New user, Just inherited items from my grandfather
Article about: Well, better post some close up pictures of the gorget. I do not want to say it is a repro but better pictures will help. As for the market price - there is no real market price for III Reic
New user, Just inherited items from my grandfather
My Grand father was a supply officer LT. Colonel in the first Tank Destroyer group. He served in Africa and then through out Europe through the end of the war. He never spoke much about his service but studied the battles and troop movements long after he returned home. He mentioned that he was one of the first officers into the death camps after they were discovered and was involved in the liberation of many towns and cities. My Dad recently passed he too a LT Colonel. I inherited a box of WW2 era patches, insignia, medals, a dagger and other interesting keepsakes. I have taken pictures of this items and am hoping that you could help me identify them and determine what value they might have. Down the road, I may be interested in selling some of the items at fair market value. The Dagger has a hand written note attached that says... Goering Dagger? I have seen Daggers on this sight that look similar but this blade has a coat of arms logo then WKC Solingen. This is not easily seen because it is under the eagle. I guess I will start by attaching my pictures and see where it goes from there. Thank you all in advance for your expertise in identifying these items. Respectfully Bruce
Re: New user, Just inherited items from my grandfather
Hi mate, and welcome!
You have quite the collection there. The dagger is in fact a Heer (Army) Officer's dagger. Inside the chain on the feldgendarmerie gorget you have a German Red Cross (DRK) belt buckle, Iron Cross 2nd class missing the ribbon, Eastern Front medal (winterschlacht im osten) missing the ribbon, 2 RAD (Reich Arbeits Dienst) broaches/ badges, a Luftwaffe cap eagle, and some kind of 'tinny' badge commemorating an important day in the Reich. The chained gorget itself was worn by a member of the military police, or Feldgendarmerie. The goggles are typical wehrmacht issue goggles for various uses, dust etc.
The patches I will let somebody else attack, mostly they seem to be trade patches for various arms of the Wehrmacht, as well as collar litzen and rank insignia. A great little group!
Re: New user, Just inherited items from my grandfather
If original, the gorget is the most valuable part of this collection, Wehrmacht dagger costs around $500 or less. There are also some interesting cloth badges (Armenian, Georgian, Bergkaukasen foreign fighters in Wehrmacht).
Re: New user, Just inherited items from my grandfather
Looks like you've inherited a respectable collection!
You said your grandfather liberated some concentration camps... That could explain why you have so many German patches and other cloth insignia that are in mint condition/ still on their production rolls/ never were attached to uniforms. Dachau especially is known for having a production facility that created insignia that liberating GIs raided for souvenirs. Maybe your grandpa was at Dachau?
Re: New user, Just inherited items from my grandfather
The gorget is the shoulder shield and chain? This piece is in amazing condition. I have no reason to think it is reproduction. My grandfather was not into collecting after returning home. What is it worth if original?
Re: New user, Just inherited items from my grandfather
This site will help you identify a lot of the American shoulder patches you have. However, the prices listed are way out of whack in my honest opinion!
Re: New user, Just inherited items from my grandfather
by 66dads
The gorget is the shoulder shield and chain? This piece is in amazing condition. I have no reason to think it is reproduction. My grandfather was not into collecting after returning home. What is it worth if original?
A gorget was worn around the neck and the metal "shield" would rest over the wearer's breast bone.
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