WW1 / WW2 / 20th Century

An Excellent British Army WW2 Mills Bomb Grenade In Superb Condition With Fine Paint Green Stripe For Baratol or TNT and XXX Originally Meaning Primed and Ready. Made by ICI, Siebe Gorman & Thomas Adshead & Sons. Naturally it Is Empty and Safe now.

A fabulous and iconic collector's piece and souvenir of WW2. Made and marked by three main parts makers, Siebe Gorman, ICL. & T A & S. Likely impossible to find a better and finer condition example.

Siebe Gorman, Specialist Military Equipment makers; Designed the Amphibious Tank Escape Apparatus (ATEA) in 1943 for Duplex Drive (DD) tank crews during the D-Day landings

While the parent corporation is the famous Imperial Chemical Industries, the specific "L" in the "ICL" or "I.C.L." marking denotes their Linlithgow factory located in Scotland.

The maker code on the base plug is TA&S on British Mills hand grenades (such as the No. 36 and No. 36M variants used during World War I and World War II) stands for Thomas Adshead & Sons (also referenced as T. Adshead & Sons), based in Dudley, Worcestershire, England.

Baratol was composed of 25% to 33% TNT, high-density barium nitrate, and around 1% paraffin wax as a stabilizer, it features a slow detonation velocity (4,870 m/s). It was notably used in the explosive lenses of early nuclear implosion weapons (like the "Fat Man" bomb) to direct shockwaves inward and in British Mills hand grenades.

In excellent condition for age. Very nicely marked indeed. A super example of these interesting collectables

William Mills—a hand grenade designer from Sunderland—patented, developed and manufactured the "Mills bomb" at the Mills Munition Factory in Birmingham, England, in 1915.

The Mills bomb was adopted by the British Army as its standard hand grenade in 1915, and designated as the No. 5. It was also used by the Irish Republican Army. Inert and safe

The Mills bomb underwent numerous modifications. The No. 23 was a variant of the No. 5 with a rodded base plug which allowed it to be fired from a rifle. This concept evolved further with the No. 36, a variant with a detachable base plate to allow use with a rifle discharger cup. The final variation of the Mills bomb was the No. 36M, which was specially designed and waterproofed with shellac for use initially in the hot climate of Mesopotamia in 1917, but remained in production for many years. By 1918 the No. 5 and No. 23 were declared obsolete and the No. 36 (but not the 36M) followed in 1932.

The Mills was a classic design; a grooved cast iron "pineapple" with a central striker held by a close hand lever and secured with a pin. Although the segmented body helps to create fragments when the grenade explodes, according to Mills' notes the casing was grooved to make it easier to grip and not as an aid to fragmentation. The Mills was a defensive grenade: after throwing the user had to take cover immediately. A competent thrower could manage 30 metres (98 feet) with reasonable accuracy, but the grenade could throw lethal fragments further than this. It could be fitted with a flat base and fired with a blank cartridge from a rifle with a "cup" attachment, giving it a range of around 150 m.

At first the grenade was fitted with a seven-second fuse to accommodate both hand and rifle launch, but during combat in the Battle of France in 1940 this delay proved too long—giving defenders time to escape the explosion, or even to throw the grenade back—and was reduced to four seconds.

The heavy, segmented bodies of "pineapple" type grenades result in an unpredictable pattern of fragmentation. After the Second World War Britain and the US adopted grenades that contained segmented coiled wire in smooth metal casings. The No. 36M Mk.I remained the standard grenade of the British Armed Forces and was manufactured in the UK until 1972, when it was completely replaced by the L2 series. The 36M remained in service in some parts of the world such as India and Pakistan where it was manufactured until the early 1980s. That the Mills bomb remained in use for so many years says much about its effectiveness.

Deact safe and inert. Not suitable for export outside of the UK mainland  read more

Code: 26406

Probably The Rarest Polish Hero's Medal Group in The World. French Foreign Legion Group & Badge of the Bayonian Battalion,+ Dog Tag Bracelet. One of the Only 200 Polish Volunteers To Serve In The French Foreign Legion In WW1. Tragically 150 Were KIA 1915

Possibly one of of only a maximum of fifty groups of medals ever awarded to the surviving Heroic Polish volunteers, from this Polish Volunteer Legion, that survived up to the end of 1915, during WW1, and probably the only group still surviving today.
Between 1915, up to November 1918, how many of those 50 survivors, that transferred to the regular Polish Army, may well have also tragically perished in combat in those two years.

