Three (let's make six!) little German pigs went to war...in the mountains!

[Manu Della Valle]

Three pairs of WH/LW/WSS-issue bergschuhe (mountain boots).One has been barely worn,while the others are cherry mint!They are "wrapped" in gaiters that were intended to keep sand,snow,dirt and water out of the boots.A pair of these gaiters,quite rare per eos, is a pair of even rarer birds,being gaiters intended for TROPICAL USE!They'd have been used to keep sand from getting into the boots but could have been used on the Ebrus as well,of course!
Do you want to see more or two pictures are more than enough?After all they're nothing but common bergschuhe!
Cheers
Manu

[Guest Fred Karno's Army]

You never cease to amaze  ! 

You must have some storage lol,my goodness !

[Manu Della Valle]

The more I scrape the more I unearth @Ham & Jam ! 

[Guest Fred Karno's Army]

I don't know about scrape mate you need an earth remover lol .

[Davejb]

Are you sure you have,nt discovered an old WH Quartermasters depot and not telling us, they look like they were just pulled from the shelves?????

[Manu Della Valle]

1 hour ago, Ham & Jam said:

I don't know about scrape mate you need an earth remover lol .

[Manu Della Valle]

2 minutes ago, Davejb said:

Are you sure you have,nt discovered an old WH Quartermasters depot and not telling us, they look like they were just pulled from the shelves?????

@Davejb...back in the 90s/early2000s my best buddy used to call my mancave "Das Walhalla" or "The Wehrmacht's Spare Parts Depot" or "ManusHarrod's"!
I've let many things go when I discovered an UNTOUCHED,TIME-CAPSULE Kettenkrad with its Infanterie Karre and other more "mundane" things a guy had found in a farm in Northwest Italy!The owner ate back his word and refused to sell the bl@@dy thing(s) leaving me with an outstretched hand like a perfect fool!In fact I shouldn't have trusted the bstrd and buy the KK and stuff on the spot...I could have afforded that but in a sudden burst of maturity I said to myself "No way dood....sell something and THEN buy the new toy!" (sound of Manu's head banging against the wall....we'd use that smiley @Lenny ! ) 

[Davejb]

 

[Manu Della Valle]

@Davejb...Italy's still chockfull of treasures waiting to be discovered!Take a look at this one and you'll understand why I fell in love for that little track'd bar-steward and why its owner was asking a boatload of $£€ for it!What you see in the pictures is another "time capsule" Kettenkrad found not very far from where the other had been discovered.If you'd compare the two this one would be rated as "fair"...and please consider that the lucky owner only removed 70 years of dirt and bird droppings,installed new gasoline hoses and wires,checked whether the engine was seized or not (it wasn't but had a clutch failure that probably was he reason why it had been abandoned!) and deemed it (nearly) ready for action!
If I rate this beauty "fair" I leave it to your imagination as to what the other would have looked like...when I say "time capsule" I actually mean "nearly  factory fresh,gently used and with lovely patina"!

[Davejb]

Amazing condition considering its seen a fair bit of action, we have a collector over here called Bruce Crompton, he had a TV series that was aired recently called Combat Dealers. His collections were incredible, but I think he had two of these, both in full working condition, he was often seen riding one of them in one of his fields on the TV. I think there are a couple at Duxford as well .Also at Bovington Tank Museum ,i think they have a couple that are drivable. Something that would definately interest you was an episode, whereby he was shown a German LW footlocker, inside was a complete FJ troopers kit, smock, uniform, trousers, belt, knee and arm pads, jump boots, gravity knife, FJ helmet, bandoliers,even underwear, and LW side cap. I think he bought the lot for £35-40k, but then he went on to buy a complete and packed FJ parachute, with all straps, jump strap, you name it it was there,I think that cost another £7-8k,,, I think if this guy fell in dog do do, he would come up with another rare item

[Manu Della Valle]

I've seen quite a few of them along the years but the ones I'm talking about  are exactly as left by the Germans...see the pictures!I wouldn't have considered a restored machine but believe me @Davejb....the one I wanted to buy was literally breath-taking!I've had the chance to see sports cars with remarkable racing histories worth many £m (Ferraris,Maseratis,Alfas,C and D type Jags aso) that would have sent shivers down the spine of even the least interested person but that Kettenkrad and the rest of the stuff found with it  could and would have been the Holy Grail  for many a collector/historian!

Oh well....no biggie..there are much worse things happening to people than a failed deal!