Article about: What is the main differences between trophees, got by veterans. I think this is a good question, because I know position of Soviet veterans and heard a lot of about vets from States. Firstly
What is the main differences between trophees, got by veterans. I think this is a good question, because I know position of Soviet veterans and heard a lot of about vets from States.
Firstly about West territorium. As I heard in 1945-46 year was very problematic to find a Nazy stuff which was abandoned by they owners and to be a scattered all ower, due of first "military souvenirs from D-day" shops starts to work in USA when the trophees was "bring back" ( parcels etc), wifes sent to the front letters with enquire to their husbands ( dear Bob, please find a "elictrical" helmet). The second way is not a business - just to keep as souvenir. This is the way why in States is still a lot of stuff as Dachau tabs and helmets.
The soviet soldier when he goes to the Germany first time try to smoke the cigarette, due of all his life he smokes only self made cigarettes made of own tobacco. This guy when comes to the Europe was wonder to see the glasses from the thin glass ( I heard a story when the old soldier takes glasses but throw away a silver pedestals for glasses, when the other soldier asks why you do that, the old soldiers answer that he've newer seen the glass like that and he will take it to wonder the peoples from his willage) or take's the woman's underwear to give it to his wife. ( It's joke or not but soviet womans worn the german underwear as normal clothing ). The known by me officers ( one tankman colonel bring back refregerator, vacuum cleaners, hair driers and other urbanic stuff, which was a scarse goods in USSR. Just all of officers try to take back a hunting-rifles due of their good quality and possibility to re-use. Jewelry and table dishes etc. Nothing militaria was found by me from his stuff) Just only a couples of soldiers take back a daggers, but all of them without swastika. All trophees officially was strictly forbid under the threat of prison. But goverment takes all military stocks and factory equipment as Opel and DKW, Signal magazine typography etc back to USSR, and starts to make own Opels- Moskvitsh 400, DKW motorcycle -IZH, Signal magazine starts to be "Ogonyok " magazine etc.
The war trophees in the forests of Russia was scattered till mid of 1990's, I clearly remember the time when the messkits, waterbottles and helmets was hang over a trees. Sometimes it can be found today too. But aluminum made stuff was taken by a metal-hunters who takes is back to recicling just for a cents for 1 kilo. I personaly know the hunter who takes cooper rings from unexploded shells- I've ask him about the dangerous and terribly- he says that he makes that every day about 20 shells in day....
The words of old digger from Russia, he've start in 1950's and tell me that till the mid of 1970's they dig only for jewelry and weapons. From the mid 1980's they started to take buckles and insignia. Only in 1990's diggers start to take helmets and other stuff. All stuff like helmet was found by theyr's researches was thrown out or placed to the trees tweg as unneccessary stuff. When the "iron curtain" between USSR and West was opened, the peoples starts to understand that this stuff can be sold for good money. Really I remeber a time when the German paratroop helmets was scratted, which was thrown away by "first researces" a years ago..............
Americans are the quintessential souvenir gatherers & scroungers. Speaking for the most of us; There is nothing more we love than having some type of material example to reinforce a memory of a place we have visited, or an experience that we have had.
As an antique dealer, you would not believe the amount of things that I have gone through in people's houses that were brought into that home as "souvenirs".
Our GIs were no different. In my opinion, these guys took anything that was interesting (to them, and "they" had a very WIDE range of taste as what to take) that was not nailed down... Why do you think that the USA has the largest "inventory" of war veteran "bring-backs" in the world (?), for the time being that is...
Non nobis, Domine, non nobis, sed nomini tuo da gloriam!
In any case, I show a few photos from my (photo) collection of Trophys - Трофеи, from Red Army participants...
I've told before that some of them take back the knifes and hunting rifles, due of good items to use, I ve seen one SS Honor dagger with inscription on the blade, the dagger was every year is sharpened and use for killing the pigs from the end of the war.
It's a 2 very different systems: USSR- was socialist land with approx 20% of native peoples from villages, they was at the line of poverty, and all what they need not a jewelry and different nice items- but pieces which they could use at home. My grandfather before service in RKKA has got secondary education, as he tells that one from 200's soldiers in his unit has this kind of education. This can tells what the peoples think about the Mozart and whatkind of values was in their life
So, USA instead of that was a rich, capitalist land, where the guys served in army, leave their cars and girls in the sunny land being watching a cinema and trinking whiskey, no any mental programming how to use in future SS dagger
As for time, the peoples in the last of 80's in USSR has a dreams of a car, and they can't understand how the peoples in"wild West" can drive his old car to the garbage?!. This was started a nice business in time of PERESTROIKA in USSR, where the cars from western garbages was "bring back" to USSR.
For example I've bought in near mint condition SS DD steel helmet in 1990 year for 20 USD, instead of that, old Volkswagen's price from the western garbage cost approximately 1300 USD. If you can count in helmets- you can buy a new Porshe for that money
Now the values changed in the mind of ex-USSR peoples. Some of them walking to states and buy for a 100000USD daggers and other military stuff and making them " bring back's" this is named " rotation of the shit in the nature"
Again about the pictures.
A lot of soldiers in the pictures just leave this trophees in the border of USSR, being crossed border, Soviet borderguards / Customs confiscate ( of course not all) that kind of stuff. Just a high officers can make that. And of course peoples who work in comissariat/supply service. I've seen by TV one reach veteran, he've served in the High quarter of comissariat in Germany and he tells about the soviet work in Germany, but looking for his appartment inside I will tell that he "works" good for himself too.
Veterans USSR and USA- trophees
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by RichieC
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