So just how few such groups survive till today is anyone's guess, but there only being a maximum of fifty surviving members of the volunteers by the end of 1915, less all the later casualties, it is possible this set is a unique survivor from the history of the National Hero's of the Polish French Foreign Legion Volunteers of WW1.
A plaque dedicated to these most heroic of men is upon the “Tomb of the Unknown Soldier” in Poland

A group of four World War One French Foreign Legion Polish volunteer’s military service medals, the Croix De Guerre and star, Croix du Combattant de 1914-1918, The 1914–1918 Commemorative war medal with foreign volunteer bar, French WWI Victory Medal, with a set of framed matching miniatures, plus the silver and enamel badge of the Polish Foreign Legion volunteers 'Bajończyk Battalion'.
Made of silver and enamel, it is in the form of a breast badge with a screw threaded mount made by the contract maker, B. Szulecki of Warsaw. With its original maker marked, domed, screw threaded mount.
The group, miniatures and badge is complete with the Polish French Foreign Legion Volunteer’s 'named' dog tag bracelet, made and issued in Paris in 1914, and mounted on a wrist bracelet. In October 1915 a Polish Periodical Newspaper Publication in Paris {Polonia : Revue Hebdomadaire Polonaise. A. 2, October 1915, issue no 40} mentions this Polish volunteer’s soldiers name, as he was a Polish Legion Volunteer, and made a listed donation of 5 Francs, on the fifth list of donations received by the administration of the Polonia magazine, for Polish Victims of War.

This group was colloquially called the Bayonian Legion. They formed the 2nd company of the 1st regiment of the Foreign Legion, which received its own banner with the image of an eagle. Command positions were filled by French officers, and some lower functions were in the hands of Poles from the Foreign Legion
Instead of the planned legion ( Legion Bayonne ), two units were formed from Polish volunteers recruited in Paris in August 1914: approximately 200 soldiers were sent to Bayonne for training , hence they were called Bayonians, and approximately 250 soldiers were sent to Rueil, hence their name - Rueilians . While the Bajonians remained a compact unit consisting of one company , the Rueilians were dispersed in various units of the 3rd Marching Regiment of the Foreign Legion. Further recruitment was suspended after a protest from the Russian embassy, ​​which feared that the legion would fight for Poland's independence.

Ultimately, the Bajonians were incorporated into the 2nd March Regiment (commander: Colonel Louis Pein) as part of the 1st Foreign Regiment - as the 2nd company of Battalion C (battalion commander - Major Gustave Alfred Noiré ). Among the volunteers was the son of the famous historian Józef Szujski - Władysław . Initially, Xawery Dunikowski was also a Bajończyk, who, together with Jan Żyznowski , designed the company's banner, presented to the Poles on September 21, 1914 by the mayor of the city, Joseph Garat. The remaining companies of this battalion were composed of Czechs (1), Belgians (3) and Italians (4). Initially, the Bajonians' company was commanded by Reserv. Julien Maxime Stephen "Max" Doumic (who died on November 11, 1914 near Sillery in the Marne department ), and after him by Capt. Juvénal Osmont d'Amilly (died on May 9, 1915 near Neuville-Saint-Vaast in the Pas-de-Calais department ).

The uniform of the Bajonians consisted of red trousers and a red hat, a navy blue sweatshirt and a blue coat . The unit's banner depicted a white eagle without a crown on a red background . Władysław Szujski served as the Bajoni's standard-bearer .

The company was sent to the front on October 22, 1914. Bajoons fought against the Germans on the Western Front in Champagne in 1914–1915. They served near Sillery from November 1914 to April 1915. Then they were sent to the town of Arras , where on May 9 they participated in the attack on the Vimy hills near Neuville-Saint-Vaast. They captured the German positions, at the cost of their success with heavy losses amounting to ¾ of the company's strength.

“The surviving soldiers of the division
were almost completely lost”. “The
commitment and sacrifice of this first rate unit was demonstrated in particular on 9 May 1915, when, placed at the head of the column attacking the “Ouvrages Blancs”, it distinguished itself brilliantly in
capturing enemy positions hitherto defended stubbornly, not stopping until it had fulfilled
its objectives, despite very heavy losses”, the
citation states in the military order of the day.

