officer, in this uniform, giving Wilson a Belgian battlefield tour, and his letters bear this out. He saw almost no action in WWI with the 71st Coast Artillery, but was politically and socially connected and got this very desirable assignment from his friend, the grandson of the late President Garfield, also a CA officer.

I have had hats directly from estates from WWI (1916 era hats being the same) with varying rows of stitching, or no stitching at all, there seems to be no rhyme or reason, especially when private purchase material is added into the mix. I find that nearly all WWI era campaign hats, excepting some Stetson makes, have a pebbled sweatband like this. Most 20's versions do not. There may be a depot stamp on the back of the sweatband but they do tend to fall out pretty easily...check it carefully?

It's show and tell for my hats, and this poor puppy, mothed, dirty from use and wear, has such character that I have always kept it. It was bought for me in the UK by a close friend, who got to the militaria show late...this hat was deemed so trashed by the south-east UK collector community that no one would even ask about it. So it became a gift, the shoulder strap was something that came in a large collection and is, I believe, correct for this piece of headgear, at least the piping is the same and the Karl cypher dates it to the same late war period. Yes, dirty and beat up, but likely worn high up in the mountains while fighting one of the numerous battles with Italy...it has a good story.

I've been putting some of my old buddies out there for show and tell lately, and this one is one of the scarcest caps I have owned. Its a Haller's Army Polish Legion era cap, gray wool instead of the horizon blue French stuff, piped red for engineers I think, and the owner has painted over part of a German WWI cockade in Polish colors and added it to the cap just above the eagle. The hat is pretty well chewed up, sadly, but so rare that I don't care.

Is this better? I was not sure how large I could make the images, not the problem is used to be I guess!

Not that many caps in my collection, maybe 40 pieces, and of all nations and all eras until WWII. This is one of the newest caps I own, but its so scarce I could not bear to sell it right off before I had some fun with it. Thanks for the compliments, I wish I could say I made it, but at best we are discoverers and as such I will claim some small glory. I'll try to get some higher res images of this sometime soon, not sure where I put the originals of these smaller pics. I will try though. Glad someone else there sees the fun in it. Did not know that about Luft Air Traffic...that has to be very scarce, actually scarcer than this puppy.

I don't like buying this kind of stuff at shows...it has to come from a good source, a housecall or one step away from one...so I have not had one of these. It must be the rarest of the line pipings...I have seen small field caps but not one of these. When you see that true true lime green, no amount of faded administration, light colored mountain troop and highlightered-infantry caps stand up. What a wild color! The hat came with the capture papers noting "German officer hat", and a gun which I sadly did not get...its heavy rough wool, liner appears to be striped sleeve lining, and visor is white underneath...late war gray metal insignia, and a glazed PAPER chinstrap and sweatband...not made in German I bet...France? Italy? I thought the hat addicts on here might find this cutie worth a look!

I assume this to be a sleeve shield, where exactly was it worn? Seems like more than a marksman award, was it given during maneuvers like those big pre-war ones? THANK YOU, its been driving me bats.

It kills me that I have seen this in books and have no recollection what it is...its almost 5 inches tall, high grade manufacture, blue wool with metal backing plate like a WWII arm shield award...much in this estate lot was Bavarian and Wurttemberg...am I close?

This came in a lot of early British militaria here in Western Pennslyvania, USA. Its 3 inches tall and is pretty heavy, hand engraved lettering to front, if this was antique jewelry I would date it to 1870 considering the pin style and rat tail open catch...is this a kilt or sash pin, and if so, can anyone tell me its age and rarity, or even value? I cannot find ANYTHING online about this thing and have owned it long enough to be sick to death of my own ignorance about it! Thanks to those whose time has been spent acquiring answers to our questions!

I posted this in the German area, perhaps by mistake, sorry! Does anyone know what this piece is? Its the size of a US half dollar plus a bit, its heavier than aluminum, and seems to be Kriegsmarine, nautical in nature...perhaps a logo fromn S-Boat unit? No info on this seems to be online...this came from a WWII POW veterans lot here in the US, along with other nazi era material and his POW camp material (Stalag VII/A) Thank you in advance for any help or direction you may be able to give...because I am lost on this one. THX!

This strikes me as a naval piece, its the size of a half dollar plus a bit, heavier than aluminum, and came with a lot of material from an 8th AF sgt. who was a POW at stalag VII/a. Does anyone know what this is, or what it means? Not in any books and not online, at least where I am looking. Any help is much appreciated, and thanks in advance!

Fine observation, and the right spirit. Sadly, the warts at the end might mean its too late for him...!

From a comprehensive album of the activities of the 2nd Co, Pioneer Regiment 25, comes this partial image...they look so new and unblemished...a nice bit of proof as to what these little doggies looked like, not the humped up ones seen so often at militaria fairs and 'bourses' in the US, UK and the former ETO. These guys made everything from machine gun swivel tracks to trench duckboards, and much more...I hope this is appreciated, its a very unusual shot!

Local estate find...I cannot find ANYTHING about what this is...the cannister is painted tin, just for shipping and not a heavy shell...sleeve lid missing. Rope piece is on a threaded ring that unscrews allowing access to another rope inside the shell (?) which would be hard to pull out, its down there a bit. Engine turned threading on the bottom part, very sharp...not heavy...what the HECK is this? Partial japanese label on the army painted tin sleeve...which has a bump guard in bottom to keep whatever is inside from slamming into the end...totally stumped! Advance thanks for mystery solving!

Can I ask what reference you have used, as I am quite interested to know.

Thank you so much for the specific information, I appreciate your time...GN

Thanks for your help, I will look forward to your information!