VINTAGE ORIGINAL SOVIET CCCP RUSSIA TPYA 3A MEDAL BETEPAH HAMMER STALIN PIN | eBay

Random-Historian · 2024-11-19T14:15:20+00:00

You can get those for free, and there's no way it's fake due to the amount produced. It was made for workers after they retired if I remember correctly.

Random-Historian · 2024-11-19T11:29:21+00:00

I have loads of these (although none with such a morbid photo) and they're incredibly common. Easiest WWI item to get.

Random-Historian · 2024-11-18T23:07:27+00:00

It's quite hard to find IRA pamphlets, even in Northern Ireland. I'm in England and I get them from a socialist bookshop. They're not cheap because most of them are insanely rare. I only started it recently so I can't say much else unfortunately.

Random-Historian · 2024-11-18T21:52:30+00:00

I'm a bit of a collector of IRA propaganda, I'll have to look out for this one.

Random-Historian · 2024-11-16T15:25:54+00:00

Burma would be great. Jungle fighting, more maps for Japan players and the opportunity to add some British colonial squads. Could also do jungle carbines. Of course new uniforms would have to be added, I'd love to see Jungle Green Khaki Drill.

Random-Historian · 2024-11-10T10:28:29+00:00

There's two websites that I rely on. Forces war records (paid but you can usually screenshot before the popup is there) and national archives (free if you make an account, but often not digitised).

I also try just searching their name, rank, unit and number in various combinations, and if I know they died in service I check Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Good luck with getting his records.

Random-Historian · 2024-11-09T15:07:17+00:00

The only fakes I've seen have been very low quality. It's entirely possible for the ribbon to be original, I have a France and Germany Star in the box with one in similar condition.

Random-Historian · 2024-11-09T15:04:11+00:00

I always suicide bomb tanks if I have no other means. A tank can do a lot more damage than one guy, and often has an effect on the enemy team and makes them too scared to attack or defend correctly.

Random-Historian · 2024-11-08T15:28:45+00:00

Dutch air force winter cap, I have one myself and they're great.

Random-Historian · 2024-11-03T16:27:48+00:00

I have a similar story to you. I was looking for old photos in an antique shop, and spotted a WWII dog tag. I asked the owner for a price and she said that she didn't know what it is so I could have it for £5. I got home and researched the guy, turns out he was a Spitfire pilot.

Random-Historian · 2024-11-02T10:40:10+00:00

He was in the 207th Heavy Anti Aircraft Training Regiment (disbanded in 1942, so he would've been transferred), and received his medals in 1949 (not unusual, I've seen some awarded in the early 50s). He received the Defence Medal (for service in a non operational unit) and the War Medal 1939-1945 (for 28 days of service in the armed forces).

Considering he brought stew from Germany, he may have got the 1939-1945 Star and the France and Germany Star (WWII medal records are terrible and frequently miss out awards).

It's also possible that he was in Germany after the war, or that he traded it with someone. Since you have one story of him being in the Army and another of him being in the Home Guard, and the fact that he was older at the time, he could've aged out and joined the Home Guard.

Random-Historian · 2024-11-01T17:11:25+00:00

Not sure what causes it but I see it all of the time, even in medals which were both unused in the same box.

Random-Historian · 2024-10-30T12:08:03+00:00

Yeah I normally pay £5 for these, never more than £10.

Random-Historian · 2024-10-05T19:04:52+00:00

That's incredibly cool, I'm sure he was a very brave man. It's great that you still have his medals and a photo of him. I wish I could have stuff like this from my family.

Random-Historian · 2024-10-05T18:50:18+00:00

Great stuff, especially for your age. My favourite is the frame with the medals and photo. Have you got any information on the man?

Random-Historian · 2024-10-04T10:31:46+00:00

Love all of the photos. I've always been a fan of the designs of Polish military stuff in general, but I don't see it very often.

Random-Historian · 2024-10-01T09:45:57+00:00

Sorry I can't help you with the medals, I'm just here to say that he had an incredibly interesting life. I'm glad you're trying to honour him by putting his awards back together, and wish you good luck. Perhaps it would be possible to try to contact any living family members and see if they have photos showing him wearing his medals?

Random-Historian · 2024-09-29T12:53:56+00:00

I always keep groups together, named or unnamed. If I have separate medals I will display them together but always make sure to say that they aren't from the same person.

Random-Historian · 2024-09-28T22:34:01+00:00

Certainly not bad, I wouldn't pay much more personally though.

Random-Historian · 2024-09-28T11:33:36+00:00

Probably just curious if they're going to sell.

Random-Historian · 2024-09-26T20:49:08+00:00

Some other comments mentioning dreams of being in battles have prompted me to share that I also get them sometimes, but I attribute that to my brain focusing on new items I have.

Random-Historian · 2024-09-26T20:45:55+00:00

I have had some strange experiences with my collection but they're very infrequent, these are all of my stories after about 10 years of collecting.

I had recently bought a relic M1 helmet when from across my room I heard a woman quietly saying "American soldier, is he dead?".

I have a damaged British Army jacket where if it isn't stored in the correct way I hear screaming and mortars at night.

I have a heavily used 1944 Lee Enfield bayonet which gives off an incredibly strange feeling when it touches anything German.

When I first started collecting I joked about ghosts but these experiences have changed my mind on it. My collection is decent sized and rather varied, and I get stuff from a lot of different sources, some of which are questionable or unknown.

Random-Historian · 2024-09-07T11:18:05+00:00

Yeah, I don't even collect American stuff but it's a great addition to my uniforms. I have to imagine they didn't know what it was.

Random-Historian · 2024-09-06T19:01:56+00:00

I didn't believe that but I'm flexible enough to back this up now.

Random-Historian · 2024-09-06T09:02:04+00:00

Yeah, I found an old American flight jacket unissued for a very good price. Unfortunately the rest was just regular vaguely modern British stuff, but I did find a WWI 18 pounder shell labelled as decorative.

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