Innehållsförteckning för June 2023 från The Armourer

The Armourer|June 2023

Welcome

As I write it’s mid April and Spring should be in the air, with the promise of all the shows and events to come. Except it’s more like winter again, with cold, rainy weather. I’m sure, like me, you were thumbing through last month’s Show for 2023 guide to plan out what you wanted to see and where you wanted to go this summer. When we wrote that issue, the War and Peace Revival had been selling tickets and promising to return after missing the previous three years. Well, it will probably come as no surprise that just as we were finalising this month’s magazine the announcement was made on its website that due to events beyond the organiser’s control, the show has been cancelled for the foreseeable future. Considering…

2 min

The Armourer|June 2023

Under the hammer

Marlow’s Arms and Militaria Auction Badges were to the front in Marlow’s 12 April auction, so let’s see what was up for grabs, starting with 14 plastic Economy Cap Badges. These covered the ATS, RAF, Air Training Corps, Dorsetshire, RAC, Royal Fusiliers, Royal Corps of Signals, REME, Pioneer Corps, RASC and more. They hammered for £110 (plus 26.4% BP for room bids and 28.8% for internet bids). There were plenty of Police cap badges, and also some embroidered cloth formation titles for various armoured divisions. These included famous ones like the 8th Armoured Brigade. This tidy collection hammered for £110 too. One of the more pricy early lots was one containing four Welsh Regiment 53rd Infantry Divisional formation Battle Badges consisting facing pair of '53rd Div' over the printed saucepan…

6 min

The Armourer|June 2023

Naval fittings and fixtures

Collecting ships fittings and fixtures covers a huge array of potential pieces of varying size, cost and historical significance. In this article we’ll examine some of the main areas of interest to collectors with items ranging from lighting to portholes and hatches to telegraphs. LAMPS AND LANTERNS One of the largest and most diverse areas of collecting military ships fittings falls under the category of lighting and examples can be procured that come from many periods of naval history. There is a surprising number of maritime antiques dealers who carry examples of ships lighting ranging from wall fitted oil/candle sconce types and handheld oil lanterns right up to electric fittings from modern naval vessels. From the age of sail/steam there are many examples of port and starboard ships indicator lamps…

10 min

The Armourer|June 2023

Cities at war: Liverpool

Said to have been originally designed by King John himself, Liverpool became a hugely important trading port in the 18th century, growing rich on the profits from sugar, tobacco, cotton and slaves. As Great Britain’s gateway to the Atlantic and the Americas, it was a major target for the Luftwaffe on the outbreak of war. Starting in August 1940 the Germans bombed the city 80 times over the next year and a half in an attempt to render it useless as a port. They failed. By the war’s end over 90% of the war material shipped to Britain had arrived through the city. Operation Pied Piper 1939 In the summer of 1938 a Government committee chaired by Sir John Anderson established the Government Evacuation Scheme, which aimed to avoid civilian…

10 min

The Armourer|June 2023

Collecting the Siege of Malta

The defence of Malta from Axis forces was a heroic story of valour in the tradition of other British stands against overwhelming odds such as Rorke’s Drift. As such the Siege has always been of interest to military historians and collectors and building up a focus on the island during World War II is bound to be popular with many. Here are a selection of items currently on sale which connect to that theme. Most of the uniform and equipment worn by British troops in Malta were similar to that used in other parts of the Mediterraneanranean theatre, however one distinctivetive and unique item with a Malta connection n was the painting of steel Mk 2 helmets in a sand colour with a camouflage pattern of olive green lines to…

5 min

The Armourer|June 2023

reviewsroundup

Warship 2023 JOHN JORDAN It’s time once again for that annual look at warships past and present, courtesy of Osprey’s Warship 2023 annual. This always contains an assorted selection of articles, which means you can dip in and out on topic of interest. They include The loss of HMS Audacious, the UN’s first 8in gun cruisers, post-war electronics warfare in the royal Navy, a feature on two French aircraft carriers, how Ansaldo of fascist Italy sold a battleship design to communist Soviet Union in 1936, the battleship Massena, the development of the Yokosuka Navy Yard, some German flak ships and a rather chilling feature on how the US Navy is preparing to counter Chinese expansion in the Pacific. With high quality paper, some excellent schematics and great photos, it’s a…

