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Hi Hans, welcome to this forum. Bit quiet but I still think it will get busier when FB etc finally pull the plug, they are dyeing to do it. Best Rich

Guys, This short engagement was recorded in the Ulrich Saft book Kriege in der heimat. These photos were taken post war by a young boy that used to play on the wrecked tanks, what a play ground he had! He is now in his 80s and has recently rediscovered these pictures taken before 1949 but after the war. It shows two of the tanks from the battle although he tells me there were 3 British tanks in a row in column of march and they were destroyed on the North South road that goes past the Hotel Kroepke which is still there today. those tanks were on the road circa 3 to 400m South of the hotel just before the slight bend in the road. The Tiger was further South and I will confirm the locations later. The flak was to the North East of the road described above. The old boy (Albert) has offered to walk the locations with me but he is not in the best of health. I will do it as soon as I and he can. Rich

Guys, we finally have an end to this ballhawks now and all markets will be open again soon. Can't Wait! Rich

Guys, been very distracted by our spiral into despair here in Germany due to the gas situation. I have been busy trying to shift my reliance on gas to having a back up in the form of a couple to three wood burners. I have all the required products now and am waiting for my workmates to set a date to start rebuilding the existing chimneys and cleaning one out. Luckily they are qualified builders and recon its a days work! Being ever the pessimist I will plan for 3 days to cover any unforeseen issues. To give you an idea of what is going on over here right now, my pal paid €3200 last year for his annual heating oil refill, this year he paid in excess of €9000. This is quite simply not sustainable for every household in Germany and will be pushing us into an economic collapse. The knock on of which may take down the EU in its current format. Just my opinion but I think we are being fool hardy getting involved in another US proxy war, what could go wrong with that?

Picked up this Reichsbahn 1st aide supplies tin with the grenade box. 1st one I have encountered. Nice addition to the railway collection.

Cant think of a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than having a cold one and chatting helmets and collecting. Hope you all are well. Would love to see more collections being post! Cheers! The Afrika Rat

Hi, welcome, it is quiet here but we collectively can probably steer you in the right direction. Best Rich

Ive baton on the fence for now. Going to convert to concrete panels were that wind blows through. Looks like all calmed down now.

Just added this one. 1st I have ever owned. Made at the end of that era, as Hitler had taken power.

Started picking at mine too. Now my beloved puss cat died,i can sort new flooring and carpets. She was 22 and things were getting grim.... It was puppy-pad central towards the end. Still miss the mogg,but it was her time i think.

Thanks Bjorn, hope to smash out a bit more today before work tomorrow. Turning into a nightmare, I have to lift all the floor glue and leveler as it needs to be smooth for the 'click' vinyl.......Ahhhhhhh!

everything today is over priced. most think they have stuff that is worth a small fortune and in their mind think it is rear. sure ww1 German helmets are a scarce item and to find/get one all original and complete is hard to find but, the old saying is if you want it you will pay for it. why settle for a rusted junk shell? look and wait- things come if you are willing to wait.

Guys, as stated above! Merry Christmas and a happy new year! Best Regards Rich

Good christ, I never knew the MCN was reborn! I was a member on the old forum (forgot my username it was that long ago), sold my collection off and moved abroad, came back ten years later and found deac's are... more deacted (deeply upset) and everything is about a million times the price it once was (bank manager soon to be deeply upset). Oh, Bren Mk1. Oh, old spec Webley MkIV. Oh, SMLE No.1 AND No.4 who both cocked and dry fired... I'll never see another like you. Ahem. Anyway. Nice to meet you all, merry christmas, and does anyone know of any Mills Bombs going cheap?

Richard I see what you mean about WAF. What a bunch of douche nozzles. I put up a piece for review, I said I bought it. it was at an auction and I did not want any competition. One douche nozzle came on and said I was telling lies and that it was up for auction and what was I trying to do. LOL Really While E. you need an expiation? Its like looking for Arrow heads. I look spend the time and find an old Indian village and am I going on line and give out a GPS so anyone can go? Find your own stuff is my opinion. that site is full if idiots.

And a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours Richard, and also to all the forum members.

Ring marked S-W for Sy- Wagner Berlin.

hello all! just signed up today and have been going through some of the sections. interesting indeed. i am from the United States and am a long time collector mostly in American WW2 items. i buy and some times sell. history is my corner stone interest in life. i like viewing members finds and find it interesting what lead them to collecting. i feel it is important to preserve the past as it serves as an ever lasting memory to those who served.