After this period, only about 50 Bajonians remained alive, and after resting on June 16, they were sent to German positions at the cemetery in Souchez, where other soldiers died, and therefore the unit was disbanded in the summer of 1915. a. On
16 June 1915, the “Bayonnais survivors”
attacked with bayonets to take the cemetery at Souchez.


Their heroism is still documented by the company banner with traces of 34 bullet holes, which is kept in the Polish Army Museum in Warsaw . Some former Bajon soldiers enlisted in French units or went to Russia to fight in Polish troops . The vast majority joined the Polish Army in France, organised since 1917 .

On June 10, 1922, the Minister of Military Affairs awarded the Cross of Valor for the first time "for the bravery and courage shown in the fights against the enemy of the Homeland" to the late. major of the French army Noiret (Noiré), late the captain of the French army, Ossman (Osmont d'Amilly) and three officers, ten non-commissioned officers and thirteen privates - soldiers of the former 1st Polish Division of the "Bajones" .

On September 27, 1922, the Commander-in-Chief and Chief of State Józef Piłsudski awarded the Silver Cross of the Order of Virtuti Militari No. 6155 to the banner of the "former 1st Polish Division in France (Bajones)" and awarded the order of the same class to 18 former soldiers of the Legion, including 6 officers and 12 privates


Bayonne Company

In 1914, Poland had been divided between Russia, Germany and Austria-Hungary for more than a century. At the outbreak of the war, Polish subjects largely expressed loyalty towards their relevant sovereigns. On 31 July 1914 – shortly before the outbreak of the war between Germany and France – Polish emigrants in Paris formed the “Committee of Polish Volunteers for a Service in the French Army”. Since the French authorities considered the Polish issue an internal Russian problem, they permitted the creation of Polish units exclusively within the Foreign Legion.

Although there were sufficient volunteers for two companies, only one – the Bayonneans – went to the front as a complete unit. The French decided to split the second company and allocated its soldiers to other formations. The Bayonneans suffered heavy losses, and in spring 1915 they were ordered to withdrew from the immediate front line.

Thanks to the efforts of the Polish community in France, a monument to the Bajone people was unveiled on the site of the Battle of Arras in La Targette on May 21, 1933. In Bayonne , on July 15, 1934, the "Aux Volontaires Polonaises" plaque was unveiled, and at the Notre-Dame de Lorette necropolis, a similar plaque "In Honor of Polish Volunteers" was unveiled, funded by the French Polish Congress in 1978. A number of names of Bayonians were engraved on the "L'Anneau de la Mémoire" monument. ” unveiled on November 11, 2014 next to the above-mentioned cemetery . In Poland, the Bajonians were commemorated with the inscription "Arras 9 May 1915" on the plaque of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Warsaw . On April 5, 1929, the Minister of Military Affairs gave the 43rd Infantry Regiment the name "43rd Infantry Regiment of the Bajonan Legion" , and on July 25, 1939, changed it to "43rd Rifle Regiment of the Bajonan Legion". Apart from the tombstones and names of the few Bajo people commemorated in cemeteries in France and Poland, the only monument outside the cemetery to a Bajoan, 2nd Lieutenant . Lucjan Malcza is located in his birthplace in the village of Olszowa .

Pictures in the gallery of the Polish Volunteers Bajonian French Foreign Legion
Dream of Polish volunteers in French army 1914

Wladyslaw Szujski death 1914  read more

Code: 25169

A Beautiful Quality 'Commercial' Walnut Gunstock For an Imperial German Luger Semi Auto Pistol, Likely the Long Barrel Navy or Artillery Luger. These Luger Accessories Are Now Pretty Rare & Turn Up Most Infrequently.

In fact , after a reasonable effort at research we could find no other quite like it for sale anywhere worldwide, even the regular flat sided military issue tupes are not to be seen at present, unless they were with a complete pistol. A super old piece of Luger pistol kit, to transfer the pistol into an effective carbine.

Overall in excellent condition, the steel locking bracket does has some old small pitting in small areas.

A usual example, the regular military type was thin slab sided walnut. This is a traditional full butt stock form example.

We have fitted it to some of our private collection Lugers and it fitted our long barrel artillery and navy Lugers butt stock mount well, and it fitted into the slots of all the Lugers perfectly, but on some WW2 lugers the locking latch was tight. This may well be that the old WW1 lugers had had their carbine stocks fitted frequently, and our WW2 Lugers may never have used the carbine stock option in service at all so had no internal slot wear at all to make a good fit.