5 min

The Armourer|June 2023

Auction & Fair Diary

AUCTIONS 10 May 2023 Marlows T: 01785 214100 OR 07789 628030 www.marlowsauctions.co.uk info@marlowsauctions.co.uk 11 - 12 May 2023 Hermann Historica T: 0049 0 89 54 72 64 90 www.hermann-historica.com contact@hermann-historica.com 7 June 2023 Marlows T: 01785 214100 OR 07789 628030 www.marlowsauctions.co.uk info@marlowsauctions.co.uk 8 June 2023 Southams T: 01234 269082 www.southamsauction.co.uk info@peacockauction.co.uk FAIRS 14 May 2023 The Bedford Militaria Fair T: 01832 274050 www.arms-and-armour.co.uk info@arms-and-armour.co.uk 14 May 2023 Brecon Militaria Market T: 01639 720202 OR 01639 722479 14 May 2023 Britannia Medal Fair 2023 T: 0207 0161 700 14 May 2023 Wolverley Militaria Fair T: 07816 853878 www.facebook.com/wolverleymilitariafair/ 21 May 2023 North Essex Militaria Fair T: 07980 602015 kbeau23@aol.com 21 May 2023 The Yate (Bristol) Militaria and Medal Fair T: 01753 534777 or 07871 777062 www.milweb.net/dealers/trader/mark-carter.htm markgcarter@gmail.com 28 May 2023 Bromsgrove…

1 min

The Armourer|June 2023

Book competition

WIN 3 copies of… Royal Navy Torpedo Vessels 1870-1914 Before there were Schnellboot and British MTBs, there were the Royal Navy’s torpedo vessels, starting with the bizarre concept of sticking a mine on the end of a rod and charging at ships with it. Here you see the development from that, virtually suicidal, approach to actual boats launching torpedoes. With a big format, high quality paper, plenty of photos, schematics and details, this is a fantastic record of those early attack boats. Now, thanks to the generosity of military book imprint, Seaforth Publishing, we have three copies to give away. Simply answer the question below and go to the website to enter. WORTH £120 WIN 3 copies of… Sex under the Swastika On the one hand Hitler and the National Socialists…

2 min

The Armourer|June 2023

militarianews

MUSEUM National Army Museum in May Here’s what events are coming up at the NAM, in Chelsea, London, during the month of May, in addition to the regular, long-running exhibitions. Conflict in Europe Join curator Sophie Stathi on a guided tour of the brand-new permanent gallery, Conflict in Europe, and discover the stories behind some of the objects on display. Sophie will reveal how, from its earliest days, the Army engaged in European warfare with the aim of securing the safety of the British Isles. She will walk you through the gallery, taking in objects relating to conflicts as diverse as the Battle of Waterloo, World War I and the Bosnian War. The tour will last one hour. 6pm4May 5 Illustrated History of the SAS in WWII In his…

3 min

The Armourer|June 2023

The Siege of Malta

A British possession since 1814 and no bigger than the Isle of Wight, Malta sits in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, its strategic position playing a vital role during WWII, being the only Allied base between Gibraltar (985 miles) and Alexandria (820 miles). Because of the island’s close proximity to Italy Britain had decided it would be impossible to defend. After the departure of the Mediterranean Fleet to Alexandria in 1939, the Governor and Commander-in-Chief Malta, Lieutenant General William Dobbie, only had at his disposal a British infantry brigade, a local Maltese battalion, some coastal artillery, a few light anti-aircraft batteries, the twin 15in gunned monitor HMS Terrier, seven submarines, 12 MTBs and some minesweepers. The only available aircraft were four obsolete Gloster Gladiator bi-planes, but after one crashed…

11 min

The Armourer|June 2023

Battle of Tannenberg

The Battle of Tannenberg (17 August through 2 September 1914), between the Russian First and Second Armies and the German Eighth Army was a completely one-sided engagement resulting in a crushing defeat essentially eliminating the capability of Russia to effectively take offensive actions. The encounter set the momentum for continued military failures up until the 1917 revolution when Russia withdrew from the fighting. Prior to the outbreak of war, the Germans had only their Eighth army with a strength of approximately 170,000 troops stationed in East Prussia along the border with Russia east of the Vistula River. The Germans crafted their Schlieffen Plan which would shift the majority of their troop strength to the Western Front in a move intended to invade France. In making this plan, the Germans rightly…

