Brian Wolfe

Hello Everyone, What to do on your vacation? Go to a Military Muesem...what else? While at the Canadian Military Heritage Museum in Brantford Ontario today I snapped photos of some of their displays. I can see now that I need a better camera as the flash is not strong enough for anything that is too large or too far away, especially in poor indoor lighting. There were several full sized WW I planes suspended from the ceiling that I could not capture on "film" due to the small flash. Since the museum is only a few miles away I will return when I have a better camera. These are some photos of the Studebaker M29C Weasel that they have on display. I photographed the sign but it was too small to read in a post so here is a short history. On D-day the M29 Weasel was the first vehicle to land on Omaha beach, Normandy, only 30 minutes after the invasion began. These vehicles started into production in 1942 and continued to be manufactured until the end of WW II. After WW II the vehicle saw service in Korea and in the French Army as the "Le Crabee". The photo shows the M29C. These vehicles were designed for light airborne, patrol and amphibian roles (after some modifications). Here's some specs. Engine: Studebaker 6-170 Champion, water cooled, gas, 6 cylinder, 65hp/3600rpm. Transmission: 3 speed gear box plus a secondary 2 speed reducing gear box. Length: 320.04 cm Width: 167.64 cm Height: 180.34 cm Weight: 1,800 Kg Service Weight: 2,584 Kg Crew: 4 Driving: rear half-axle braking, mechanical wet brakes Max. Speed: 58 Km/hr Fuel Capacity: 132 L (35 gal.) As you can see the one in the museum is ready for winter use. I hope you like this cool weasel. Cheers Brian

I just got back from visiting a Military Museum and thought I'd seen some great specimens but your Broomhandle with the wooden shoulder stock/holster AND the leather harness WITH tools!!!!!!!!!!! FANTASTIC! Thanks for making my day! Cheers Brian

Hi Kjell, I really like your collection especially the 1896 "Red 9 Broomhandle" Mauser. That and the Luger are sweet handguns. I think it's funny that the Broomhandle style is still used in movies like Star Wars with odds and ends attached to reresent a futuristic weapon when it actually came out at the end of the 1800s. Thanks for an interesting post. Cheers Brian

Here's the Type 30 Arisaka rifle for comparision. I'll keep looking for that arsenal mark. Perhaps there are members who know a lot more about Japanese riles who read this post. I am wondering if the Japanese sold Arisaka rifles to any other countries and the mark may have been put on those bayonets. I'm "fishing" now. Cheers Brian

Hi Kjell, I'm not sure the Type "I" (I-shiki shoju) was actually a type of Arisaka or not. I have attached a photo of one from the book Japanese Bayonets by Larry Johnson. The Type "I" is actually longer than the photo shows. I've also included a photo of the Type 30 Arisaka Rife (Sanju nenshiki shoju) for compairison. I no longer collect firearms and all of the Japanese rifles and bayonets went with the first wife's departure. She didn't see any value in books (illiterate b--ch!) so I still have my reference material. I know this has nothing to do with your post but I wanted to clear up the question of the Type "I". Cheers Brian

Today is Civic Holiday here in Ontario and my wife wanted me to do some gardening. I said I would get to it right after checking out the GMIC posts. Naturally I am checking out EVERY post, even those I wouldn't normally open (anything to put of working on a holiday ). I am glad I took the time. A very nice post indeed. Good thing, for me, the prices have jumped so high otherwise I would be very tempted to collect this area. Thanks for the original post, Dave and thanks for giving it a "bump" Ed. Now the boss says I have put off gardening long enough! Better get at it. Cheers Brian

Your title "When you get bored" sure dosen't apply to the viewer! These are great, very nice work. Cheers Brian

What a magnificent collection. Thanks for posting them, truly top notch. Cheers Brian

Hello Kjell, You certianly have a mystery there. I have several volumes on bayonets in my collection (bayonets were all sold). I know that the Japanese Type "I" rifle was maufactured in Italy (I-shiki shoju) so I started to go through my books and notes looking for any evidence that the Arisaka Type 30 bayonet had like-wise also been "farmed out". I can find no evidence of this. The mark on your bayonet does not exactly match up to any arsenal marks on either Japanese bayonets of swords that I can find. The closest I can find is the Nagoya Arsenal diamond-shaped mark but they didn't use Western numbers to my knowledge. I'll keep searching my records. Perhaps if this post can be kept "alive" for a while longer one of the other members will see it an be able to help. Good luck. Cheers Brian

Thanks Lorenzo, The "carrier" I mention is the Universar Carrier MK I & II sometimes called the Bren Gun Carrier. You would have liked a Military Museum I "tried" to visit a few weeks ago. It is about 2 1/2 hours from where I life and they have several tracked vehicles rebuilt. I say "tried" because the fellow I was to meet for the tour took ill and I had to be satisfied with some photos of the tanks that were on display outside of the museum. I burned them to a CD but I'm not sure how to post them on the forum from the CD. When I figure it out I intend to post them. Cheers Brian

Hello Lorenzo, I do have a few more picture in my collection. I am working on a history about my wife's uncle who was killed just after D-day while driving a carrier. I have been trying to make my posts a bit more interesting by adding history with the post. The story of my wife's uncle is still a work in progress and I'll post it when it is finished. Here's the "interesting" part of the post. We have a battle field find of a Universal Carrier track that was found in the actual area where he was killed! A letter from his CO stated his carrier took a direct hit. Whether this was from a tank or not there is no way of telling and whether the track section we have was from his carrier or not is also unknown. Cheers Brian

Hi Marc, Thanks for the correction, I missed that as did several other members. I'll be more careful in the future. Cheers Brian

I purchased the item that way. Don't need to blow myself up tinkering with live rounds. In the 1960s and early 70s there were live grenades and artillery rounds on the market but that, I hope, is a thing of the past here in Canada. Cheers Brian

