Original Viking Cross Pendant, Worn in the Viking Lands of Grand Prince Oleg and Vladimir the Great Period, A Christian Cross Pendant in Bronze

Part of a small Viking artefacts collection, the first cross sold within a day or so. A one piece cast bronze cross with chain ring neck mount, thus still eminently wearable today. From a fabulous small collection of original, Viking, 9th century early Christian artefacts. Only two items, including this one remains for sale, the other sold within 10 minutes of upload to the site.
A Viking realm founded by the Viking, Oleg, ruler of Novgorod Kievanrus from c. 879, who seized Smolensk and Kiev 882, which became his capital. Viking Prince Oleg can be seen depicted, and as a central character, in the well regarded and incredibly popular worldwide drama series ‘Viking’, in series 6 shown by the History channel.
Extending his rule, Oleg united local Slavic and Finnish tribes, defeated the Khazars, and, in 911, arranged trade agreements with Constantinople. His empire peaked in the 10th and 11th centuries under Vladimir I and Yaroslav, becoming eastern Europe’s chief political and cultural centre. At Yaroslav’s death in 1054, his sons divided the empire into warring factions. The 13th-century Mongol conquest decisively ended its power. Although Oleg was pagan it was the time that Christianity took hold in Viking realms. In the Viking Age most of Europe had converted to Christianity, but the Vikings were very satisfied with their own gods and held on to them. ... By the end of the Viking period, around 1050, most Vikings were Christians. They were baptised, went to church and were buried in a Christian manner. he Viking Age was a period of considerable religious change in Scandinavia. Part of the popular image of the Vikings is that they were all pagans, with a hatred of the Christian Church, but this view is very misleading. It is true that almost the entire population of Scandinavia was pagan at the beginning of the Viking Age, but the Vikings had many gods, and it was no problem for them to accept the Christian god alongside their own. Most scholars today believe that Viking attacks on Christian churches had nothing to do with religion, but more to do with the fact that monasteries were typically both wealthy and poorly defended, making them an easy target for plunder.

...monasteries were typically both wealthy and poorly defended, making them an easy target for plunder.

The Vikings came into contact with Christianity through their raids, and when they settled in lands with a Christian population, they adopted Christianity quite quickly. This was true in Normandy, Ireland, and throughout the British Isles. Although contemporary accounts say little about this, we can see it in the archaeological evidence. Pagans buried their dead with grave goods, but Christians normally didn't, and this makes it relatively easy to spot the change in religion.

As well as conversion abroad, the Viking Age also saw a gradual conversion in Scandinavia itself, as Anglo-Saxon and German missionaries arrived to convert the pagans. By the mid-11th century, Christianity was well established in Denmark and most of Norway. Although there was a temporary conversion in Sweden in the early 11th century, it wasn't until the mid-12th century that Christianity became established there. As part of the process of conversion the Christians took over traditional pagan sites. A good example of this can be seen at Gamle Uppsala in Sweden, where the remains of an early church stand alongside a series of huge pagan burial mounds. for those that follow the superb History Channel's series, Vikings, he is the main protagonist of series 6. Kievan Rus was largely pagan until the late 10th century, when Vladimir the Great took power and introduced Christianity. The conversion actually resulted from a deal between Vladimir and the Byzantine Emperor. Vladimir agreed to convert to Christianity and send the emperor 6,000 soldiers to defend his throne; in exchange, Vladimir would marry the emperor’s sister.The transition to Christianity in Denmark took place gradually and without major conflict. The Vikings regarded the new belief as supplementing the Nordic gods – it was not simply a choice between the old and the new religion. The Vikings’ belief in many gods meant that it was possible for the new Christian god, White Christ, to be worshipped alongside gods like Thor and Odin.

In this way both religious beliefs could exist alongside each other. One religion did not exclude the other. This is shown by the find of a mould, which the smith could use to make both Thor’s hammers and Christian crosses. It was a time of great change and perhaps the Vikings sought security in both religious creeds – just to be on the safe side.a smith’s mould from Trend in Jutland, which has spaces for two crosses and one hammer. The smith could use it to produce exactly which amulets his customers wanted. In addition, a medieval font from Gettrup, in Jutland, displays both crosses and Thor’s hammers. Several Thor’s hammers, which feature cross ornamentation, have also been found. The Viking belief in the Norse gods was thus reinterpreted and drawn into Christianity.The Jelling Stone displays what is probably the earliest image of Christ from Scandinavia. But there are also clear pre-Christian elements on the stone. Tendrils or interlacing branches, surround Christ, just as Odin could also be depicted surrounded by tendrils or branches. 42mm x 28mm

Every item is accompanied with our unique, Certificate of Authenticity. Of course any certificate of authenticity, given by even the best specialist dealers, in any field, all around the world, is simply a piece of paper,…however, ours is backed up with the fact we are the largest dealers of our kind in the world, with over 100 years and four generation’s of professional trading experience behind us  read more

