Chris Liontas

amazing pieces!

Do you have any problems with dust or age to the oils? Is there any maintenance you need to do with the fabric itself?

The mask, Percy could not talk about how he got this, only the situation in general terms. Gas still haunted him until his dieing day

Container

A small item but poignant in it's history. This was captured in the heavy fighting of the Oise-Aisne offensive, where the US 32nd Division earned the name, "Les Terribles". Percy Totten, of F company, 126th Infantry, 32nd Division was in the vanguard of the fighting. After a heavy allied barrage on the German trenches, the 126th attacked and gained the trench line. With bullets wizzing by him, Percy rolled into the trench, as he described, "filled with German dead". During a rest in the trench, Percy took this gas mask, before F company advanced. The original owner, who got this from Percy, tells me he was always haunted by remembering this. He did not sleep remembering the dead piled in the trenches.

The mask is named. I wish I could trace his name. Unlike the helmet, which had both individuals surviving the war....this story is different. It reminds me of the cost of the items we collect. The German died, and lost his future. Percy was haunted, and dammed to no rest in his survival. This to me shows the massive cost of human conflict

And an unlikey place to find it... 2 US WW1 Helmets... does anyone know why :-) ?

NICE!!!!

I know it was a huge source of pride to the Doughboy's to have "succeded" where the French of 1916 did not. Although the Argonne was a far cry from Verdun of 1916. They seem, in diarys, to not differentiate between the two.

Those helmets are amazing!!!

so....you dont want me to show you the gas mask from the Oise-Aisne offensive :)

Inside shot. It is nice to know that both the wearer, and the taker of the helmet survived the Argonne.

other shots of the helmet

There are vast amounts of captured German, both WWI and WWII items floating around in collections. You see doughboy groups with items in them, but rarely do I ever find one with a history behind the captured item in question. I was lucky enough to find this helmet, and get the story behind it. The helmet was given to the collector I received it from by the Doughboy himself. Percy Totten was a member of F company, 126th Infantry, US 32nd Division. The 126th Infantry was originally made up of men from Michigan, as was the 125th Infantry. Percy was in every major engagement of the 32nd division.

Right before the armistice was signed, Percy was ordered on a Trench Raid. This would have been around early November. The 32nd division was brought out of the Argonne Offensive in October for rest. Then it was ordered to support the 5th Division. The 126th Infantry was in support at this point, of the 128th Infantry who was in contact with the Germans. Percy's platoon, was ordered to get prisoners to see what the German's were doing. (Headquarters had originally thought the Germans at this time were pulling back, and sent the 128th Infantry into an ambush.) They took three prisoners on the raid, and Percy was assigned to take them to headquarters. On the way, he took this helmet off a German trooper, and sent it home to his mother. You can still see where the postage stamp was placed.

The helmet is a nice brown, black bordered cammo pattern. I am attempting to figure out what German unit this might have come from. It would have been situated to the right of the 5th Division. Anyone have any ideas?

The photo below is of Percy himself, just returned to Brooklyn Michigan after occupation duties in Germany.

Fantastic! And you bought a proper flash as well ! ;-)

rofl!!! Nice of you to notice! I DID just buy a new camera AND a flash

Still looking foward to that beer in Germany. :)

last. The roundel is from a American SPAD

Another shot, again all named to the 32nd division, names coming tomarrow

A few new shots. All tunics are named to their owners of the US 32nd Division.

Hi, Chris

The group is leaving the country after all, to someone who feels US aces' groups are undervalued next to UK or German groups--one of the themes of our heated debate!

I'm happy with my price, which is close to what I wanted after stripping out high price commissions. This knowledgeable collector has already pointed out a few things about Swaab I did not know, so it's found a good home--closer to Swaab's old hunting grounds.

Rgds

I'm very happy you sold it! That is excellent! I am sorry agian if my post was inflamitory, it was not meant to be. When I post, I always assume people know what I am saying, without me having to tell them what I am thinking. My posts are always messed up like this, and my meaning comes off wrong. I am sorry about that.

Very happy you sold the group! :)

Let me send his name to a few of the guys that run "The Aerodrome" form. They have lists of German aviators that were not destroied in allied bomb raids in WWII. They might have him. That is a beautiful tunic. Very rare.

Nice uniforms showed here. It's not my collection area but i own to nice WW1 unifoms.

Here the first.

Ulanka M10 from Ulanen Reg. Nr 11 to an Lt. who later changed to air service.

Not the best presentation, sorry.

Regards Alex

Wow Alex!! That is an amazing tunic!! Is it named? Any history with it?

Wow!! What a nice piece!! Any history on who made it, and how it was presented??

So, I am glad I crack you up!!

How did that auction go??

very nice helmet and cover Chris! Looks in great overall shape too! A very nice find!

Rhw high collar looks like velvet. Engineer or Artillery?

Here is a good combat uniform. Uniform of CPL Walter Francis Miller, of Portage, WI. Enlisted in Wisconsin National Guard in 1916, after Mexican expidition was incorperated into Co F, 128th Infantry during WWI. Served in the 64th Brigade, 32nd Division until 8 Octover 1918. On that date, the 64th Brigade was in support of the 63rd Brigade (32nd division) to crack the Krimhilde Stellung. CPL Miller was hit by German Artillery fire. His wounds being such, he did not rejoin the division until after the Argonne offensive.

If anyone would have Austrian uniforms, I am betting it would be Sergio Seminio. He comes upon the most rare items I have ever seen from WWI and before.

He does not speak English, but usually with small translations, he gets what you are trying to say

http://www.kunst-und-militaria.de/

amazing as always Chris!

Waffen SS M-35dd, Q64. Helmet has been painted a total of four times; when initially factory issued, a black repaint with new decals, a green repaint with new decals followed by another green repaint with Pocher decals.

The helmet was liberated from Dachau by Col. Paul Roy who supervised inmate rehabilitation at the camp and comes with a scrap book containing a four-page press release and interview by the Voice of America along with a dozen large photos of the camp and a scene of retribution. A chilling reminder indeed.

The helmet has been in some very high-powered collections but now resides in my humble little gathering, and, is featured in Kelly Hicks latest work "SS-Steel". While not my best condition SS helmet it is without doubt my favorite SS helmet.

Hope you enjoy,

Cody

Wow Cody, to have a documented helmet like this is amazing. I have rarely seen such nice documentation to come out of German helmets from the III Reich era.

If this isnt your best.....well lets see it!! :lol:

Awesome Chris!!

Are all the bunkers and fortifications still there? I heard several were sold off to private companies.

Are the German underground redouts still there? Can people access them, or are all underground areas closed for safety purposes?