Well here it is...... 45 years of collecting !

[spandau]

Hi,

Using my down time to reflect on many things, including my militaria hobby, please excuse my ramble but here it goes...………..

I got my first piece in 1975 (a repro as it turned out) of a close combat clasp in bronze. My first WW2 german helmet was obtained in 1978 (I still have it), a rusty shell of an M40 that had been left behind in Greece and was bought by me on visit to the famous flea market that was held in the Plaka, Athens.

Since then many items have been and gone, my first substantial collection being sold in 1992 to fund my first flat purchase deposit and a BMW R650 for commuting to work. Since then I have concentrated on German Military caps but over the last few years or so have collected only WW1 and Reichswehr.

I have sold a lot of my stuff to fund other purchases and what I post below is, give or take a few key other items, my collection in the shape of 16 displays in the cabinet in my study.

There is method in my madness and each display reflects a certain era and time frame in the world war or post war Germany.

The collection starts in 1915/16 and works it's way to the end of the Weimar republic in 1933. All the pieces on display are placed to complement each other and where possible date match if the piece is stamped. For example the display depicting the late war German Trench fighter, with the exception of the cammo stahlhelm, is all dated 1918. Right down to each bullet ! The items show the development of military equipment and how each year brought either a new innovation or change in style of military uniform.

Thanks for looking.

cheers

Tony

[spandau]

From right to left: 1915/16, 1916/17, 1917, 1918.

[spandau]

Germany 1918 and Austria 1917/1918

[spandau]

Provisional Reichswehr 1919/21, Reichswehr 1922, 1925/28 and 1933/34

[spandau]

Reichswehr caps : 1931-34, 1928, 1925, 1922

[Pauls1970]

Outstanding Tony, thank you for taking your time to share your collection. Your spare time can never be dull with items like these !
Cheers mate
Paul

[Kohima]

Fantastic collection, Tony!
And superbly presented. Real class.

All the very best and stay well,
Bob

[TWS]

Fabulous items Tony. Such a well-thought out collection. So much good stuff, I'm going to have to come back later for a second look.

[bittaker]

Very nice, Tony! I really should get my eyes more open to "stuff" fom 1915-1933 (have a fetish for the Eisenbahn in that time period, though).
Stig
PS! I especailly like that nice cap in picture #3. Which organisation did it belong to?

[BlackCat1982]

Beautifully displayed collection Spandau, thanks for taking time to share it.