Code: 24035

A Long Bronze Age Tanged Spear From the Pre-History Era Of Achilles and Hector & The Legendary Tojan War

Another stunning spear from our ancient weapon collection acquired. Circa 1400 B.C. around 3,500 years old, with a fabulous natural aged patination and in a very sound and excellent condition for age indeed. This is a most handsome and beautiful ancient bronze tanged spear, Blade is double edged, with a flat central rib, and long tang. From one of the most fascinating eras in ancient world pre-history, the era of the so called Trojan Wars.
The ancient Greeks believed the Trojan War was a historical event that had taken place in the 13th or 12th century BC, and it is reasonably believed today that Troy was located in modern day Turkey near the Dardanelles, and the Granicus river where Alexander engaged in his first battle against the Persians around 1000 years later in 334bc.

In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans (Greeks) after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, the king of Sparta. The war is among the most important events in Greek mythology and was narrated in many works of Greek literature, including Homer's Iliad and the Odyssey . "The Iliad" relates a part of the last year of the siege of Troy, while the Odyssey describes the journey home of Odysseus, one of the Achaean leaders. Other parts of the war were told in a cycle of epic poems, which has only survived in fragments. Episodes from the war provided material for Greek tragedy and other works of Greek literature, and for Roman poets such as Virgil and Ovid.

The war originated from a quarrel between the goddesses Athena, Hera, and Aphrodite, after Eris, the goddess of strife and discord, gave them a golden apple, sometimes known as the Apple of Discord, marked "for the fairest". Zeus sent the goddesses to Paris, who judged that Aphrodite, as the "fairest", should receive the apple. In exchange, Aphrodite made Helen, the most beautiful of all women and wife of Menelaus, fall in love with Paris, who took her to Troy. Agamemnon, king of Mycenae and the brother of Helen's husband Menelaus, led an expedition of Achaean troops to Troy and besieged the city for ten years due to Paris' insult. After the deaths of many heroes, including the Achaeans Achilles and Ajax, and the Trojans Hector and Paris, the city fell to the ruse of the Trojan Horse. The Achaeans slaughtered the Trojans (except for some of the women and children whom they kept or sold as slaves) and desecrated the temples, thus earning the gods' wrath. Few of the Achaeans returned safely to their homes and many founded colonies in distant shores. The Romans later traced their origin to Aeneas, one of the Trojans, who was said to have led the surviving Trojans to modern day Italy.

This spear comes from that that great historical period, from the time of the birth of known recorded history, and the formation of great empires, the cradle of civilization, known as The Mycenaean Age, of 1600 BC to 1100 BC. Known as the Bronze Age, it started even centuries before the time of Herodotus, who was known throught the world as the father of history. Mycenae is an archaeological site in Greece from which the name Mycenaean Age is derived. The Mycenae site is located in the Peloponnese of Southern Greece. The remains of a Mycenaean palace were found at this site, accounting for its importance. Other notable sites during the Mycenaean Age include Athens, Thebes, Pylos and Tiryns.
According to Homer, the Mycenaean civilization is dedicated to King Agamemnon who led the Greeks in the Trojan War. The palace found at Mycenae matches Homer's description of Agamemnon's residence. The amount and quality of possessions found at the graves at the site provide an insight to the affluence and prosperity of the Mycenaean civilization. Prior to the Mycenaean's ascendancy in Greece, the Minoan culture was dominant. However, the Mycenaeans defeated the Minoans, acquiring the city of Troy in the process. In the greatest collections of the bronze age there are swords exactly. In the Metropolitan Museum of Art is the bronze sword of King Adad-nirari I, a unique example from the palace of one of the early kings of the period (14th-13th century BC) during which Assyria first began to play a prominent part in Mesopotamian history. Swords daggers and weapons from this era were made within the Persian bronze industry, which was also influenced by Mesopotamia. Luristan, near the western border of Persia, was the source of many bronzes, such as this piece, that have been dated from around 1500 BC and later, and include chariot or harness fittings, rein rings, elaborate horse bits, and various decorative rings, as well as regular weapons, personal ornaments, different types of cult objects, and a number of household vessels. It was a great trading centre for bronze age weaponry, and all manner of bronze trade goods, that were shipped and sold due to their popularity throughout the entire region from Persia to the Mediterranean and possibly beyond.

Every single item from The Lanes Armoury is accompanied by our unique Certificate of Authenticity. Part of our continued dedication to maintain the standards forged by us over the past 100 years of our family’s trading 13.75 inches long. As with all our items it comes complete with our certificate of authenticity.  read more

Code: 22001

A Superb Ancient Chinese Warring States Period 480-222bc Gold & Bronze Chariot Crossbow Mount in Gold with Tiger Head Finial

Being bronze overlaid with gold, with a stunning tiger head finial, this is not the crossbow fitting of a mere officer, but likely of a young Chinese prince, or certainly a very high ranking noble in the chariot ranks of an army.

