Nahkampfspange im Silber: F&BL

**Flieger23** · 08-10-2011, 08:12 PM

by 3volv3

Hi Tom, No almost 99% of my treasure is from various places overseas.. I find that most stuff here in South Africa is in really bad condition or faked..

I always thought that some good stuff was transferred ( together with owners ) shortly after WWII to South America , S.Africa and so on - but could be wrong.
Interestingly , biggest collections now reside mainly in US imo. When I'm watching pictures from any US show - no any other can compete .
The question not answered so far to me is : is it result of war booty shipment straight after the war by GIs or collecting of TR era items was developed there at the earliest.

Regards

Flieger23

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 08-10-2011 08:12 PM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**LondonJay** · 08-10-2011, 10:30 PM

Hi Flieger
With regards to your question, in every WW2 German memoir that I've read where the Soldat was captured by the Americans one of the first things that they took off them was their awards. So thats why I reckon most of the stuff ended back in the States.
Also if they still had them they probably traded them for food etc when in POW camps.
Jay

**3volv3** · 08-11-2011, 09:41 AM

Great answer Jay!

**Adrian** · 08-11-2011, 12:37 PM

Also, U.S. personel had the freedom and means to ship trophies back home. Boxes and crates of stuff were sent legally to their home addresses. Lorries were used on occasion too. It required a signature from a CO but of course this didn't always happen.
British troops for example didn't have this freedom. They weren't technically allowed to do this. Any badges taken I believe had to be broken or unusable so the normal trick would be to break the pin off a badge.
So, U.S. troops were allowed to send boxes/suitcases/lorry loads of booty home, Brits had to make do with the odd small item discreetly hidden. That's why there is more stuff across the pond.