10 min

The Armourer|June 2023

Luftwaffe Flak Battle Badge

The empire-building nature of the different arms of the Wehrmacht meant that Hermann Göring’s Luftwaffe had its own ground assault divisions, as well as paratroopers and personnel who manned anti-aircraft flak batteries. Consequently, there were no fewer than three awards for manning a flak battery, all depending on which service the soldiers belonged to. There was the Heeres-Flakabzeichen, or Army Anti-Aircraft Badge, the Coastal Artillery War Badge for members of the Kriegsmarine, and lastly, the Flak-Kampfabzeichen der Luftwaffe, or Flak Battle Badge for the Luftwaffe. That’s the one we’re looking at here, which was instituted by Göring on 10 January 1941. The Luftwaffe’s Flak Badge was initially awarded on a points basis, with 16 being required to win the award. Members of the flak battery got four points each for…

2 min

The Armourer|June 2023

The Second Anglo-Afghan War, 1878-1880

During the early decades of the 18th century a series of capable politico-military leaders emerged on the territory of present-day Afghanistan, who all fought for creating a new nation that could be independent from both Persia and India. Until that moment most of the Afghan lands had been dominated by the various dynasties that had ruled over Persia. In 1747, after several years of fighting against their much more powerful enemies, the Afghans were finally able to establish their first independent national state under the guidance of Ahmad Shah Durrani. He not only unified the Afghan lands under his rule, but transformed his young country into a significant regional power of Central Asia. Until that point the various ethnic Afghan groups had never pursued common interests and had spent most…

9 min

The Armourer|June 2023

yourletters

Facebook: www.facebook.com/armourermagazine Twitter: @The_Armourer Post: Letters Page, The Armourer, Warners Group Publications, West Street, Bourne, Lincs. PE10 9PH Email: armourer@warnersgroup.co.uk BATTLE OF JUTLAND A friend recently gave me the May 2022 issue, as it featured the Battle of Jutland and he knew that it would interest me as I had a relative that served in the battle. So, I’m writing to you, as his story may interest you and perhaps with adequate research you may find his story worthy of an adjunct to the Clash of Titans article. Being in Australia I just don’t have access to documents and records to develop the information I have. My relative’s name is Ernest Dandridge. He served on the HMS Invincible and was one of the survivors. I believe he was station in…

3 min

The Armourer|June 2023

In the sale rooms

Big four at Hermann Historica There are four auctions coming up at European house Hermann Historica, starting on 9 May with the Antique Arms and Armour sale. There are firearms on 10 May, orders and militaria pre-1918 on 11 May, and orders and militaria post-1918 on 12 May. Let’s get things started with the antique arms sale and a silver-mounted Ottoman yatagan, dated 1775. Typically curved single-edged blade with engraved décor on both sides. Blade mark and calligraphic cartouche with the date struck on the reverse. Engraved silver ferrule, silver-wire-bound grip and three ornamental rivets on either side (one missing). Pommel chased with a floral design. Length 77 cm. Starting price is €3,000. A nice looking dagger next, with a silver-mounted Ottoman kandjar with wootz-blade, late 18th century. Slightly curved,…

3 min

The Armourer|June 2023

Webbing of WWI: Australia

At the start of World War I, Australia was still a new nation having only federated into a single state in 1901. The Australian Army was small and still reliant on the mother country for most of its weapons and equipment as the country had not industrialised to any great extent. This meant that the pre-war Australian Army was equipped with SMLE rifles and 1908 pattern webbing like the United Kingdom. By 1913 an armoury had been set up in Australia at Lithgow and the first batch of 40 SMLE rifles came off the assembly line in May 1913. Unfortunately production of webbing to accompany these rifles was not proceeding as well so when war broke out in 1914, the nation of Australia lacked any domestic production facilities for Mills-type…

10 min

The Armourer|June 2023

Rebellion in Coorg

During its long period of expansion by conquest in India, the East India Company (EIC) took the lead in issuing campaign medals to its forces of the Bengal, Madras and Bombay Presidencies. From the Deccan Campaign and its medal of 1784, through to the end of the EICs existence in 1858, it awarded medals for campaigns within the Indian Empire and on its margins but only to its Indian officers and soldiers, not to British officers or to the personnel of British regiments which served alongside EIC forces during some of the campaigns. One rare EIC award was that given for the Canara Rebellion in Coorg in 1837, though it was not in actual fact an award to EIC armed forces. Coorg (or Kodagu) is now part of the Karnataka…

6 min

The Armourer|June 2023

Schnellboot ahoy!