The Pistole Parabellum or Parabellum-Pistole (Pistol Parabellum), commonly known as just the Luger or Luger P08, is a toggle-locked recoil-operated semi-automatic pistol. The Luger was produced in several models and by several nations from 1898 to 1949.

The design was patented by Georg Luger. It was meant to be an improvement of the Borchardt C-93 pistol, and was initially produced as the Parabellum Automatic Pistol, Borchardt-Luger System by the German arms manufacturer Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken (DWM). The first production model was known as the Modell 1900 Parabellum. It was followed by the "Marinepistole 1904" for the Imperial German Navy.

At the beginning of World War I, not all units of the German Army had been equipped with the Luger, leading to an acceleration in production. Alongside the P08, Germany also developed the LP08, a version with a stock and longer barrel that could also accept drum magazines. The LP08 was used by the Luftstreitkräfte during the early days of the war, before planes were equipped with machine guns, although due to a lack of pre-war production, the LP08 was much less commonly used than the P08. The main user of the LP08 was the Army, who used its drum magazine to deliver a high rate of fire at a close range, a concept which would lead to the development of the Stormtroopers and the MP 18. After the end of the war, Germany signed the Treaty of Versailles, which restricted the size of their army – the treaty specified that the German Army could only have 50,000 pistols, and prohibited submachine guns and pistols with stocks altogether  read more

Code: 25861

A S98/05 S or m.S.'Sawback'. The Infamous German WW1 'Sawback' Mauser Butcher Bayonet. A Recovered Relic From The Somme. Only 6% Of The Mauser Bayonets Were Fitted With Sawback, and 99.9% Of Those Later Officially Removed in 1917

The Somme Offensive

The First Battle of the Somme (July 1 - November 18, 1916) was an Anglo-French offensive whose objective was to overstretch and wear down the German army on the Western Front. Originally, the French were to lead the attack, with the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) providing support. Yet after the French army was devastated at Verdun, the British were left to take the principal role. British training was far from complete, and their strategy was also flawed; thinly spread artillery, defective munitions (largely British-produced), and inexperienced troops led to a disastrous initial British assault – some 57,000 casualties. In comparison, the French army, with plenty of combat experience from the engagements at Ypres and Verdun, took its objectives with 1,600 casualties. After a significant Allied advance followed by a period of stagnation in the face of strong German defensive positions, powerful and successive French and British offensives drove the German army back, but failed to break their lines. Only the coming of winter ended the offensive. In its incredible violence, The Somme came to represent the terror and senselessness of the Western Front. The German army suffered heavy losses: more than 500,000 casualties and a serious crisis of morale. The British suffered 420,000 and the French 202,000 casualties. Yet the battle ultimately provided Allied commanders with the strategic experience they needed in order to be successful in the future.

The Mauser Gew98 Sawback 'Butcher' bayonet was issued in WW1 but was soon altered by the German soldiers, by way of the removal of the sawback edge.
It was commonly alleged that a German soldier captured alive with his 'Sawback' intact would be immediately killed by his allied captors, as the gruesomeness of the bayonet was much resented by the allied soldiers. This bayonet however is completely unaltered and it's sawback is intact, despite being in relic condition.

Germany used a wide variety of bayonets on the Mauser Gew-8 and Kar-98 rifles. They entered World War 1 issuing the 1898/05 or ‘Butcher Blade’ model. As the war progressed the shorter blade types and the ersatz models were introduced.
A small percentage of German bayonets were made with a saw back. They were only to noncommissioned officers or pioneer troops.

The Seitengewehr 98/05 has a wood handle and swept back quillon. 14.5-inch single edge butcher blade, marker marked on the ricasso. Early versions have the saw back as does ours. The saw back was phased out during the war due to negative Allied propaganda. Most had the saw back ground off and re-issued. The first scabbards were leather with steel fittings, followed by all steel.

At the beginning of the Great War, the M1898/05 came with high ears and without flash guard. Pioneers and machine gunner crews used this version because of its suitability to chopping down bushes. The sawback was a favoured tool among German Military units.