The history of the chariot and the development of the crossbow in ancient China are interrelated. The chariot is considered the world’s first war machine. As early as the Warring States period, the Chinese attempted to mount the crossbow on the chariot like a machine gun on a modern scout car. Excavation of ancient Chinese chariots has confirmed the descriptions of them in the earliest historical texts.

For the ancient Chinese philosopher, the chariot was the supreme symbol of success. It’s light weight and speed remained the wonder of ancient China. The effective commander was compared to the crossbow. Sun Tsu, in The Art of War, argued that the momentum of one really skilled in war is irresistible, because his overwhelming attack is precisely determined. His ability to strike exactly when required resembles a drawn crossbow, for he is quick as the release of the trigger.

The most significant advantage of the crossbow over the composite bow was the longer range. To be a cross bowman was an important military position in the Han period. However, it was not unusual for captive crossbowmen to be executed upon capture by the opposing army, such was the dread of the weapon and its power.

This exceptional example contains the decorative elements of a status symbol as well as the strength to be used as a deadly tool of war. The sensuous curves of the gilded handle taper into stylized dragon finials that were used to hold the taut bowstring in place. In our opinion, the style, craftsmanship and subject matter of this of gilded bronze crossbow handle indicate a Warring States dynastic date.

Fittings of this type have been excavated in pairs in association with chariots, and their function has long been a research topic of scholars. A pair of silver-inlaid bronze crossbow fittings were discovered from a Warring States tomb in Luoyang, Henan province, published in Luoyang Museum, 'The Chariot Pit Found at Chung-chou-lu', Kaogu , no . 3, 1974, p. 174, fig. 1. According to the archeological report, this pair of fittings were unearthed in front of the wooden shaft of a crossbow, near the left side of a chariot. Based on this finding, the report theorized that they were fitted to the front of a crossbow shaft to support the bow, and the upcurved terminals were meant to be the aiming mechanism. See a reconstruction drawing illustrated in Luoyang Museum, ibid., p. 177, fig. 7.

Other scholars have developed a different theory and propose that these fittings in fact functioned as crossbow supports on a chariot. Both fittings were attached horizontally to the front left panel of a chariot, adjacent to the occupants. The crossbow was placed facing down, with its bow resting on the curved shafts and its handle positioned obliquely upward, ready at hand for a quick draw.

The present fitting is notable for its bird-head terminal, which appears to be rare among extant examples. Related examples include: a silver-inlaid crossbow fitting, also with a bird-head terminal, in the Avery Brundage Collection, published in René-Yvon Lefebvre d'Argencé, Ancient Chinese Bronzes in the Avery Brundage Collection , Berkeley, 1966, pl. XLIX, fig. B. Compare also a pair of gold and silver-inlaid crossbow fittings, with a serpent-head terminal, included in the exhibition Chinese Art of the Warring States Period. Change and Continuity, 480-222 BC , Freer Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1982, cat. no. 26; another pair published in Chinese Gold und Silver. Die Sammling Pierre Uldry, Rietberg Museum, Zürich, 1994, cat. no. 28a; a single fitting from the Ernest Erickson Foundation,  read more

Code: 24837

A Most Rare Bronze Age 'Celtic' Ring Dagger Knife Around 2500 Years Old. In Superb Excavated Condition.

A mid-European cast bronze knife. The blade is formed as a curved casting, thickening towards the outside of the curve, and with an edge to the inside. The handle has a depression on each side with a ring pommel typical of the ancient celts. It is particularly rare in that most Celtic ring knives found in the past 250 years have been Iron Age examples, certainly the ones we have had in the past 30 years have been so, thus this being bronze, although made in the Iron Age, makes it a most scarce knife.

From a collection of antiquities, swords daggers, and rings, that arrived , many pieces sold for the part benefit of the Westminster Abbey fund, and the Metropolitan Museum fund

the ancient Celtic tribes are far too often overlooked in favour of Romans and Vikings and Anglo-Saxons, their stories stripped away to Boudicca, the Iceni and failed revolt.

Yet the reality was rather more complex, with the ultimately victorious Romans deliberately misrepresenting the Celts as noble savages in order to provide a contrast with “the idea of Rome as a disciplined, ordered, civilising presence”. History might well be written by the victors

The Romans seem to have used the term “Celt” very similarly to how the Greeks used it. They applied the term to a large collection of tribes covering huge portions of western Europe. All the Gallic tribes — the tribes of Gaul — were called Celts by the Romans. We clearly see this in Julius Caesar’s De Bello Gallico (1.1):



“All Gaul is divided into three parts, one of which the Belgae inhabit, the Aquitani another, those who in their own language are called Celts, in ours Gauls, the third.”

