My U.S WW2 collection. Mainly POW and KIA Medal groupings

**Robbo** · 01-16-2013, 05:03 PM

M1 Carbine. Underwood manufactured in 1943. Has that "well used" look but serial on stock matches the one on the metal. It seems that these were fairly common a few years back, maybe from ex lend-lease examples, but now seem to be hard to find.

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 01-16-2013 05:03 PM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**Robbo** · 01-16-2013, 05:21 PM

Last one and perhaps my favorite U.S gun from WW2. M3 Grease Gun. This is the earlier version with the cocking handle. A lug on the ejection port cover serves as a safely catch when it is closed. It was designed to be a replacement for the Thompson but was never available in large enough quantities to fully do so. It used the same .45 ACP round as the Thompson but was cheaper to produce, lighter, more accurate. Apparently the U.S still used the M3A1 variant until circa 1992!!
This one is an old spec Deac and will cock and dry fire.

**Robbo** · 01-16-2013, 06:04 PM

Back to medals now.
Navigator 2nd LT on a B-17F.
KIA 29th July 1943 and remembered on the Tablets of the Missing at Cambridge American Cemetery
388th Bomb Group, 561st Bomb Squadron.
Mission to Warnmunde, Germany to bomb the Heinkel factory that was being converted to FW-190 production. On the return trip at an altitude of 2500 feet and about 3 miles off Cromer on the English coast the wing of another B-17 slid over the wing of the plane he was crew on. Both A/C fell in flames to the sea.
The medal is damaged having a frayed and soiled ribbon and damage to the planchet. It looks as though it has been on a concrete floor and trodden on or similar. Could have happened whilst in the possession of a family member or another collector, who knows.....

**Robbo** · 01-23-2013, 07:03 PM

Here is an Air Medal that was awarded to a 12th Army Air force B-17 Radio operator. His next of kin would also have received his government engraved Purple Heart but its whereabouts are unknown to me.
The ribbon has 1 silver oakleaf(5) and 1 bronze oakleaf(1) meaning that his final Air medal was his 7th award.

97th Bomb Group, 414th Bomb Squadron. Based at Chateaudun-du-Rhumal, Algeria.
Mission to bomb airbase at Capodichino, Italy on August 1st 1943.

Some reports I have read describe that the plane was crippled by AA fire and was finished off by fighter aircraft with its port wing torn off up to the outer most engine. The A/c crashed near the base of Mt Vesuvius.

**Robbo** · 01-23-2013, 07:33 PM

This Purple Heart was posthumously awarded to a T/sgt in the 104th Inf Reg of the 26th Inf Division. He died of his wounds at the 114th Field Hospital, Nancy. France. Cause of death is given as Shrapnel wound Right side, Arterial bleeding.
He enlisted in the regular army after gaining the rank of 1st Sgt in the Massachusetts National Guard.
Born in 1904, he enlisted in the National Guard in 1923 and then the regular army on 16th Jan 1941.

**Robbo** · 03-24-2013, 07:42 PM

9th Army Airforce. 376th Bomb Group, 515th Bomb Squadron. Sgt was MIA on a 29th October 1942 night bombing mission to Maleme, Crete.
The B-17E and all its crew were lost between their base in Palestine and the target. No other crews on the mission saw the plane go down and no trace was ever found.
The MIA status was held for a year before changing to FOD (Finding of Death).

**Robbo** · 03-24-2013, 08:24 PM

Co-Pilot of a B-24J 789th Bomb Squadron, 467th Bomb Group, 8th Air Force.
KIA on a bombing mission to the fuselage plants at Aschersleben, Germany on 29th June 1944.
Aircraft hit by flak moments after bomb drop, went out of control and exploded. Majority of crew believed killed by fire in the oxygen system. The pilot was sole survivor of the crew and made a POW.

The patch is a British made example and is an addition to the grouping for display purposes. The Purple Heart exhibits official small machine engraving and the Air medal is official government hand engraving

**darrenj40** · 03-24-2013, 10:55 PM

Robbo..what a great selection very inpressive....love that grease gun,,,all the best darrenj40

**Robbo** · 03-31-2013, 07:05 PM

Cheers Darren. I'll post more as time allows.

Rob

**Robbo** · 03-31-2013, 07:19 PM

447th Bomb Group 709th Bomb Squadron. 8th Air force.
29th June 1944 on a bombing mission to the oil refinery at Bohlen, Germany. B-17G took a direct hit by flak, exploded and went down just after "Bombs away". Only 2 crew survived to become POW's, the rest including the pilot who's Purple Heart is shown here were KIA.
The pictures sourced from various websites are of the crew and of the actual plane just AFTER the flak hit.
In the crew photo, the pilot is back row, centre