The development specification of these vessels was chosen specifically by the Kriegsmarine for operations in the North Sea, English Channel and the Western Approaches. Planners wanted to build a motor boat with extremely good performance in rough seas and for this reason the boat was designed with a round-bottom hull instead of a typical flat-bottom. The wooden planking hull helped reduce weight and the flattened stern area allowed more hydrodynamic lift. The hull also would give the boat stability in the water, quick manoeuvring and high speed for not only attacking purposes, but to quickly escape any type of danger against enemy shipping. The ship-building company Lursssen was to build the vessels and soon produced a sea-worthy class of boat that was fast and strong. The Reichsmarine was interested in…

9 min

The Armourer|June 2023

The Photo Inspector

Here we have a fine portrait photograph of Alexander Henry (1818-1894) the Scottish gun maker and early member of the Queen’s Edinburgh Rifle Volunteer Brigade. The QERVB was raised in Edinburgh in 1859 and soon comprised some 22 companies. The titles of each reflected the trades and occupations of its members, for example No.1 (Advocates), No.3 (Writer to the Signet), No.7 (Bankers) and No.8 (1st Artisans). There was also a company (No.16) made up of total abstainers and three Highlanders resident in the city.…

1 min

The Armourer|June 2023

NEXT MONTH: JULY 2023 ISSUE

It’s the Korean War next month, which started when the North, supported by China and the Soviet Union, invaded the South, supported by the USA, Britain and Commonwealth. The reasons for the conflict date back to the end of WWII where, after 35 years of Japanese rule, the Soviet Union and the United States divided Korea along the 38th parallel. A communist totalitarian state was established in the North, a capitalist one in the South, with both claiming to be the only legitimate government and neither accepting the border. Although the USA provided 90% of the military that supported the South, the UN denounced the invasion and some 21 other nations consequently supplied forces. Read on to discover how it all played out. Also next month we have the final…

1 min

The Armourer|June 2023

AUCTIONEER LISTING

BEDFORDSHIRE ■ Southams Auctioneers Bedford, Tel: 01234 266366 guns@southamsauction.co.uk www.southamsauction.co.uk BERKSHIRE ■ Special Auction Services Newbury, Tel: 01635 580595 mail@specialauctionservices.com adam@specialauctionservices.com www.specialauctionservices.com BUCKINGHAMSHIRE ■ Bosleys Marlow, Tel: 01628 488188 sales@bosleys.co.uk www.bosleys.co.uk DEVON ■ Greenslade Taylor Hunt Tiverton, Tel: 01823 332525 www.gth.net antiques.saleroom@gth.net ESSEX ■ Reeman Dansie Auctions Colchester, Tel: 01206 754754 auctions@reemandansie.com www.reemandansie.com KENT ■ C&T Auctioneers and Valuers Kenardington, Tel: 01233 510050 enquiries@candtauctions.co.uk www.candtauctions.co.uk LONDON ■ Morton & Eden London, Tel: 020 7493 5344 info@mortonandeden.com www.mortonandeden.com ■ Noonans London, Tel: 020 70161 700 auctions@noonans.co.uk www.noonans.co.uk SOMERSET ■ Greenslade Taylor Hunt Taunton, Tel: 01823 332525 www.gth.net antiques.saleroom@gth.net STAFFORDSHIRE ■ Marlows Stafford, Tel: 01785 214100 or 07789 628030 mail@marlowsauctions.co.uk www.marlowsauctions.co.uk SUFFOLK ■ Durrants Beccles, Tel: 01502 713490 AuctionRooms@durrants.com ■ Bishop & Miller Stowmarket, Tel: 01449 673088 www.bishopandmillerauctions.co.uk enquiries@bm-auctions.co.uk WARWICKSHIRE ■ Warwick &…

1 min