But beyond just using the term “Celts” to refer to the Gallic tribes, other Roman writings show that they also used the term to refer to some of the inhabitants of Iberia. For example, Strabo (3.4.5) refers to Celts in that region who became the Celtiberians and the Berones. Many other tribes in Iberia were also considered to be Celtic. In other words, we see that the Romans considered the Celts to cover several large portions of Western Europe. This is consistent with Greek description of the Celts being the single most notable people to the west.
It is important to note that the material culture of the Celtiberians was very different from the material culture of the Gallic Celts. This being so, it is evident that archaeology cannot determine which nation was or was not Celtic. It is evidently not the style of artwork or design of houses or type of pottery that determines whether one is or is not a Celt. Regarding genetics, there does not appear to be any evidence of large-scale migration from Gaul to Iberia. Yet, that does not stop the Celts of Iberia from being considered Celts, either in ancient or modern sources.

On the other hand, the genetics of the population of England is known to be primarily made up of genes from the pre-Saxon inhabitants. Yet despite that, no one would call the English a “Brythonic” nation. So it does not seem very useful to use genetics as the main criterion for determining whether a nation was or was not Celtic.
Therefore, using language as the main basis for determining that ancient populations of Europe does seem to be the most useful method, even if it is not perfect. On this basis, it is very reasonable indeed to refer to the Britons as “Celts”.
Part of the proceeds of this piece were to benefit the Acquisition Fund of the Arms and Armor department, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Overall 11 inches long, blade 6 3/4 inches  read more

Code: 24841

A Beautiful Greco-Persian Wars Bronze Age Long Dagger Around 2500 Years Old. Such as From The Battles of Marathon, Thermopylae and Plataea

Approximately 2500 years old, Achaemenid Empire era, 550 bc to 330 bc From the the Greco-Persian War, such as includes the iconic battles of Marathon, Thermopylae and Plataea, up to the time of Alexander the Great. This wonderful antiquity, from one of the most eventful and ground breaking periods of classical history, is in amazing condition and beautifully decorated 6th-4th century BC. A bronze long dagger with narrow lentoid-section blade, collared grip with crescentic ears to the pommel. By the 7th century BC, the Persians had settled in the south-western portion of the Iranian Plateau in the region of Persis, which came to be their heartland. From this region, Cyrus the Great advanced to defeat the Medes, Lydia, and the Neo-Babylonian Empire, establishing the Achaemenid Empire. The Ionian Greek Revolt in 499 BC, and associated revolts in Aeolis, Doris, Cyprus and Caria, were military rebellions by several regions of Asia Minor against Persian rule, lasting from 499 to 493 BC. At the heart of the rebellion was the dissatisfaction of the Greek cities of Asia Minor with the tyrants appointed by Persia to rule them, along with the individual actions of two Milesian tyrants, Histiaeus and Aristagoras. In 499 BC, the then tyrant of Miletus, Aristagoras, launched a joint expedition with the Persian satrap Artaphernes to conquer Naxos, in an attempt to bolster his position in Miletus (both financially and in terms of prestige). The mission was a debacle, and sensing his imminent removal as tyrant, Aristagoras chose to incite the whole of Ionia into rebellion against the Persian king Darius the Great. In 490 BC the Persian forces were defeated by the Athenians at the Battle of Marathon and Darius would die before having the chance to launch an invasion of Greece. The Battle of Marathon took place in 490 BC, during the first Persian invasion of Greece. It was fought between the citizens of Athens, aided by Plataea, and a Persian force commanded by Datis and Artaphernes. The battle was the culmination of the first attempt by Persia, under King Darius I, to subjugate Greece. The Greek army decisively defeated the more numerous Persians, marking a turning point in the Greco-Persian Wars. Xerxes I (485–465 BC, "Hero Among Kings"), son of Darius I, vowed to complete the job. He organized a massive invasion aiming to conquer Greece. His army entered Greece from the north, meeting little or no resistance through Macedonia and Thessaly, but was delayed by a small Greek force for three days at Thermopylae. A simultaneous naval battle at Artemisium was tactically indecisive as large storms destroyed ships from both sides. The battle was stopped prematurely when the Greeks received news of the defeat at Thermopylae and retreated. The battle was a strategic victory for the Persians, giving them uncontested control of Artemisium and the Aegean Sea.

Following his victory at the Battle of Thermopylae, Xerxes sacked the evacuated city of Athens and prepared to meet the Greeks at the strategic Isthmus of Corinth and the Saronic Gulf. In 480 BC the Greeks won a decisive victory over the Persian fleet at the Battle of Salamis and forced Xerxes to retire to Sardis. The land army which he left in Greece under Mardonius retook Athens but was eventually destroyed in 479 BC at the Battle of Plataea. The final defeat of the Persians at Mycale encouraged the Greek cities of Asia to revolt, and the Persians lost all of their territories in Europe; Macedonia once again became independent. Alexander the Great, an avid admirer of Cyrus the Great, conquered most of the empire by 330 BC. Upon Alexander's death, most of the empire's former territory came under the rule of the Ptolemaic Kingdom and Seleucid Empire, in addition to other minor territories which gained independence at that time. The Iranian elites of the central plateau reclaimed power by the second century BC under the Parthian Empire. Ancient Greece. 191 grams, 35cm (13 3/4"). From a Japanese collection, 1990s.  read more

Code: 23416

Great Britain's Favourite Armoury Antiques & Collector's Shop . A Most Scarce Original Late 14th Century Crossbow Bolt Quarrel. From the Reign of King Henry Vth and the Battle of Agincourt in 1415

Part of our wondrous, new, historical, and original Ancient Roman, Ancient Greek, Viking, Crusaders, and Medeavil battlefield antiquities and artefacts, another fabulous museum grade collection that has arrived with us .

