Bob Lyons

and a few more shots..... Best wishes Bob

Hi John My new Schellenbaum banner is now gracing my collection. I am very thankful to Bill Rannow in the US for allowing me to be the new owner of this beauty, for Luftflotte 3... Bob

Thanks John. I have actually just moved this one to Bill Shea (it was once in his personal collection), and has gone back home again ! I have another one which I will post some photos of shortly, slightly better condition than this one, and a rare unit designation. Cheers Bob

Mervyn, You would be entitled to the National Service Medal, and the Australian Defence Medal I think. You should apply for them, they will give you a nice little reminder of your time here in Oz way back when.... Cheers Bob

The one on the left is a smoke grenade, grooves in the stick so it can be identified more easily (at night).. Bob

Side by side....

Thanks Paul, Here is another one with trapezoid insignia, this one is the type more commonly encountered, the private purchase type of M43 cap, although finding one with trapezoid insignia is still difficult... Bob

Hi Paul, No, factory made as an officer M43 cap, which is what makes it rare. Bob

Very nice Robin, I remember visiting the only A7V survivor in the Brisbane Science Museum some years back, nice to know that it survived the scrap yard, and is now a very rare Panzer indeed. Bob

I love the heavy embroidery that has gone into the making of this vehicle pennant. Sadly no history with the pennant, just a nice remnant from a dark past..... Bob

And a nice kettle drum skirt for flight section as well..... Bob

I would lkke to present a nice flight trumpet banner for the city of Werl, where Field Marshal Albert Kesselring was imprisoned postwar for war crimes. During the war there was a reasonable Luftwaffe presence there..... Bob

Thanks Larry. Bob

Hi all, I thought I would share some photos of a fairly rare cloth cap. Thgis one is a standard Luftwaffe officer visor cap, they are fairly hard to find with the trapezoid insignia, but this one is a rare one, in that it is a factory produced M43 cap, with full RB number. Normally these caps were privately produced. Bob

Hope this helps, from the internet... Bob The Australian Imperial Force (AIF) was the name given to all-volunteer Australian Army forces dispatched to fight overseas during World War I and World War II. First Australian Imperial Force (1914–18) Second Australian Imperial Force (1939–45) Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the Commonwealth Military Forces were formed with a small regular army and a larger component of reservists in the Citizens Military Force (CMF). The CMF could not be deployed overseas, so the AIFs were formed in 1914 and 1939 respectively to provide troops for overseas service. The two AIFs are distinguished by referring to the World War I contingent as the "1st AIF", and the World War II contingent as the "2nd AIF". During World War I, the Australian Flying Corps, the precursor of the Royal Australian Air Force, was part of the 1st AIF. Members of the First AIF went on to serve in the Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War from 1917 to 1920 and many Australian First World War Memorials are to the Great War of 1914 to 1919 in recognition of this service. The modern regular Australian Army was established in 1947 and its soldiers can be deployed anywhere in the world. Theatres where they have served include Korea, Malaya, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, various Pacific nations, Afghanistan and Iraq.

A nice shot of the flags in use during a parade.... Bob

A current photo of some of the barracks still standing at Uetersen.... Bob

Hi Chris, It was once there, I believe the museum has re-located to Berlin, and from what I have heard, most of the items that were on display are now stored away, and the museum is a shadow of what it was when it was at Uetersen. Bob

And a great contact in Germany (thanks to Frank Q) sent me these photos, also from Uetersen, showing the actual Schellenbaum banner in use..... Bob

Hi all, I posted this one up a little while back, and recently had some very nice photos shown to me of this very banner in use. First up, some shots of the Schellenbaum banner again... Bob

A couple more shots, the Kremlin display is a photo I found on the internet, and a nice shot of the victory parade. Bob

Hi all, I managed to swing a deal recently and was able to introduce this Regimental Infantry flag to a corner of my collecting room. This particular flag came out of Russia in 1989-90, and was one of a very few that were sold off by the Russians to fund some renovations to their war museum in Moscow. I believe about 200 flags were captured in 1945, including a lot of Imperial flags, and somwhere around 50 to 60 Infantry flags were also amongst the haul. My example has been cut from the pole, it has some stains, a couple of small tears, but to me it tells a story. I don't know the unit, as the info from the unit would have been with the pole, and that has been lost to time. I have heard that these flags took around 3 to 4 months of work to complete. Background is pure silk with bullion and heavy cotton embroidery. Any extra information on the flags caputred by the Russians greatly appreciated. Best wishes Bob