Has anyone heard more on .................................

the supposed finding of a complete German Messerschmitt fighter that was found in Bosnia during the fighting going on over there? I suppose that some rich collector has it already in his collection.

 

No never even heard of it? But thats pretty cool! How did it stay intact all these years?

 

All I remember hearing about it was reported on NBC Nightly News at the time we were there fighting. The Messer was found in a storage shed or garage of somekind, and was supposedly in remarkable condition for all its years in storage, except for the rubber on the aircraft.

Then a few months later I remember hearing about a German aircraft, that had been found somewhere and was now in a rich collectors hands who is in Europe, I dont know if this is about the same aircraft or not. That was the last I ever heard on this particular piece.

Since then, there have been several aircraft US and German, that have been found in Switzerland. They were US B-17 flying forts and German Messers and BF-109 aircraft. Another B-17 and a BF-109 were found when I was visiting a friend of mine in Switzerland back on Oct 1st 2000. Apparently, these aircraft were either forced down or were shot down by the Swiss Airforce for straying into their airspace. I havent heard anything on this since my visit there.

 

Thats strange, I thought I remembered hearing about that too, and that was about that time when that USAF captain was shot down, wasnt it?

 

Come to think of it, I do think it was before Captain Scott O'Grady was shot down. I only remember that NBC Nightly News had a story about its finding.

Another interesting thing I heard from another forum was that there are attempts being made in Germany, Norway and Finland, that there are salvaging efforts going on. Apparently there are weapons and vehicle discoveries being made.

It appears that, many military items were dumped into various lakes in Europe by retreating German forces, such as aircraft, casches of weapons etc.

My friend Erik from Denmark, recently went to Russia to visit a few battlefields there with sefveral of his friends. They went to visit Stalingrad, and picked up items from the battlefield like rusted German helmets etc. Well all their stuff was confiscated at the border crosing. Erik had told me that you can still se remnants of fighting vehicles in some areas, and they saw skeletons of 1 or 2 T-34's and German Tanks. The steel wheels had been long since stripped off the tanks to be used for farm vehicles and carts.

 

Have any of you heard anything knew about this topic. And another thing, what valuable items do all of you have from the war?

 

I havent found anything new on this but, here in Texas, there are a group of people who have built 1-2 ME-262's, and I think at the now renamed "Confederate Air Force" I think they were restoring one. My facts might be scrambled on the ME's but, I heard that some group was going to build three ME jets--it could even be this other group thats now working on them.

WW2 stuff I have.

I have a 1936 S-42 K-98 prototype rifle, in mint untouched condition. This Mauser rifle has a 20 round fixed magazine. The magazines are of the type that MG-13's used.

I have 2 helmets.

Heer Artillery Officers peaked visor.
Kriegsmarine Officers Schiffchen (overseas hat)
Luftwaffe Officers M-43 cap.

1 Officers Dovehead sword
1 Army Officers Daggar w/hangers
1 Fallschirmjager Gravity Knife (Fallschirm Messer) early takedown model and unit marked.
Several bayonets-German-Japanese-Russian-Vietnamese and American.
1 1989 Krag Carbine w/original Rock Island Arsenal Leather Sling.
1 Mauser made Walther P-38 AC code 1943.
2 P-38 holsters, 1 ww2 the other 1962 police.
1 Hermann Goring Pz Korps cufftitle for Enl.
Some shoulderboards and collar tabs (too many to list)
Assmann made Luft Pilots badge.
Friedrich Orth made Kriegsmarine Zerstorer badge.
Schwerin of Berlin made Coast Artillery badge.
Bronze Infantry Assault badge.
A Wein (Vienna made)Artillery Badge.
mint Ek1 and Ek2.
41-41 frozen meat medal, I.D to the vet who got it. He gave it to me because I gave him a spare Ek2 I had--his had been stolen.
1939 Army Artillery Officers tailor made Doe-skin tunic w/ 1914 Ek2 and 41-42 frozen meat medal ribbons and 1939 EK2 spange on the 1914 Ek ribbon in the 2nd buttonhole.
Westwall medal.
3 mint black wound badges.
several multi-place ribbon bars,
A very early party flag w/weights, made about 1922-1923--hand sewn circles and 3 grommets.
Kriegsmarine sailors dickey--named. (Please no levity)

Thats about it, I sold all my spares about 2 months ago to people on this forum.


[This message has been edited by C.Evans (edited 21 March 2001).]

 

Sounds like you run quite a buisness of selling antiques on this site.