Heavy diamond form steel bolt head, and its almost complete socket

Much of it acquired by a family in the 1820's while on a Grand Tour of Anglo French battle sites within Northern & Western France from Azincourt, in the Pas-de-Calais, to Poitiers in Aquitaine.

Although the English and Welsh Longbowmen that fought at Agincourt are incredibly famous, the crossbow was used predominantly by the French army, yet some English, plus, some mounted knights used crossbows as well, as longbows were incredibly impractical if not impossible for use on horseback

Much of it acquired by a family in the 1820's while on a Grand Tour of Anglo French battle sites within Northern & Western France from Azincourt, in the Pas-de-Calais, to Poitiers in Aquitaine.

After several decades of relative peace, the English had renewed their war effort in 1415 amid the failure of negotiations with the French. In the ensuing campaign, many soldiers perished due to disease and the English numbers dwindled, but as they tried to withdraw to English-held Calais they found their path blocked by a considerably larger French army. Despite the disadvantage, the following battle ended in an overwhelming tactical victory for the English.

King Henry V of England led his troops into battle and participated in hand-to-hand fighting. The French king of the time, Charles VI, did not command the French army himself, as he suffered from severe psychotic illnesses with moderate mental incapacitation. Instead, the French were commanded by Constable Charles d'Albret and various prominent French noblemen of the Armagnac party.

This battle is notable for the use of the English longbow in very large numbers, with the English and Welsh archers forming up to 80 percent of Henry's army. The decimation of the French cavalry at their hands is regarded as an indicator of the decline of cavalry and the beginning of the dominance of ranged weapons on the battlefield.

Agincourt is one of England's most celebrated victories. The battle is the centrepiece of the play Henry V by Shakespeare. Juliet Barker in her book Agincourt: The King, the Campaign, the Battle ( published in 2005) argues the English and Welsh were outnumbered "at least four to one and possibly as much as six to one". She suggests figures of about 6,000 for the English and 36,000 for the French, based on the Gesta Henrici's figures of 5,000 archers and 900 men-at-arms for the English, and Jean de Wavrin's statement "that the French were six times more numerous than the English". The 2009 Encyclopædia Britannica uses the figures of about 6,000 for the English and 20,000 to 30,000 for the French. Part of an original medieval collection we have just acquired, of Roman, Greek, Assyrian, Celtic, Viking and early British relics of warfare from ancient battle sites, much of it recovered up to 220 years ago.

Richard Lassels, an expatriate Roman Catholic priest, first used the phrase “Grand Tour” in his 1670 book Voyage to Italy, published posthumously in Paris in 1670. In its introduction, Lassels listed four areas in which travel furnished "an accomplished, consummate traveler" with opportunities to experience first hand the intellectual, the social, the ethical, and the political life of the Continent.

The English gentry of the 17th century believed that what a person knew came from the physical stimuli to which he or she has been exposed. Thus, being on-site and seeing famous works of art and history was an all important part of the Grand Tour. So most Grand Tourists spent the majority of their time visiting museums and historic sites.

Once young men began embarking on these journeys, additional guidebooks and tour guides began to appear to meet the needs of the 20-something male and female travelers and their tutors traveling a standard European itinerary. They carried letters of reference and introduction with them as they departed from southern England, enabling them to access money and invitations along the way.

With nearly unlimited funds, aristocratic connections and months or years to roam, these wealthy young tourists commissioned paintings, perfected their language skills and mingled with the upper crust of the Continent.

The wealthy believed the primary value of the Grand Tour lay in the exposure both to classical antiquity and the Renaissance, and to the aristocratic and fashionably polite society of the European continent. In addition, it provided the only opportunity to view specific works of art, and possibly the only chance to hear certain music. A Grand Tour could last from several months to several years. The youthful Grand Tourists usually traveled in the company of a Cicerone, a knowledgeable guide or tutor.

The ‘Grand Tour’ era of classical acquisitions from history existed up to around the 1850’s, and extended around the whole of Europe, Egypt, the Ottoman Empire, and the Holy Land

As with all our items it comes complete with our certificate of authenticity  read more

Code: 25550

An Original WW2 Battle of Britain and the Blitz Period British Police 'Messenger' Brodie Pattern Helmet

Following the defeat of France, Britain and the empire was all that was left to fight Germany.

To successfully invade Britain, Germany needed to control the skies over the English channel.

This led to the Battle of Britain in the summer of 1940, followed by the targeted bombing of towns and cities during the Blitz.
The Blitz
The Luftwaffe decided to change their tactics from the Battle of Britain period and started targeting civilian targets and key landmarks instead of the RAF airfields. This was known as the Blitz.

