A Scarce Pattern, Edwardian Army Service Corps Helmet Plate

This is not the standard type used from 1902 as they are gilt and have an upright capitalised type font. The Canadian version is very similar but with the word Canada below within asmall scroll, and again, gilt, whereas this example is white metal. Two lugs remaining. The officers and men of the ASC ? sometimes referred to in a joking way as Ally Sloper?s Cavalry ? were the unsung heroes of the British Army in the Great War. Soldiers can not fight without food, equipment and ammunition. They can not move without horses or vehicles. It was the ASC?s job to provide them. In the Great War, the vast majority of the supply, maintaining a vast army on many fronts, was supplied from Britain. Using horsed and motor vehicles, railways and waterways, the ASC performed prodigious feats of logistics and were one of the great strengths of organisation by which the war was won. The largest element of the ASC was the Horse Transport section.

Most Horse Transport Companies were under orders of Divisions, with four normally being grouped into a Divisional Train. Others were part of the Lines of Communication where they were variously known by subtitles as Auxiliary Supply Companies or Reserve Parks.

Soldiers who served in the Horse Transport usually had the letter T as a prefix to their number. The British Army was already the most mechanised in the world when the Great War began, in terms of use of mechanical transport. It maintained that leadership, and by 1918 this was a strategically important factor in being able to maintain supply as the armies made considerable advances over difficult ground.

All Mechanical Transport Companies were part of the Lines of Communication and were not under orders of a Division, although some (unusually known as Divisional Supply Columns and Divisional Ammunition Parks) were in effect attached to a given Division and worked closely with it. Those in the Lines of Communication operated in wide variety of roles, such as being attached to the heavy artillery as Ammunition Columns or Parks, being Omnibus Companies, Motor Ambulance Convoys, or Bridging and Pontoon units.

Soldiers who served in the Mechanical Transport usually had the letter M as a prefix to their number.  read more

Code: 20295

An Original Edwardian English Lord Lieutenant's Tunic Circa 1902

Superb silver bullion eppaulettes, collar, and cuffs. Gilt crown buttons red melton wool cloth, with gold bullion sash. To have a current Lord Lieutenant's tunic bespoke mde today by a Saville Row tailor would cost around £4,600 with an additional £750 for the sash. In England and Wales and in Ireland, the lord lieutenant was the principal officer of his county. The office's creation dates from the Tudors. The cloth has various small moth and liner incomplete

Lieutenants were first appointed to a number of English historic counties by Henry VIII in the 1540s, when the military functions of the sheriff were handed over to him. He raised and was responsible for the efficiency of the local militia units of the county, and afterwards of the yeomanry, and volunteers. He was commander of these forces, whose officers he appointed. These commissions were originally of temporary duration, and only when the situation required the local militia to be specially supervised and well prepared often where invasion by Scotland or France might be expected. Tunic in average condition for age, but tiny moth holes and very little inner liner remaining. Ideal for collection or display  read more

Code: 17833

A Rare, Victorian, British Royal Engineer's Sword, Prussian Designed, British Army Issue, Experimental Sword of The Royal Engineers, The Driver's Sword, Model of 1850

Used in the Crimean War, and for sale as a very, very inexpensive rare Royal Engineers sword, due to its pitted surface. This sword was originally a Prussian experimental cavalry sword that was once issued for testing, to a limited number of Prussian Hussar regiments, in 1850. It was in fact not actually finally approved by the Prussians, but it's form was continued and developed until it's successor sword eventually evolved to become the Prussian Model of 1852 Cavalry Hussar Sabre. Those experimental 1850 swords were withdrawn from service by the Prussian Cavalry, and they were placed in storage in Liege in Belgium for disposal.
There was an article published in the "Deutsches Waffen Journal" about this sword. On the sword they had, it had on the guard, the regimental marking of the 4th squadron, Prussian Garde-Husaren regiment and on the spine of blade a crowned FW 50 and German D mark. This confirms it was the Prussian Hussar experimental issue of 1850. On the ricasso was an S&K marking with Crowned L 8 and two British Ordnance broad arrows to show that this pattern of sword was thus purchased and re-issued to the British army. So, these very rarely seen swords are recorded as the Royal Engineers 1850 Driver's pattern swords, but they were originally known as the Prussian experimental Hussar sword, that after disapproval were then removed to Liege and later sold to the British Ordnance through the Liege armourers. It came from the descendant family of a Crimean War Royal Engineer. Our example is certainly age worn, in fact none of it's original markings are now still visible unfortunately. However, it is a most rare and fascinating piece. To collectors of British [and Prussian] swords this would make a most fascinating addition, especially, that if particularly searched for, it may take many years to find another, if at all. The condition is certainly not good, but its rarity and significance is considerable. All over russetted, no scabbard, damaged grip. There used to be an example identical to this one in the Royal Small Arms Factory Enfield. Pattern Room  read more

