2014 Carboot Finds Etc

[thorne83]

SOE Despaigne, Harry Marcel Richard

Cheers, Tom

[garys39]

Well yesterday (22 March), I went to my first bootsale of the year, not much about but I did have one great find of the following paper work, Pte J E Jones 1/8 Royal Warks Regiment, MM, and also invalided out with the loss of his left arm. Bought from the grandson, he was having a clear out and said his kids would not be interested, sold for a £1, how cheap something so important to a family can be sold !
Regards Gary

[HARRY THE MOLE]

Well it obviously wasn't important was it? The price of £1 sums it up aptly I'm afraid. I have a neighbour who works on the local council tip here in Warrington, and last week he found a WW1 pair of medals with cap badge. Some years ago my uncles medals were passed to me after being recovered from a dustbin. I can never understand how these people can part with such things.

[Jerry B]

Some great named items you have found Gary, both groups to medal winners, you have done well.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Good find Gary. At least it has gone to a good home now. I must agree with you Steve.

Cheers, Ade.

[garys39]

Finds for March 29th bootsale, were a WW1 (?) German Trench Knife (unmarked), British MkIV 1945 dated helmet (with a nice sand textured finish), 1940 dated Air Ministry aircraft axe, 1939 ARP bandages, RAMC 1944 training book and a Soldiers English-French conversation book (I think Inter War period). The knife and axe were from a chap who works for a recycling/salvage company, who turns up occasionally with a van full of assorted collectables, he also had an British Officers cap and some 1960 WD cooking manuals, but somebody else beat me to those !

[garys39]

April 5th, first stop was a Tractor/Farm equipment sale (read carboot for farmers), pick ups were a P60 grenade box, WD petrol can, 30 cal ammo box and what I think is a WD medical water bottle. Then back to a local village auction, where a smaller but named trunk and contents to H M Despaigne (which started this thread), was a great surprise. Again stiff bidding to the dizzy heights of £40 and the trunk was mine. Asked auctioneer about it and the previous trunk but he said it's still stuff coming in from an estate clearance. Contents were 1940 Cornwall badged B/D, No2 Mk3 medical kit, 1943 dated Bergen, another far east issue uniform, Kodak camera, French civilian binoculars, and a civilian bergen.
Again worth an early start, but a real surprise find in the 2nd trunk !
Regards Gary

[Spitace41]

The water-bottle looks to me like an ARP issue one. Although in my experience these are marked ARP on the top.

[garys39]

April 6th, up at 5.30 and straight out, forecast is light showers/blustery, destination a vehicle and vintage clear out. Finds include a death penny (seller had it from a collection of brass items, weighed in for scrap), some very nice salt & peppers shakers for the Royal Artillery (mess issue), a bag of 37 pattern webbing (WW1/WW2 and 1950's dated), the remains of an early 1800's British Sea Service flintlock pistol, a 1916 dated Canadian issue shoe brush ( the other 3x in the photo are WW11 issue), an early water bottle that I think is WD issue, a 1945 WD lantern and a 1930's French gas mask.
Again an interesting mix of finds.
Regards Gary

[NCA]

Some very nice finds!Lucky you.The Aluminium water bottle is known as the 'Indian pattern'.It was a private purchase type thing and would have originally been covered in KD with a shoulder strap.The other recent waterbottle is a Medics type.Again would have had a wool cover with strap.They date back to at least the Boer war.It might be faintly dated on the bottom or the back.