 

Thanks but actually, I only sold my spare items because I fell on hard times recently Thankfully I will not have to sell off the entire collection and can hopefully in about 2 months re-start in buying shoulderboards and collar tabs.

 

I'm sorry to hear that Evans. But how long have you been such an interested collector?

 

No problem, and thanks.

I collected my first two items about 18 years ago. These were being sold by a guy that had a temporary stand at the mall in my hometown. Before I met this person, I had always wanted something that was WW2 German. Well, this guy had some shoulderboards and other items to which I cannot recall what they were.

I looked at the shoulderboards and picked out two. I was told that the two singles I picked were: Colonel of Gebirgejagers (Mountain Troops) and the other was an SS Sergeants shoulderboard.

Well, as time went by (Until I seriously got into buying these things) I always thought that these were what I was told they were. I found out that neither was what I was told they were. In fact they were: (The Gebirgejagers Colonels board, was in fact a Rural Police Sergeants board) The SS Sergeants board was in fact a Railroad Police Sergeants board) I can look back and see how this can be and bot was I to learn that I had not seen anything yet.

The guy didnt try to rip me off, these boards are similar to what he had said they were and I had no ideas then that these were both police services, I thought they were what he said. I found out how wrong by collecting more and more as the years went by.

I finally got rid of those two singles in a trade with a dealer from Illinois. I traded two boards and two collar tabs singles for a very nice Army Artillery Badge which I still have. He got what he wanted and I gat what I wanted. I also gave him I think $40.00 cash along with the 4 items. The other twp items were collar tab singles: Current East German Officer of Mountain Troops Collar Tab, at the time, I was told this was WW2--and it looks almost exactly WW2 German but was not, and a WW2 Feldwebel of Cavalry tab.

After I bought these 2 items, I bought a Freidrich Orth made Destroyer badge which I still have.

Sorry my answer wasnt short but, thats how I got started. I put all this stuff to let you know how easy it is to makeing mistakes in collecting WW2 German stuff--and the mistakes were all innocent. If I still had these four items today and knowing what they really are, I would give them a value of about $30.00. When I got rid of them and not knowing what I do now, I got $80.00 in trade which is what I put toward that F.O. made Artillery badge.

If you or anyone else is interested in collecting these things and needs advice, I will be glad to tell you what I know. In the works is a book I plan to do that is on these things. I plan to keep it as simple as I can because the book is going to be geared for the beginning collector.

[This message has been edited by C.Evans (edited 23 March 2001).]

 

Oh I'll tell you if I'm interested seeing how much you have. Very interesting history, I don't really have much to say after that, I mean I only started collecting a few months ago and maybe I'll get as much as you have.

 

Dear A.GREG: MY best advice to you in collecting is: Before you buy, please do research on what you are interested in, it will keep you from getting burned by fraudulent dealers, or at least, keep you from making big mistakes.

Another tip is: FOLLOW YOUR GUT INSTINCT when making a purchase, mine had never failed me yet. If you do not feel comfortable about an item--DO NOT BUY, and remember that there are plenty of items out-there so stuff will always be around to get.

Do NOT get in a hurry to buy as many things as you can get or you WILL GET BURNED.

I STRONGLy suggest you buy a copy of: "Detecting The Fakes" By; Robin Lumsden. Its in paperback and sells for about $18.00.

Depending on what you choose to collect, buy a few referance books to look at, that will teach you what to look out for. I have around 50 reference books on different German collectables. My very first book was Nazi Regalia by F.W.Fowler and the other book he did. These are hardcover and can usually be found in used bookstores for a cheap price.

If you are into collecting uniforms, start buying Osprey Men At Arms books. Most of these sell for about $13.00 and have much important info and great photos.

If you do tell me the items you are interested in, I can tell you where to get them without a worry of being shafted. A dealer/friend of mine has a huge store in New Hampshire, they will not sell certain things to a beginner collector like expensive Waffen SS items as a lesson to get them to think about what could happen.

I put all this here for you in hopes you will learn from my mistakes and what I learned over the years.

Take care and good luck.

[This message has been edited by C.Evans (edited 26 March 2001).]

 

Thanks for all the advice Evans, couldn't ask for anything more.

 

Thanks, but just remember--The More Knowledge You have, The More Power You Have. Also, being armed with these books WILL help to save you future pain from being cheated, and will let the dealers know that you do know "Something" and it will be more difficult for them to cheat you if it was intended.

I just bought 2 more cheap books which will also help in answering some past inquiries on this forum, such as: Names to Russian Airforce Generals in WW2--just a few though.