This is a very interesting project and topic. I've only seen a few photos of these torpedos so I can imagine it has already been a lot of work just to get your measurements. Please be sure to keep us posted as you progress. Cheers Brian

Hi James, I too do not wish to belabour these points and it is a shame that what started out as a great post soon got due to differing policial and "historical" views. History for the most part is what others tell us it is. Who can say what is and is not truth? It all a matter of what you believe. I will never be an expert on anything because I've managed to live long enough to realize that I actually know nothing for a fact. I may accept things as fact but that is not to say they are the truth of the matter. It's all a little frustrating if you are searching for the truth. At times I feel that opinions are welcomed here if they echo popular opinion, and by that I mean the opinion of the masses (or membership) and that anything that varies from that commonly held opinion is to be rooted out and quashed. Perhaps no political opinions or comments should be allowed on the forum whatsoever. The title of the forum is, after all, the "Gentleman's Military Interest Club", with a sub title of, "For the serious collector of military history". If we are in search of history, that being accurate and truthful history, we need to look at and hear other views without resorting to name calling and badgering other members. Oh yes, Nazis evil, our side good and cowboys good and Indians bad...oh wait, according to my First Nations brothers that has now changed. It's all a matter of points of view. Using the First Nations' point, the unpopular point of view in the first half of the century was pretty clear. Check out most period Westerns at the cinema. It took several years if not decades of voicing a differing opinion based on fact for the stereo type to be overturned. Again this is just an observation based on fact...oh wait...facts as I hold them to be true. It's all a bit confusing for my only-one-coffee-this-morning brain. Cheers Brian

Yes, it's a postcard. I think it is common one as others are available on ebay quite often. Cheers Brian

Thanks everyone. It's not often "little" brother does good, but he came through this time. Cheers Brian

Here's the back. Not much to look at unless you really like red. I don't feel too worried about this mount since it will stay with me for as long as I collect (the rest of my life) and never be on the market. When I am gone and the group passes along to another I can only hope it is truly an original group. Cheers and thanks for taking a look. Brian

Hello Everyone, Here is a group of medals I have just finished court mounting that comes with a story. My brother was in China for six months and offered to bring back some Chinese medals for me. I was advised that he would probably only find fakes and I should tell him to save his time and my money. I passed this along and he understood. While there he had the chance to purchase this group of Pakistan medal and thanks to his new wife, who will never pay the the asking price, he got them for around $2.50. He was told "all same" by the vendor when he asked about the medals. Did this mean that they all came from Pakistan or from the same soldier? Who knows. He purchased them thinking there were two sets. In fact they are one set, provided they belong together at all. I would not have purchased them myself but since it was a gift and one is named I decided to court mount them. The group is (or may be) named to: 1312395 SPR. MUHAMMAD IQBAL, ENGINEERS The group consists of: Tamgha-i-Diffa Medal with the Rann of Kutch clasp Istar-i-Herb 1385/1965 War Star (named) Istar-i-Herb 1971/War Star 1385 Tamgha-i-Jang/1965 War Medal Tamgha-i-Jang/1971 War Medal Wiladat-i-Quaid-i-Azam Medal Hijri Medal I hope you like it as much as I do. Cheers Brian

Here's the address of the "body" the letter was sent to. I know it was a bad joke. Cheers Brian

Here's the body of the letter. Brian

Hello Everyone, A great deal has been written about the events leading to the Great War, even more on the battles and those who fought them. There are volumes on the events caused by the Treaty of Versailles that led to the Second World War. However, there seems to be little written about the immediate aftermath of WWI. What about the occupation of Germany following the war? Perhaps because there was no Cold War, Iron Curtain or Berlin War as followed WW II to generate numerous spy novels and movies that the occupation following WWI became just a footnote in history. Perhaps it was because this was the war to end all wars that anything after the fact was hardly worth noting. The photo postcard I just purchased shows a German Regiment in Paradeaufstellung (on line traslator has this as meaning "Parade List") at Wahn Rhld. which I believe is in Westphalia. The Pickelhauben can just be made out under high magnification. On the back of the postcard is printed "143711 Verlag von [Publishing House of] Fritz Schneider, Wahn, Rhld. 1910". I guess this must not have been a good seller as it was not purchased until 8 years after it was taken and then by a Canadian soldier. The card was sent to a young lady (Miss.) living near Terra Cotta Ontario, Canada. This is North West of the City of Toronto, Ontario. The soldier named, "Archie" writes, "This was a German Regiment on parade. We now occupy their parade grounds." the card was posted from Wahn. It's not a document of great historical importance but it is the only piece of memorabilia in my collection from what I believe is the occupation of German. Strange that the title on the face of the postcard is partially in English, though it was taken during the post war era (1910) when there may have been tourists from the U.K. in Germany. Do any of the members have any thoughts about this? Cheers Brian

Very nce collection Hugh, something I have seen little of but enjoy immensely. Thanks for posting them. Cheers Brian

Hi James, It was probably NOT recommended for the King to travel during this time period, given what a prime "target" he would make. The trip to Canada and Newfoundland and probably the United States was likely as much political as anything. By that I mean it was prudent to "remind" us whose side we were on, not if but, when war broke out. That's not a slam at the Monarchy by any means nor a slight towards India, however, the need for American and Canadian support out weighed the risks, I think. I've never heard the general opinion from India or Indians of that generation regarding the Monarchy of those times. I would be interested in their points of view. I'm sure it would differ from ours. I hope this is not taken as fuel for a topic that will be closed because it is too hot for the forum, it's just my thoughts on the subject, random and unorganized as my thoughts usually are. Cheers Brian

I'm asking. Thanks for a great post Ed. Cheers Brian