Sold Gallery
These pages display a number of the rare items that I have had the pleasure of selling. To view more details and a larger photograph please click on the thumbnail picture.
WW1 British trench cooker.
Forerunner of the hexamine stove, this folding tin stove was fuelled by solid fuel tablets and retailed under the name 'Anglo's Trench Fires'. Contained in it's original card box with the slogan ' a boon for dugouts, tents and trenches' this cooker is a scarce survivor of the WW1 Tommy's equipment. Box in stained and slightly fragile condition with some loss to one corner, but with all of it's original contents.
1st Pattern Fairburn-Sykes Fighting Knife .
An example of the classic 1st Pattern Fairburn-Sykes Fighting Knife, as produced by Wilkinson Sword from 1941. Nickel-plate on brass and steel with ' Wilkinson Sword ' and ' F-S Fighting Knife ' etch to both sides. This example in sleepy ' just found ' condition with staining, very small areas of rust and general wear. The major failing of the knife is the broken tip. Clear signs of sharpening. The scabbard is intact, dusty and dirty. Two small holes and a cut to the top of the scabbard appear to have been done to accomodate a button and a stitch possibly to provide more secure attachment. This is a good, solid, honest example of a 1st pattern that has been used and would clean well but I have not had the heart as it seems sacrilegious. Priced accordingly.
Beaded and Ribbed F.S. fighting knife.
Brass handled Fairburn Sykes fighting knife, the handle featuring the so called 'beaded and ribbed' finish to aid grip. The handle also features an inspection mark close to the crossguard, which comprises an arrow over either a 1 or 4, difficult to distinguish. The blued, machine ground blade is in good condition with evidence of sharpening and use. The tip is slightly rounded and there are two knicks to the blade, to the right looking down the blade. The handle is good with some minor dents and abrasions. Comes with a good condition scabbard, the type often associated with Wilkinson production with a flattened chape. A good condition, used example of an increasing uncommon F.S. variant. MR11
No.1 Commando insignia grouping.
A grouping of insignia from No.1 Commando's service in Burma and the Far East. Starting with a cast brass ' Commando ' shoulder title with typically Far Eastern wire loops, probably worn on the epaulette. A hand embroidered cotton on wool ' S.E.A.C.' shoulder title with an issue machine embroidered Commando Group sleeve badge. All the cloth insignia shows clear signs of having been removed from a tunic and was found with another identical set. I would suggest that this insignia dates from 1945 and was probably mounted on a ' going home battledress ' which were invariably heavily ornamented. In good, clean condition. Uncommon.
Buckinghamshire Battalion F.S. Cap.
Scarce coloured FS.Cap to the Buckinghamshire Battalion the Territorial Battalion of OXFORD and BUCKS Light Infantry. Black body with red piping, blackened brass badge and silvered buttons (a nod to the territorial origins of the unit), size 7 with clear label with regimental number and initials. Bucks Batt were part of 6th Beach Group in Normandy.
48(RM) Commando 1945 Battledress.
A good 1945 dated Canadian battledress with badges for 48(RM) Commando. Size 13 Battledress (5'11"- 6') by the 'Workman Uniform Co.Ltd.,Montreal' with Cash's tape 48(RM) Commando shoulder titles which saw extensive use from late 1944. The tape has been stitched onto blue woolen material before attachment to the sleeve. Underneath the shoulder titles, embroidered Commando Group sleeve badges, darkened rank pips for Lieutenant to both shoulders. BD has had some additional tailoring (darts to the reverse etc) and is in generally excellent, clean condition with a few minor moth nips. Formed in early 1944, 48 Commando were extensively deployed in the Walchern operation and this BD is typical of those worn at the end of the war.
Modern SAS grouping.
Grouping of items representing the service of 24408049 Sgt.J.T.Heron SAS. Comes with unofficial awards including an engraved, hallmarked silver General Service Cross and official miniatures including GSM and NATO service and boxed Saudi Liberation of Kuwait medallion. Awards would indicate service in Northern Ireland, Yugoslavia and the 1991 Gulf conflict. Accompanied by an official issue beret mounted with an old type cloth cap badge which has clearly been worn for some time in service. An official stable belt, mess dress button and a parachute harness release buckle mounted with an Irvin parachute emblem. An uncommon grouping which would bear further research where possible.
WW1 British 20lb Cooper bomb.
A very scarce example of a WW1 British ' Bomb, H.E.,20-lb Cooper, Mk.I. Steel-cased aerial bomb with correct ' Fuse, D.A.,No.7, Mk IA'. In excellent, complete condition with wood and steel tail fin, loading shackle and dismountable fuse. Very few discernable markings apart from some inspection marks to the fuse interior. The Cooper bomb was the first HE bomb to be adopted by the RFC and the later RAF with it's main employment for use against troops, guns and transport. INERT (please contact us re postage before paying)
German FAD belt buckle.
All brass, two piece belt buckle for the ' Freiwillige Arbeits Dienst ' or Volunteer Labour Service, the forerunner of the RAD. Slight rusting to steel roller and prongs with a dark patination overall.
3rd Pattern F.S. Knife
Introduced from 1942 the 3rd Pattern F.S. knife was the zenith of FS knives formulating the design and method of production that is still used today. This wartime example retains nearly all of it\'s blackened finish to the ringed grip which has a number \' 2 \' cast into the top. Some minor rubbing and bruising to the highpoints. Blade retains it\'s needle point and the majority of it\'s blued finish with clearly discernible cross-graining apart from the tip. Late pattern sheath with both tabs and elastic retainer in good, used order. All together an excellent example. MR/06