Code: 14569

A Very Rare WW2 Japanese Shell Case From a Type 11 37mm Infantry Anti Tank Gun

Souvenir of an British officer gifted to him by an Australian officer, who served in the Pacific War in WW2. All Japanese munitions from WW2 are incredibly rare to see in the UK as so few returning soldiers bothered to collect them and bring them home, plus all WW2 arms of all kinds were destroyed in Japan from 1945. For them it was a determined effort to wipe out all mention and thought of WW2 and to eradicate any reminder of the shame. All marked items of that period were banned, and in fact a rule that is still enforced in Japan today. The shell schematics are; Calibre Diameter: 37mm
Case Length: 132mm
Rim: R
Round Index: Shell Type 95 AP
Projectile Index: Type 95 AP
Projectile Weight: 0,67000 kg
Filler Weight: 0,03500 kg
Usage: Type 11 37mm Infantry Gun, Type 94 37mm Anti-Tank Gun & Type 94 37mm Tank Gun

Armour piercing/high Explosive round for Type 11 Infantry Gun, early Type 94 AT & Tank Guns. Inert and safe not suitable for export.  read more

Code: 24280

WW2 Third Reich Customs Officials Shoulder Board

A WW2 Third Reich Customs (Zoll) Official epaulette. The Green & silver epaulette with silver and green inner sections, on a green wool field. Metal 'RZD' (Reichszolldienst) monogram .Zollgrenzschutz (ZGS) (lit. 'Customs Border Guards') was an organization under the German Finance Ministry from 1937 to 1945. It was charged with guarding Germany's borders, acting as a combination Border Patrol and Customs & Immigration service.

In Nazi Germany it was formed in 1937 by Fritz Reinhardt, a State Secretary of the Finance Ministry. It came to comprise about 50,000 officials. The Border Police (Grenzpolizei), which had the tasks of passport and border control, was different from the Customs Border Guards (Zollgrenzschutz).

Heinrich Himmler tried to bring the Zollgrenzschutz under the control of the Schutzstaffel (SS), which was unsuccessful at first. During the war, the units were used in occupied territories outside of Germany. A significant portion of younger officials were recruited to the Wehrmacht, leaving the Zollgrenzschutz with older men. After the 20 July 1944 assassination attempt on Hitler, the units were taken out of the control of the Finance Ministry and placed under Amt IV (Gestapo) of the Reich Security Main Office (RSHA)

Photo in the gallery of Oberzollrat of the Zollgrenzschutz [far left] with Field Marshal Ernst Rommel [middle]  read more

Code: 19481

A Superb, Solid Silver Gilt and Enamel Royal Antediluvian Order Of Buffaloes Order Of Merit

Hallmarked silver with fine mint enamelling and silk ribbon, known within the order as a jewel. The Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes (RAOB) was one of the largest fraternal organisations in the United Kingdom. The order started in 1822 and is known as the Buffs to members.

The RAOB organisation aids members, their families, dependents of former members and other charitable organisations. The order has a Rule Book, Manual of Instruction and Ceremony Lectures issued and revised by the Grand Lodge of England based at Harrogate in England. The 'lodge' description for branch organisation and headquarters was adopted in imitation of Freemasonry but RAOB is completely open in its objectives, activities and ritual. The RAOB was begun in the Harp Tavern (opposite the Drury Lane Theatre) by the artist Joseph Lisle and comedian William Sinnett along with other stage hands and theatre technicians in August 1822. It drew its then name of The Buffaloes from a popular song of the time We?ll chase the Buffalo. This first meeting is historically the Phoenix Lodge No.1. As members toured the country with various shows lodges were opened in other towns.