Major British towns and cities were targeted from September 1940 to May 1941. The aim was now to try and force the British to surrender, rather than attempt to destroy the RAF.
Incendiary devices were used to start fires and light up targets on the ground, before bomber planes tried to target populated areas.

The Blitz caused huge loss of life. 40,000 civilians were killed and 2 million houses were damaged or destroyed.

The British Police during WW2
Their usual tasks included keeping the peace, dealing with criminals and making sure that the traffic flowed freely in towns and cities.
The Police also had new wartime duties. They had to make sure people obeyed the wartime blackout rules, help the rescue services during and after bombing raids and search for soldiers who had deserted from the army.
Looting was a big problem. The number of bombed properties provided a big temptation to looters. Many were given fines or short prison sentences.

Black market: Many items were sold on the black market without a ration card. If caught selling on the black market then the punishment could be a fine and imprisonment.

Murder rates increased dramatically during the war. Air raids killed so many people, it was often impossible for the police to investigate all deaths and criminals took advantage of this. {Pretty much like it is today}. Murder, however, still carried the death penalty.

Juliet Gardiner, the social historian and author of Wartime: Britain 1939-1945, says that, while most people found looting despicable, examples differentiated between stealing someone's property and spotting a wireless or jewellery lying on the pavement after an air raid and reckoning that, if you didn't take it, someone else would. "Looting can be a rather elastic term," says Gardiner. "There are stories about rescue parties going to a pub and having to dig for bodies, which is a very grisly task; one of the leaders of such a rescue party found a bottle of brandy and passed it round his men to have a swig to stiffen their sinews and he was actually sentenced to six months in prison. It was mitigated on appeal, but it gives you an idea of what a broad spectrum the notion of looting could cover."

In the archives of the Imperial War Museum in London, there are detailed records of people's experiences during the blitz. The Rev John Markham, vicar of a church near the Elephant and Castle and a chief fire warden, was one who kept a detailed log. He described how one "volunteer" warden had offered to join the team. "I made a few discreet inquiries and found out that he was a burglar and that his van was full of tools," wrote Markham, "and that he'd made a point of driving all over the borough, particularly to business premises when they were hit, and diving straight into the ruins to find the safe. His only concern with us was that he wanted the cover of a warden's badge as an identity card." Markham's team would take bodies to the crypt of his church and have them guarded by a warden because otherwise people might steal their wallets or wedding rings.  read more

Code: 25576

A Good, & Very Rare, German Third Reich, WW2 Wehrmacht 14th Kavallerie Regimental Sword

Used in WW2. Fully etched combat blade with full regimental name of the 14th Kavallerie and an etched panel of a cavalry charge, with all the troop wearing steel combat helmets. Steel P hilt, black celluliod grip with wire binding. Black painted steel scabbard. Fully etched blade with 14th Kavallerie etched, with cavalry combat charges, a horse's head profile and florid d?cor. The same type of sword worn by General der Kavallerie Edwin Graf von Rothkirch und Trach, who joined the 14th Kavellerie, aged 42, in 1930, as a major. In September 1939 he was made Chief of the General Staff of the XXXIV Corps Command. Serving in the war for two years on the Eastern Front he was promoted in November 1944 to Commanding General of the LIII Army. General Graf von Rothkirch und Trach was captured at Neunkirchen by Lieutenant Colonel Abrams' 37th Tank Battalion in March 1945. The remnants of Graf von Rothkirch und Trachs LIII Army Corps fell back across the Rhine River but was destroyed a month later in the Ruhr pocket. Kavallerie was drawn down somewhat in the German armed forces after the French campaign, but soon after the invasion of Russia it was realised an increase in Cavalry was essential for anti-partisan policing and for recce in terrain unsuitable for vehicles. In the picture gallery their shows an original photo of a WW2 German cavalry trooper who has his identical sword mounted on his saddle. During the war German cavalry units increased in numbers from a single brigade to a larger but still limited force of six cavalry divisions and two corps HQ. All regular cavalry troops served on the Eastern Front and the Balkans and a few Cossack battalions served on the Western Front.

The German Army of 1941 had a single cavalry division assigned to Heinz Guderian's panzer group. Continuously engaged against Soviet troops, it increased in size to six regiments and in the beginning of 1942 was reformed into the 24th Panzer Division that later perished in the Battle of Stalingrad. In April?June 1943 the Germans set up three separate cavalry regiments (Nord, Mitte, S?d) ? horse units reinforced with tanks and halftrack-mounted infantry. In August 1944 these regiments were reformed into two brigades and a division forming, together with the Hungarian 1st Cavalry Division, Gustav Harteneck?s Cavalry Corps that operated in Belorussia. In February 1945 the brigades were reformed into cavalry divisions (German stud farms in East Prussia were not affected by the Allied air raids that crippled German industry
The SS operated both paramilitary horse units (23 cavalry regiments in 1941) and military Waffen SS cavalry. The SS Cavalry Brigade, formed in 1940, was engaged against civilians and guerrillas in the occupied territories and then severely checked by the Soviet Rzhev-Sychevka offensive. In 1942 the SS reformed the brigade into the 8th SS Cavalry Division manned by volksdeutsche, which operated on the Eastern Front until October 1943. In December 1943 the 8th Cavalry spun off the 22nd SS Cavalry Division manned with Hungarian Germans. These divisions were properly augmented with heavy, field and anti-aircraft artillery. Another SS cavalry division, the 33rd Cavalry, was formed in 1944 but never deployed to full strength.