The Seitengewehr 98/05 was introduced into the Prussian army in late 1905, as a replacement for the 98/02 for engineers and pioneer troops, as the 98/02 was deemed to long and heavy for it's intended purpose and one and a half times the length of the 1898/05. Initial production was in two versions, the first plain backed, and the second with 29 double teeth. The bayonet, as typical of German blades, did not have more than a vestigial muzzle ring, relying on the length of the hilt mounting to fix the blade to its rifle. The plain back version was identified as the S98/05 or S98/05 o.S. (ohne Säge - without saw) and the saw back as the S98/05 S or m.S. (mit Säge - with saw). About 6% of blades made were fitted with the saw back

At the beginning of WWI it was found that the S98/05 had a problem when used with the Karabiner 98 rifle, the shorter barrel on this model led to burning and damage to the grips as the barrel finished before the vestigial muzzle ring, so in1915 it was decided to fit a steel flash guard (Schutzbleche) to the back of the bayonet to protect the grips. The bayonet was modified by removing most of the muzzle ring remaining, reducing the back of the tang and adding the flash guard.

The sawback version of the bayonet soon became very unpopular on both sides of the frontline. When plunged into the enemy, this style of blade pulled out the victim’s insides when removed causing exceptional pain, suffering and inevitably death. It was communicated to the German army that French and British soldiers would torture and then killed their troops if found with a sawback blade on their bayonet. Therefore an order was issued in 1917 that all sawbacks be removed from service . A super rare piece.  read more

Code: 26407

Most Attractive, Cased, Warsaw Pact, Cold War Communist, Red Star, 'Outstanding Workers Medal'

A "Kiváló Műszaki Dolgozó" (Excellent Technical Worker) presentation medal set from the Communist-era Hungarian People's Republic. Issued primarily during the Kádár regime {1957} of the Cold War, this specific civilian award was part of the state-sponsored "socialist labour competition" designed to incentivise high productivity, workplace discipline, and loyalty to the regime among technical personnel and engineers

The medal typically features prominent socialist iconography including a red star, often alongside a hammer, sickle, or industrial motifs, and is finished in red, white, and green enamelling to mirror the Hungarian flag. Collector sets originally, and came cased in their original red presentation boxes, lined with velvet and cream satin, accompanied by a miniature lapel pin intended for everyday wear.

The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 (23 October – 4 November 1956; also known as the Hungarian Uprising, was an attempted countrywide revolution against the government of the Hungarian People's Republic (1949–1989) and the policies caused by the government's subordination to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).
The uprising lasted 15 days before being crushed by Soviet tanks and troops on 7 November 1956 (outside of Budapest, firefights lasted until at least 12 November 1956). Thousands were killed or wounded, and nearly a quarter of a million Hungarians fled the country.

The Hungarian Revolution began on 23 October 1956 in Budapest when university students appealed to the civil populace to join them at the Hungarian Parliament Building to protest the USSR's geopolitical domination of Hungary through the communist government of Mátyás Rákosi. A delegation of students entered the building of Magyar Rádió to broadcast their sixteen demands for political and economic reforms to civil society, but were detained by security guards. When the student protesters outside the radio building demanded the release of their delegation, a group of police from the ÁVH (State Protection Authority) fatally shot several of the students. The siege of the Radio building began shortly after midnight and ended around 8 a.m.
At that point, the revolutionaries broke into the building and captured the soldiers, officer cadets, and members of the universally hated ÁVH (State Protection Authority) and made them their prisoners.
ÁVH officer Major Fehér was executed with a shot to the back of the head.

The extreme public hatred exposed by these events forced the revolutionary government of Imre Nagy to officially dissolve the ÁVH shortly thereafter.  read more

Code: 26399

A Most Scarce Edwardian Hampshire Yeomanry Carabiniers Regimental Silver Place Badge With 'Battle Honour' Scroll, South Africa 1900-1901

The Hampshire rose to the centre of a crowned oval bearing the title, Hampshire Yeomanry, backed by a pair of crossed rifles, with the 'Carabiniers' scroll across the rifle butts and surmounted by Edward VIIth's King's crown, with the regimental 'Battle Honour' scroll of South Africa 1900-1. Tension sprung silver half hoop at the rear to insert a card, menu or regimental seating place name. In very good condition for age.

Between 1794 and 1803, a large number of cavalry units such as the North Hampshire Yeomanry Cavalry, the New Forest Volunteer Cavalry, the Fawley Light Dragoons and the Southampton Cavalry were raised in southern England as independent groups of Yeomanry. The Prime Minister, William Pitt the Younger, proposed that the English Counties form a force of Volunteer Yeoman Cavalry that could be called on by the King to defend the country against invasion or by the Lord Lieutenant to subdue any civil disorder within the country. These units were brought together under the collective title of North Hampshire Regiment of Yeomanry Cavalry in 1834, renamed Hampshire Regiment of Yeomanry Cavalry by 1848. The Regiment adopted the title 'Carabiniers' in 1887.

