Untouched since the war

[Luftwaffe 1941]

I've been away from the forum for awhile, and I have added some awesome pieces to my collection since I last posted. Among the items I picked up I got an amazing group of German items straight from a vets estate.

The items were brought back by a WW2 U.S. air force vet that served from 1941-1945. I bought the items directly from the veterans daughter. She told me that she found the items while cleaning out her fathers house after he passed. The German items were found in a box within the vets closet. The daughter told me that she had never seen these items before, and never recalled her father taking them out to look at them. It is her believe that these have sat untouched since he brought them back.

The group consists of four items, all of them are German. An FNJ marked K98 bayonet, a Luftwaffe spoon, a belt link section from the MG-17 aircraft machine gun, and a steel boot bracket. The bayonet is in great shape, but when I pulled it out of the scabbard for the first time there was a bit of friction. You could tell it hadn't seen a drop of oil in ages. I have since oiled the blade, and the scabbard now goes on much more smooth. The MG-17 ammo belt is also in great shape, and even has one bullet still attached. Each link is marked with a capital "R" I guess for Rheinmetall? The Luftwaffe spoon is marked F.L.U.V. and is dated 1938. What I find really interesting is that the spoon has a piece of tape stuck to the back of it, and it has some writing on it. It reads "German Souvenir" Its my assumption that this was done to catalog the item when shipping it back home.

Anyways I just wanted to share this group with you guys. Crazy to think im the first collector to get my hands on these items. Its not everyday you get fresh from the wood work finds like this.

Best regards- Jarret

[MAP]

Nice stuff Jarret! And great to see you back.

I'm sure someone can tell you what FLUV stands for.

[Luftwaffe 1941]

Nice stuff Jarret! And great to see you back.

I'm sure someone can tell you what FLUV stands for.

Thanks Map! I'm happy to be back on the forum. I love being a part of this great community!

I have had more family affairs to attend to. Keeping my fingers crossed that the craziness in my life is over for now.

I have encountered other "FLUV" marks on Luftwaffe porcelain in the past, but I still don't know what it stands for. I would love to know though.

Best regards- Jarret

[mpw]

Flieger Unterkunft Verwaltung (German: Flight Barracks Administration)

[Luftwaffe 1941]

Flieger Unterkunft Verwaltung (German: Flight Barracks Administration)

Thanks a ton for explaining that! Always wondered what it meant after first encountering it on some porcelain.

Best regards- Jarret

[Ian Hayes]

I wonder if there is a connection between these items. Came from one individual or incident? Something that made a impression on the vet. What could have it been? The history of the items....

[Luftwaffe 1941]

I wonder if there is a connection between these items. Came from one individual or incident? Something that made a impression on the vet. What could have it been? The history of the items....

I've wondered the same thing. Unfortunately I was told by the daughter that her father never really talked about his war experience. All I have is his full name, the years he served, the branch he served in, and a photo of him in uniform. Does anyone possibly know of a database or something I could use to learn more about this vet?

Best regards- Jarret

[RMD]

..... Very nice, Luftwaffe