The Order's motto "No Man Is At All Times Wise" (Latin: Nemo Mortalium Omnibus Horis Sapit) and has the maxim of "Justice, Truth and Philanthropy".  read more

Code: 19115

Rare, Complete and Original, Triumph Magazine Portfolio of Flying

Original 1930's issue. Softcover, in exceellent condition, about 3.5 x 5.25 inches but folds out to about 14 x 5.25 inches, folds out to 4 panels with each panel have two small booklets (about 3 x 2 inches each), each booklet contains 7 small b&w photos or illustrations, the booklets are as follows: Queer Aircraft ( glider plane; Westland-Hill Pterodactyl 3 seater; Northrop Beta monoplane; Focke Wulf; Cierva autogiro; seaplane; mono-spar 3 seater ), ---All in a Days Flying ( iceberg patrol; aerial mountie gets his man; stemming the stampede; answering an SOS; Air Mail; the flying shop (delivering goods to natives); rescuing stranded mountaineers ) ---Trail Blazers of the Air ( Charles Lindbergh; Richard Byrd; J A Mollison; Charles Kingsford-Smith; Bert Hinkler; Amy Johnson; Alan Cobham ) ---Stunting in Space ( wing walkers, acrobats, dare devils; etc ) ---War Hawks ( a zeppelin hunter; machine gunning the artillery; dog fight; British blimp bombs a submarine; destroying an observation balloon; etc) ---Great Gas Bags ( the Graf zeppelin; Picard's Stratosphere balloon; USS Akron; jumping balloon; Spanish observation balloon; American airship moored; a plane carrying airship ) ----Guardians of the Empire's Airways ( fighter taking off from aircraft carrier Furious; 20 ton RAF monoplane; Blackburn Napier torpedo plane; desert patrol; loading a bomber; getting an RAF searchlight ready; catapulting a plane from a submarine ) ---Planes of all Nations ( Belgian fighter; british 38 seaterand Puss Moth; French Paris to London liner; Italian S.55 flying boat; Junker; Swiss Dornier Do-X; American military transport plane ),  read more

Code: 18200

A Miniature Waterloo Period 'Brown Bess' Musket Bayonet

Original hand engineered miniature, made post war by renown miniaturist engineer Ronald Platt. Photographed alongside the original bayonet to show perspective. the Third or India Pattern became the standard British musket in use throughout the remainder of French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars and was used in almost every theatre in which the British were present. It was the musket that the British soldier carried during the Peninsular War and the Hundred Days campaign including both the battles of Quatre Bras and Waterloo. It was also used in the War of 1812 in North America.  read more

Code: 21596

An Early Fine Miniature Single Shot Bolt Action Rifle

Showing all the minute detail of the original bolt action rifle. European armies continued to develop bolt-action rifles through the latter half of the nineteenth century, first adopting tubular magazines as on the Kropatschek rifle and the Lebel rifle, a magazine system pioneered by the Winchester rifle of 1866. The first bolt-action repeating rifle was the Vetterli rifle of 1867 and the first bolt-action repeating rifle to use centerfire cartridges was the weapon designed by the Viennese gunsmith Ferdinand Fruwirth in 1871. Ultimately, the military turned to bolt-action rifles using a box magazine; the first of its kind was the M1885 Remington Lee, but the first to be generally adopted was the British 1888 Lee-Metford. World War I marked the height of the bolt-action rifle's use, with all of the nations in that war fielding troops armed with various bolt-action designs. Probably a Colt or Remington pattern. 6 inches long Non working original hand engineered miniature, made post war by renown miniaturist engineer Ronald Platt.  read more

Code: 21285

A Georgian 18th century Carved Horn Primer or Pistol Flask

made in the 18th and used into the early 19th century. With powder measure screw on cap. Cow horn with wooden base plate.
Firearms became more and more sophisticated during the 16th-century but still required a number of accessories to load and operate them. The main charge, placed in the barrel with the shot, was carried in the powder flask. Smaller priming flasks contained fine-grain powder for priming the pans of wheel-lock firearms. Flasks were attached to a bandolier, a type of sling worn over the shoulder or around the waist, from which hung the various accessories required for a weapon including spanners for the mechanism, measured charges, powder flasks and priming flasks.  read more

Code: 21666