On 13 December 1899, the decision to allow volunteer forces serve in the Second Boer War was made. Due to the string of defeats during Black Week in December, 1899, the British government realized they were going to need more troops than just the regular army, thus issuing a Royal Warrant on 24 December 1899. This warrant officially created the Imperial Yeomanry. The Royal Warrant asked standing Yeomanry regiments to provide service companies of approximately 115 men each. In addition to this, many British citizens (usually mid-upper class) volunteered to join the new regiment.

The first contingent of recruits contained 550 officers, 10,371 men with 20 battalions and 4 companies, which arrived in South Africa between February and April, 1900. Upon arrival, the regiment was sent throughout the zone of operations. The Hampshire Yeomanry raised the 41st Company, 12th Battalion, and the first company left Southampton on 31 January 1900, bound for Cape Town  read more

Code: 25190

Soviet, USSR (CCCP) WW2 1945, Liberation Of Warsaw Medal "ЗА ОСВОБОЖДЕНИЕ ВАРШАВЫ" (For the Liberation of Warsaw)

Awarded to Soviet military personnel and partisans who directly participated in the capture and liberation of Warsaw between January 14 and January 17, 1945.

Made of brass, featuring the inscription "ЗА ОСВОБОЖДЕНИЕ ВАРШАВЫ" (For the Liberation of Warsaw) encircling a radiating starburst and laurel wreath at the bottom.

From a small former intelligence officer's collection of original surviving WW2 psychological warfare propaganda leaflets and post war, Cold War period Soviet medals we were delighted to acquire.

A blue silk moiré ribbon with a wide red stripe down the centre, flanked by narrow yellow edge stripes

Vistula–Oder Breakthrough: Marking Warsaw’s Liberation, January 1945
Instituted in the first weeks after victory in Europe, the Medal for the Liberation of Warsaw honoured Red Army, Navy, Air Force, NKVD, and Polish People’s Army personnel who took part in the operation that freed Poland’s capital on 17 January 1945.

Fought as part of the Vistula–Oder Offensive, the campaign combined river crossings, armor thrusts, and urban clearance. For collectors, this liberation medal pairs classic late-war Soviet design with substantial documentation potential and award numbers that sit between the largest victory issues and the scarcer city medals.

The Red Army liberated Warsaw on January 17, 1945, during the Soviet Vistula–Oder Strategic Offensive.
However, there is an important and vital historical backstory.
On August 1, 1944, the Polish underground Home Army (Armia Krajowa) launched the Warsaw Uprising to liberate the city from Nazi occupation before Soviet forces arrived.

The Warsaw Uprising triggered another stage of destruction. The Germans introduced artillery (including rocket artillery) and aviation into the fight. The insurgents did not have the strength to counteract these attacks. In turn, the German forces aimed to demolish as many houses as possible in order to destroy the insurgent resistance points. The Wehrmacht organized special units whose task was to set fire to Warsaw tenement houses.

After the uprising was suppressed, the Germans began systematic demolition of the remained buildings. Valuable home furnishings were transported inside Germany. It is estimated that the Germans used about 45,000 train wagons to move the goods stolen in Warsaw.

The Soviet Red Army halted its advance on the eastern bank of the Vistula River (in the Praga suburb) and remained idle for months while German forces brutally crushed the 63-day uprising, literally within view of the USSR armed forces

After the Polish resistance surrendered on October 2, 1944, German forces systematically razed and destroyed most of Warsaw

The losses caused by the uprising were not prevented in any way by the Red Army although its artillery and air force were stationed at hand. Stalin, for purely political reasons, allowed the destruction of the Poland’s capital city. According to propaganda messages, the Soviet forces did not have the necessary strength to counteract from the left-bank of Vistula. But meanwhile the Soviets found time and resources to create a terror apparatus to capture Polish soldiers from the Home Army who were tortured in the NKVD headquarters in Strzelecka or Władysław IV streets.

