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Hello all, Some collections of cap badges on silk backings believed to be from match boxes. I don't have a date for these examples but have seen similar on a post card I have from a member of the Middlesex Regiment to his family from the first world war so assume these could be from around the same time. First lot is a collection pf regiments that through sometimes multiple amalgamations now form the Rifles. Second is a collection that now form the Royal Regiment of Wales. Third now form the Duke of Lancaster Regiment. Forth now form the Mercian Regiment The last two are just the remainder of the ones I own. Hope someone finds this Interesting, Jack

Very interesting. I would say these were either of WW1 vintage or a few years afterwards as commemorative. These all WW1 vintage badges, as there were some changes with some of the regiments in the early 1920s. Leon would be able to explain this better. As you say, could be from matchboxes or even enclosed with cigarette packets. There used to be even collectors of vintage wine labels.

Hello all, I'm relatively new to collecting but have recently purchased a few British helmets, one of them being this MK III shell. Information on British helmets seems to be a bit thin on the ground, I have seen many mentions of a book being made by Marcus Cotton but I cant find it anywhere so assume its not finished yet. So being no expert my self I was wondering whether any here had any thoughts or comments on this particular example and indeed the MK III in general. From what I know they were painted both green and brown when issued however the green ones are rarer and due to a long service life many were repainted, does anyone have any thoughts on the paint on this? I have also read that the rear seam being flat shows that it was made by Briggs Motor Bodies, Is this true as due to the paint I cannot see any makers marks? And finally what ways does anyone recommend or use for displaying helmets? Any response will be greatly appreciated, best regards, Jack

Hello everyone, I would like to know whether this is a pair of german ski troops goggles. Do you have any wartime period photo of a german soldier wearing them? Many thanks

Yes very interesting I've never seen these before but would agree with Paul they do look WW1 period or just after.

Yes the paint looks fine Jack, as for displaying helmets I have mine on wooden stands in a display cabinet the stands I made myself from the ends of a pine headboard.

Welcome to the forum Jack, the Mk 3 helmet was first developed in 1941 for the British Army and first worn in combat by British and Canadian troops on D-Day 1944. Although designed in 1941 the helmet was not manufactured until late 1943, it was produced by three companies which were as follows Briggs Motor Bodies Ltd ( BMB ) of Dagenham. Fisher & Ludlow Ltd ( F&L ) of Castle Bromwich. Rubery Owen Co Ltd ( RO & CO ) of Leeds They were painted in a textured kharki green colour but later painted in a textured dark brown colour, the helmets were used alongside the Brodie helmets until late 1944, the Mk3 was itself replaced after the war by the Mk4 some time in 1945. The Belgians produced the Mk3 helmet post-war but do not have any manufacturer stamp or date marks on their shells. The Mk3 and Mk4 are almost identical but the rivets on the Mk4 are lower down the side of the helmet and the liner is a attached with the detachable lift and dot release principle. Here are images of the Mk3 and Mk4 helmets below the x shaped rubber is missing from the Mk3 liner image.

Could very well be, I've seen goggles like this on sale before (snow goggles you could say - Schneebrille), could well be of German make - certainly from that period.

Many thanks Kenny! Awesome photos

I got a WW1 1st pattern British helmet from "Quartermasters", Islington in the early 1980s, and paid quite a price for it in those days. It was in really superb condition, with a red War Office stamp from 1916 inside. Almost all of the original green paint was present. The early pattern helmets were green. I recently got a WW1 British bayonet in reasonable condition. The steel scabbard tips were blued to start off with, most of the original first green paintwork is present and has been coated with a later layer of khaki paint, possibly from WW2 re-use or later WW1? I think this was common practice for painting metalwork.

Hi Jack, welcome to the forum, Leon is our expert on British helmets I'm sure he will be along soon. Paint looks original to me

As far as I know, they were developed prior to D-Day and issued then. In use for many years after the postwar period.