The Germans recruited anti-Soviet cossacks since the beginning of Operation Barbarossa, although Hitler did not approve the practice until April 1942. Army Cossacks of 1942 formed four regiments and in August 1943 were merged into the 1st Cossack Division (six regiments, up to 13,000 men) trained in Poland and deployed in Yugoslavia. In November 1944 the division was split in two and reformed into the XVth Cossack Corps. The Kalmyks formed another cavalry corps, employed in rear guard duties.

In February 1945 German and Hungarian cavalry divisions were thrown into the Lake Balaton offensive; after a limited success, German forces were ground down by the Soviet counteroffensive. Remnants of Army cavalry fell back into Austria; 22,000 men surrendered to the Western allies, bringing with them 16,000 horses. Remnants of SS cavalry, merged into the 37th SS Division, followed the same route
Expected areas of service wear to the scabbard paint and light surface pitting on areas of the blade and hilt. Very bright polished overall  read more

Code: 21358

A Very Rare WW2, Factory Named 'Battle of Britain' & 'The Blitz' Period Rowntree's Factory Civil Defence Munitions Helmet. A Non Sparking Plasfort I R O Helmet, Used Before, During & After The 1942 Baedeker Raid in York. 9,500 Homes Destroyed

Traditional, original, British 'Brodie' pattern helmet of WW2.

Stencilled with Rowntree's of York in white and I R O in yellow, which may represent Incident Rescue Officer, with two additional red stripe bands to denote higher rank. original lining perfect with leather strap {lacking buckle}.

Factory issue, WW2 named helmets are very rare indeed, and Rowntree's munitions and fuse factory is one of the rarest. In fact, in our experience, we have never seen another surviving example in 50 years. One of the old Rowntree factories was burnt to the ground in the 1942 Baedeker Raid, with 84 tonnes of incendiary bombs were dropped on the city, which destroyed 9,500 houses, numerous factories and the railway. 90 civilians died and 200 were injured. The Edinburgh train, packed with soldiers, took a direct hit. However York was valiantly defended by Yves Mahé, a Free French fighter pilot. {See a photo of him in photo 10 in the gallery.} Not all fighter pilots who defended the skies above Britain during the Battle of Britain and later in the war were British. Some of them were refugees from such as France or Poland. There were a total 14 Free French pilots and 146 Free Polish pilots that fought with the RAF. When their own countries were invaded by the Nazis, they fled here to Britain to continue the fight. One of these was the Free French pilot Yves Mahé, who helped save York from German bombers on the night of the Baedeker Raid

These 'Plastfort' helmets were made from bakelite, and early form of plastic, at the beginning of the Second World War. They were issued predominantly to the factory works, particularly those working in Royal Ordnance Factories making munitions. They plastic shells were used in place of metal as they could not create sparks.
Affected by restrictions on sugar imports and rationing, the factory buildings were temporarily converted. Much of Rowntree’s cream department was reconfigured for the production of munitions, Ryvita and dried egg, while the gum department was converted into a secret fuse factory, named County Industries.

In addition to its cocoa and chocolate production, it was felt that the company could offer an effective unit for the manufacture of munitions.

In 1941, what was previously the Smarties building was converted into a fuse filling factory:

Work of this kind was something which had never before been undertaken by Rowntree employees. If safety rules were disobeyed the penalty might be loss of life or limb.
Despite this, neither workers nor management were deterred from the task at hand and magazines for the storage of explosives had to be constructed. Fuses were required in vast quantities and targets were set for production at 100 000 units per week.

Yves Mahé, a Free French fighter pilot
who helped defend York during the 1942 Baedeker Raid. In the early hours of 29 April 1942, a
fleet of German bombers arrived in the skies above York. For more than 90 minutes during what became known as the ‘Baedeker Raid’ they rained down 84 tonnes of incendiary and high explosive bombs, setting the city ablaze. More than 90 civilians died,
more than 200 were injured and it was estimated that 9,500 houses were destroyed or damaged.
Many public buildings were also severely damaged, including the medieval Guildhall and the church of St Martin le Grand in Coney Street.
The old Rowntree factory in North Street was burned to the ground; the railway station was badly damaged and the incoming King’s Cross to Edinburgh train crowded with service personnel took a direct hit. Also hit were Clifton Aerodrome; St Peter’s School; Queen Anne Grammar School for Girls; the Manor School, Marygate and the Bar Convent, where the building collapsed killing five nuns.

