WW1/WW2 RAF & ARP Wardens photographs/papers etc

**FALLSCHIRMJAGER** · 07-16-2015, 07:13 AM

Morning all, I have just picked up this nice group of documents and photographs on the bay to a chap who trained as a Flying Officer at the tail end of WW1. He was then placed on the Reserve list once the war ended and was not entitled to any WW1 medals. At the out break of WW2 he joined the local ARP and became a warden in Norwich. He served as a warden for the duration of the war and as such would have been entitled to the Defence Medal. Some of the pictures have annotations on the back and the framed ARP photograph is dated 1943. I myself live here in Norwich and on remembrance Sunday used to march past his house on the way to the local war memorial! Leon.

**Jerry B** · 07-16-2015, 08:47 AM

Did you buy these from seller military trader? They have a reputation for selling enhanced groups and pimped up items with fake dates and signatures etc...

**ynot** · 07-16-2015, 12:18 PM

by Jerry B

Did you buy these from seller military trader? They have a reputation for selling enhanced groups and pimped up items with fake dates and signatures etc...

That's a very polite way of putting it

Leon, is he in the ARP in photo with helmet?

Tony

**Jerry B** · 07-16-2015, 12:27 PM

by ynot

That's a very polite way of putting it

Leon, is he in the ARP in photo with helmet?

Tony

Indeed, but they don't only sell such and do also list original items, sometimes. I would never give them any of my money on principal even if the item was unmessed with.

**FALLSCHIRMJAGER** · 07-16-2015, 02:07 PM

by Jerry B

Did you buy these from seller military trader? They have a reputation for selling enhanced groups and pimped up items with fake dates and signatures etc...

Hi Jerry, yes I did and I did not know that they "pimped up" stuff! That's just not on at all,

and I will bear that in mind in the future. All I can say about this lot is that I can see it is him in all the photographs( except the passing out parade), he is the chap in the middle front row of the ARP picture. I would guess that he is in the passing out parade image though as his paperwork ties up with it. Leon.

**Jerry B** · 07-16-2015, 03:22 PM

As I mentioned, not everything they sell is messed with but they are not honest people. I would guess in this case that it is all pukka, but give it a good scrutiny when you have it in the hand.

This thread covers one of their scams but there are others on there and on here, including adding an incorrect date stamp to a pith helmet to make it appear to be WWI.

Wehrmacht-Awards.com Militaria Forums

**Grimebox** · 07-16-2015, 04:00 PM

I'd argue that they're downright crooks! Look at what they list every week and there's many dubious items with made up stories. It's amazing how 90% of the stuff is named or related to some famous/infamous battle/camp/location. What's also amazing (when spend as much time as I do searching eBay) is the amount of items that appear on eBay, get sold and then appear on militarytrader-uk with some sort of embellishment!
Like Jerry says there is 'good' stuff there but I wouldn't give them my money out of principal

**FALLSCHIRMJAGER** · 07-16-2015, 06:54 PM

by Jerry B

As I mentioned, not everything they sell is messed with but they are not honest people. I would guess in this case that it is all pukka, but give it a good scrutiny when you have it in the hand.

This thread covers one of their scams but there are others on there and on here, including adding an incorrect date stamp to a pith helmet to make it appear to be WWI.

Wehrmacht-Awards.com Militaria Forums

Thanks gents, I will check it over when it arrives, and if I find any cause for concern I will return it! I will also avoid buying from them in the future as it is clearly not worth the risk or a good idea to keep funding people with this kind of attitude. Leon.

**FALLSCHIRMJAGER** · 07-21-2015, 01:30 PM

Afternoon fella's, well the group has arrived, and having looked over it, I cannot see any altered text in the documents or obvious additions, looks like I may have gotten away with one! I am 99% sure looking under my loop that the photographs all show the same chap ( George Gregory) and I think I can even make him out in the Passing out Parade shot, just behind the chap in the centre of this magnified image (close-ups added). Initially I thought he was the centre front on the ARP photograph, but on closer inspection I believe he is the chap middle left. Even though I am confident this one has worked out, I will heed your advice gents and avoid this seller in the future. Leon.