This arrived over the weekend, been looking for a nice one for a little while , & this popped up on an airgun forum of all places, as can be seen it's an SA80 bayonet, it still has most of the non reflective coating on the blade, also the scabbard is complete with cammo sheath , sharpening stone, saw, & button in place to enable it to be used as a wire cutter . The SA80 is a British family of 5.56×45mm NATO small arms, all of which are selective fire, gas-operated assault rifles. The L85 rifle variant of the SA80 family has been the standard issue service rifle of the British Armed Forces since 1987, replacing the L1A1 variant of the FN FAL

Thank you so much Kenny! Nicola

Hi Nicola, I'll try to contact Gunner for you

I know that this is a very old thread, but I really wish to talk about the information about Albert Edward Dunn. I believe that this is actually Alfred Edmund Dunn, and my Grandfather. I got his full service records from the Navy in about 2004, for my Dad, but since they they moved four times, downsizing massively each time due to my Dad's ill health and needing no stairs, and they have been lost. I am planning on asking for them again, but the widower thing was a huge surprise to us at the time - the dead wife and children were completely unknown to my Dad. Alfred Edmund Dunn then went on to marry Kathleen Kaye, my Dad's Mother, and he wasn't told about the other side of the family at all. We don't understand why; being a widower wasn't shameful - had he been divorced, then perhaps, but his wife having died wasn't anything to hide. My Dad does have memories of playing with children who were older than him though, when he was very young - he always thought it was one of his cousins, Philip, but we made contact with Philip a decade or so ago, and he's younger than my Dad; my Dad was the oldest in his Mum's side of the family. So we wondered if he'd been playing with his half sisters and brother. My Dad's father died when my Dad was 9, and I was sure he had died of bowel cancer, though there was something about his leg. My Dad was 9 though, and in those days they didn't really tell kids anything, and he certainly wasn't allowed to visit his father in hospital. That kind of attitude was around for a long time; we weren't allowed to visit my Dad in hospital when I was three, after he had a heart attack, and that was a early 80's! My big brother and sister weren't allowed either, and my sister was 10! There are photos there of his medals, and there is a book that has a photo of the star, with the name side. I really want to know if it's possible to get hold of his medals - Gunner65, do you know where they are? Obviously I would get proof of being his descendent, and if they are in a private collection, I'd have to work out if the owner would be willing to sell, and if I could even afford that - I'm disabled and benefits are rather low. I just wish I'd looked this up earlier - I had been planning on visiting my parents at the end of April / beginning of May, and recording my Dad, so that he could tell me all of his old stories, everything about his parents, and tales of his fascinating life. Unfortunately I was ill and had to put it off for a week or two, and then my Dad died suddenly on the 8th May. So he'll never see the medals that his Dad earned, though he probably did when he was young, but he was born in 34, and obviously his Dad went off to war again when he was very young, so he didn't really see him much. I've been pretty devestated by my Dad's death. We were incredibly close. I know that he wanted to look up his ancestry more - his Mum's side of the family came from Lithuania, and that was intriguing to us. Today, with the centenary remembrance, I've been rather inspired to look up my Grandfather again. Finding this post, with details on him, albeit with the wrong first names, it's rather overcome me. I can't believe that I managed to find these photos, and the photos of his 1914 Star in a book. I didn't know about the armoured car stuff at all. When I got his records, my Dad was in hospital and had major surgery, so we didn't really have a chance to look through them properly, and deciphering the scrawl is difficult. We mainly saw that he had been widowed and that my Dad had more family; half sisters and a half brother, and that was enough of a shock! I really want to see if I can find them as well, so anything I can find about him would be brilliant. I do hope that I get a response. It would be pretty amazing if we found that his medals were in the possession of my Dad's half family; that would mean I found them and found my Dad's extended family as well! Thanks to anyone who reads this and can help! Nicola Dunn

I think that's better than the original, this is my favourite strange song at the moment, from Americans to Russians.

Bekanntmachung! This document was issued at Paris on 21. October 1941 by the military commandant of France, General der Infanterie von Stülpnagel. Text is in French and German - concerns a terrorist attack, where the Feldkommandant for Nantes was assasinated. Those responsible have not yet been arrested. As punishment and atonement, 50 hostages are to be shot. If those responsible are not apprehended by the 23. October 1941, and in view of the gravity of this crime, a further 50 hostages will be shot. Those residents who assist in the successful apprehension of those criminals, will receive a reward of 15 Million Francs. Information and tips can be given at any German or French Police station.