Rowntree Park, donated by Joseph Rowntree at the end of the First World War as memorial to those who had fallen, added the gates at the Terry Street entrance to serve as a memorial to those who had also given their lives during the Second World War. Both Wars are commemorated by plaques in the Lych Gate, in the centre of the park next to the statue and fountains.
Volunteer non-British pilot numbers of the RAF in WW2
Poland 145-146
New Zealand 127–135
Canada 112
Czechoslovakia 84–88
Belgium 28–30
Australia 26–32
South Africa 22–25
Free France 13–14
Republic of Ireland 10
United States 9–11
Southern Rhodesia 3–4
Barbados 1
Jamaica 1
Newfoundland 1
Northern Rhodesia 1  read more

Code: 25573

A Spectacular & Most Rare 1928, Original 'Zeppelin' Issue Airship Cocktail Shaker & Travelling Bar. An Amazing Example of Art Decor Functional Object D'art. The Last Example of This Wonderful & Rare Aeronautica That We Found, Sold For $23,000

A jolly rare piece of superb and unique Third Reich period Art Deco German craftsmanship, DRGM register stamped with its serial number 11. Only the second we have had in the past 18 years. Stunning, original Art Deco piece, almost certainly by J.A. Henkels Twin Works of Germany. DRGM stamped and further marked, Made in Germany on the base. Made for, used and sold aboard the Graf Zeppelin Air Ship and later, the Hindenberg Air Ship. There are 14 pieces, in this set including; the gondola, four stacking cups, a corkscrew and cover, a gin tankard flask, a full shaker, with lid, and condiment container. All pieces are plated on their interior in 24k gold. It's brilliantly engineered and constructed, the pieces fitting together to form a Zeppelin Airship model, with hand-in-glove precision.LZ 129 Hindenburg (Luftschiff Zeppelin 129; Registration: D-LZ 129) was a German commercial passenger-carrying rigid airship, the lead ship of the Hindenburg class, the longest class of flying machine and the largest airship by envelope volume. It was designed and built by the Zeppelin Company (Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH) on the shores of Lake Constance in Friedrichshafen, Germany, and was operated by the German Zeppelin Airline Company (Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei). It was named after Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg, who was President of Germany from 1925 until his death in 1934.

LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin was a German-built and -operated, passenger-carrying, hydrogen-filled, rigid airship which operated commercially from 1928 to 1937. When it entered commercial service in 1928, it became the first commercial passenger transatlantic flight service in the world. It was named after the German pioneer of airships, Ferdinand von Zeppelin, who was a count (Graf) in the German nobility. During its operating life, the airship made 590 flights covering more than 1.7 million kilometers (over 1 million miles). It was designed to be operated by a crew of 36 officers and men. The LZ 127 was the longest rigid airship at the time of its completion. The creation of the DZR as successor to DELAG occurred for both political and business reasons. Luftschiffbau Zeppelin (LZ) chairman Hugo Eckener, who had intended to run against Hitler in the 1932 presidential election, was already disliked by the Nazis. When Eckener later resisted the new Nazi government's efforts to use zeppelins for propaganda purposes, Reich Minister of Aviation Hermann G?ring insisted that a new agency be created to extend Party control over LZ Group. A personal rivalry between G?ring and Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels also played a role. To complicate matters further, the Luftschiffbau was a loss-making concern and needed cash investment, in particular to complete construction of the Hindenburg.

Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei was therefore incorporated on 22 March 1935 as a joint venture between Zeppelin Luftschiffbau, the Ministry of Aviation, and Deutsche Lufthansa. The LZ Group's capital contribution came primarily from its two airships LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin and LZ 129 Hindenburg, the latter of which was not yet complete on the date of incorporation.
Overall length of the portable cocktail bar is 12 inches. This example is in superb original condition. The nickel finish is fully original but worn. "The Zeppelin Airship cocktail shaker and traveling bar"
Circa. 1928 {not a 1960's copy} silver-plated brass 4 inches wide x 12 inches high. Just lacking 4 spoons that fit in the gondola however, the spoons should be relatively easy to replace I cup is an original period replacement.
A near identical example, by the same maker, made in the the same year, was sold at auction. It was an identical, but a complete eighteen-piece set with four spoons including the four nesting spoons, four nesting cups, removable flask, and with an original, leather case. Signed the same with the impressed manufacturer mark to underside: Germany D.R.G.M. with serial number 11. Signed with impressed Germany. Estimated 7,000 to 9,000 dollars, that example sold for $23,750 dollars US. In Wrights Modern And Contemporary Design Auction, in Illinois October 2012

Provenance: Private collection, Los Angeles
Literature: Modernism: Modernist Design 1880-1940, Duncan, pg. 187. Link to the $23,000 auction example; copy and paste
http://www.wright20.com/auctions/view/OMXD/OMXE/285/lotno_asc/none/OOJE/  read more

Code: 21160