On January 12–14, 1945, Soviet and Polish allied forces resumed a massive offensive Troops from the 1st Belorussian Front and the 1st Polish Army entered the ruined city and took full control within three days on January 17, 1945 Years of occupation and final demolition reduced Warsaw's population from roughly 1.3 million before the war to a mere 150,000–162,000 survivors.
The capture, after the Germans were left undisturbed in order to destroy much of Warsaw, which allowed the Soviet Union to install a pro-communist Polish administration rather than restore the London-based Polish government-in-exile, leading to decades of communist rule.

Warsaw was ruined in 84% when the Red Army troops entered on 17 January 1945. The destruction was also a result of the Soviet’s indifference. Throughout the years of the People's Republic of Poland, this information was carefully censored. After the World War II, Warsaw had to put its homes on the altar of the Polish-Soviet friendship. In order to build the Stalin’s Palace of Culture and Science, 170 tenement houses were further demolished, and their inhabitants were relocated to the district of Muranów.  read more

Code: 26397

Original Soviet USSR Medal For The Capture of Berlin 1945. Original Ribbon {Wear Faded} & Brass Suspension Plate With Original Order of Glory Moiré Ribbon

The image shows a Soviet World War II Medal "For the Capture of Berlin" (Медаль «За взятие Берлина») attached to a standard pentagonal suspension ribbon• Inscription: The front features a five-pointed star at the top and the Russian text «ЗА ВЗЯТИЕ БЕРЛИНА» ("For the Capture of Berlin"), framed by an oak wreath at the bottom.
It is mounted on a pentagonal brass suspension ring wrapped in the red and black striped Order of Glory (St. George) ribbon.

From a small former intelligence officer's collection of original surviving WW2 psychological warfare propaganda leaflets and post war, Cold War period Soviet medals we were delighted to acquire.

Established by the Soviet Union on June 9, 1945, this campaign medal was awarded to soldiers of the Red Army, Navy, and NKVD who directly participated in the assault and capture of Berlin between April 22 and May 2, 1945.

Final Assault on the Reich: Commemorating the Fall of Berlin, May 1945
Created in the first weeks after victory in Europe, the Medal for the Capture of Berlin honored Red Army, Navy, Air Force, and NKVD personnel who directly participated in the city’s storming and surrender in April–May 1945. As the signature commemorative of the final offensive on the Eastern Front, it carries powerful historical resonance. For collectors, it offers classic late-war Soviet design, strong documentation potential, and award numbers that, while large, are far lower than the ubiquitous Victory medal.

A circular brass campaign medal on the standard pentagonal suspension, the Berlin medal combines a bold text obverse with a historically precise reverse date—marking the city’s capitulation. Period pieces exhibit clean lettering and even, well-struck fields.
Soviet pentagonal mount with moiré ribbon.

Obverse Details
Legend “ЗА ВЗЯТИЕ БЕРЛИНА” (“For the Capture of Berlin”).
Star and laurel elements framing the inscription; “2 МАЯ 1945” (2 May 1945), marking the city’s fall.

Commemorates the climactic operation of April–May 1945 culminating in the capitulation of Berlin and the end of the war in Europe.
Issued to a broad spectrum of combat and support arms—assault infantry, armour, artillery, sappers, medics, signals, and aviation units tied to the operation.

The military defence of the German capital took place between 16 April and 2 May 1945, serving as the final cataclysmic chapter of World War II in Europe. An overwhelming Soviet force of 2.5 million troops, 6,250 tanks, and over 41,000 artillery pieces advanced on the city. Facing them was a depleted, ad-hoc German force consisting of exhausted regular soldiers, elderly Volkssturm militia, and heavily indoctrinated Hitler Youth children.General Gotthard Heinrici attempted to stop the Soviets 90 kilometres east of the city at the Seelow Heights. Using clever tactical retreats to evade the opening Soviet bombardment, German forces delayed Marshal Georgy Zhukov's forces for four days before being entirely bypassed and encircled.Once the Red Army broke into the city, General Helmuth Weidling divided Berlin into eight defensive zones. Fighting became brutally claustrophobic; Germans hid in apartment basements using Panzerfaust anti-tank rockets to ambush Soviet armor, while the Soviets adapted by using heavy anti-aircraft guns to level upper floors street by street.The defence collapsed rapidly following Adolf Hitler's suicide in the Führerbunker on 30 April. General Weidling officially surrendered the city garrison to the Soviets on 2 May 1945  read more