Guys, as stated above! €1.90 well spent! Best Rich

Happy New Year all! Recovering from Cervical spine surgery, in my Bunker in Sunol Cal. Wishing you all, the best for the New Year! Happy collecting! (smiling through the pain! lol)

Only just joined and failed to see this string before asking a similarly related question concerning the state of health of the network. Having been collecting for many years now and, only just finding out about your network by accident. I would be absolutely devastated to find that I have been too late. Been reading some of the posts on the forums and this site definitely is required. Forums with like minded people; are for collectors like the AA are for alcoholics. Collecting is purely for the obsessive and no level of detail or breadth of knowledge can ever be too much. Military collecting is incredibly personal and there needs to be a plethora of sources available like yours. I am so excited that I cannot work out where to start with questions for anyone who is a collector of WW1 items. I was at the recent Detling Military Odyssey show and it certainly looked like collectors are still out there. I think that the Covid time drove a lot of collectors underground to internet only purchasing. I have certainly seen more people out and about in terms of meetings, fairs etc. So chin up and keep up the great work. Regards Camelspank aka Ben

Guys, got the Kamine in now! Kamine.mp4

Here are 2 of my Bread bags. The 1st is a "continental" type 1939 dated example. Showing the pre war quality. This one was just added to my collection. The 2nd one is a '41/'42 Tropical version. Showing all web type material, as leather dried out easily in hot dry climates. Olive color. Grey painted d rings.

The logo alone deems itself not militaria related..

I am never far from a Guinness.

@Afrikakorpsrat64 cheers!

Thanks Val for that

this might be a better photo

@valseems to have sorted itself out, but if it comes up again I'll let you know. Thanks

I'm not really a religious kind of guy. But a ever so slightly "oh my god" is in order here, I think. I will do some cosmetic renovation on the battery in the coming days. I will try to do some test runs, to see what the Ampere hours capacity are like on this battery as well. I will keep you posted. Best regards Björn

800 with no scabbard? plus the fact it was played with. the makers logo faces the back not the front which sez it was taken apart and who knows what else.

Got a nice H.Arld 1942.

Got a nice early entrenching tool , 1939 date an maker marked. The search for an affordable carrier goes on. I have a Finnish made carrier on my other tool at the moment.

i was lucky enough to win this item and to me it looks original. don't know the grade, 'enlisted or officer'. bevel weave looks good on the back. input welcome.

OK Guys, here is an Update on the Pickelhaube restoration. It is nearly complete, and faster than I had dreamed possible. I managed to find another Pickelhaube with damaged shell that had almost all of what i needed to restore my shell. The orig. chinstrap was too fragile to use so will keep that separate and use an aged copy. I have a nice Prussian Wappen, from @Gronkollectoron the way to complete this. I could use some nice orig. Prussian discs for it though. I used old WW2 era German thread to sew on front visor.

RAO 4th Class. Marked J.G&S for J. Godet and Sohn. Maker mark picture is by the seller. Beautiful hand painted eagle and enameled center disc is perfect.

I have been looking for an A-11 Elgin watch for a while but I am not willing to pay 400 plus. I found this one at a Flea market and bought it for 125. The band is crap but the watch runs good. The back is very hard to read but under a loop it says Type A-11 Spec. No. 94-27834 Se ???9-1434 M No. 1783 ORD. No. W535AC-2805 Elgin. Any help on the history of this watch appreciated. Thanks.

added this one and may have a marked ring just under ribbon.

Was a gift from a friend. Original WSS Croatian Vol. sleeve patch.

I may have found a prebuilt, customised, painted and weathered version.

Happy holidays to you also. I agree. I think I will be much happier with the tunic from Collectors Guild. Thanks for all the help.

Merry Christmas, all!

Cheers Dave, hope you have a good one! Best Rich

two others i picked up in the past. Luft flak (GWL) and Army assault (hard to make out maker mark under hinge).

Updated to latest version of forum software, all should be fine but any issues let me know...

I just told the wife I will get my one and put it one the tree,,,,,I am now sleeping on the bed in the living room??????????

Was very happy to get this from a good friend. Added to the growing Reichsbahn collection. The Visor on the Mannequin is an old Post war cap redone, so I am really happy to have this original piece.

No, you don't know my missus, Tax paperwork, orders to be done, paid for etc.

Lovely buckle, nice to see with great maker stamp and dyed black tab…

Hi. Just joined this forum and hope it can put me in touch with like minded collectors of WW1 Desert campaign artefacts. Not sure whether I have the right "page" ?? Anyway--I'm keen to collect artefacts from the XXCorps advance to Jerusalem in 1917 via Beersheba--Sheria etc. Specifically anything to do with the 60th Division's actions . Thanks---Dave.