Code: 26398

Fascinating German WW2 Public Notice Poster Regarding Two Luftwaffe Flyers. Public Metaphorical Crucifixion of Former Luftwaffe Fighting Aces. Blamed For The Loss of The Battleship Tirpitz

Der flieger flyer Stefan Egidy hat sich vorsatzlich auf wache einen schuss in den oberschenkel beigebracht, um seine zeitweise versetzung in das helmatgeblet zu erreichen .er hat dabel einen ueberfall seitens franzosen vorgetauscht durch urtell des feldkriegsgerichts ist er wegen zerstzung der wehrkraft durch selbstverstummelung und wegen wachvergehen zu 5 jahren zucthaus und verlust der wehrwurdigkeit verurteilt worden. Roughly it translates that Flyer Stefan Egidy was court martialled for a self inflicted wounding and sentence to 5 years and loss of privileges. Also Flieger flyer Niklaus Nels was similar court-martialled and sentenced to 3 years 6 months. German pilots were occasionally court-martialled for all manner of reasons, another one at the time was Born in Oberbalbach, Heinrich Ehrler, he grew up in the Weimar Republic and Third Reich as one of 12 children. He joined the military service in the Wehrmacht in 1935, initially service with the artillery and anti-aircraft artillery. He participated in the Spanish Civil War and following the outbreak of World War II transferred to the Jagdwaffe (fighter force). Following flight training, he was posted to the 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77?77th Fighter Wing), which was later redesignated to 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 5 (JG 5?5th Fighter Wing).

Scapegoated for the loss of the German battleship Tirpitz, Ehrler - who had been nominated for the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords prior to the disaster - was court-martialled, stripped of his command and sentenced to three years and two months Festungshaft (honorable imprisonment). Ehrler's sentence was later commuted and his loss of rank rescinded, and in February 1945 he was transferred to Jagdgeschwader 7. According to his fellow pilots, Ehrler thereafter flew in the increasingly desperate air battles without the purpose and dedication that had made him one of the Luftwaffe's most successful aces. On 4 April 1945, he shot down two Allied bombers for his final two victories, before destroying a third by ramming with his damaged aircraft after having run out of ammunition. His last recorded statement was "Theo, I have run out of ammunition. I'm going to ram this one. Good bye. We'll see each other in Valhalla." - Heinrich Ehrler's last transmission over the Squadron Radio Network before he rammed the B-24 bomber "Trouble in Mind," piloted by Captain John Ray, destroying both aircraft and killing himself. Central tear through middle can't be seen in photo

Intriguing ephemera from the 3rd Reich would look very fine if framed, obviously not in good condition but as direct examples of WW2 aeronautical history absolutely fascinating. Remarkable to survive and probably unique examples.  read more

Code: 19675

British WW2 Anti Hitler Propaganda Pamphlet "Ein Peinliches Versprechen" An Embarrassing Promise

From a small former intelligence officer's collection of original surviving WW2 psychological warfare propaganda leaflets we were delighted to acquire.

"ein peinliches versprechen". An air dropped propaganda leaflet pointing out that Hitler prophesied a German victory in 1941, as the Year of Final Victory. Undermining the Fuhrer Myth through Black Propaganda and clandestine means became the stated objective of the OSS.

Leaflets for propaganda, could be dropped by balloons and planes over enemy territory, or, distributed by hand when in occupied or allied territory. They was used heavily in both world wars by all sides. In World War II, special bombs were developed to disperse airborne leaflets. Used as a form of psychological warfare, these leaflets were dropped in enemy-controlled territory to incite fear, coerce surrender, or turn the populace against their leadership. This tactic proved to be largely ineffective, except when morale among troops was extremely low. Leaflet bombs are still used today in military warfare, as well as by radical political and ideological groups.

Toward the end of World War II, Germany dropped millions of propaganda leaflets on enemy lines to encourage troops to surrender. Some of these leaflets were tailored to African American soldiers and suggested they would be treated better as German prisoners of war than as citizens in their own country.

Nazi Germany was not known for its fair treatment of people of African descent, or any persons who weren’t Aryan. Black people were frequently vilified and deemed uncivilised in Nazi propaganda. Yet, Germany was willing to use any tactics necessary to avoid defeat, including highlighting American racism, to exploit existing tensions within the U.S. military..

Although these pamphlets were made in their tens of thousands almost all were destroyed either immediately or at the wars cessation, so few survive and mostly survive today in national archives or museums.

8.25 inches x 5.25 inches  read more

Code: 24498