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Added a nice little item to my WW2 collection today

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OBIO

Retired SOH Admin
Deb and I sent to her mom's house for the family's Mother's Day get together. While sitting out by the fire, my father-in-law Griff sits in the chair beside me and says, "What can you tell me about this?" I take what he is holding out and look at it. A real deal WW2 set of pilot's wings. Sterling Silver, twin posts, original clasps. In great shape. He asks me what a set like that is worth...and I tell him I have seen them go for as cheap as $5 all the way up to $100 depending on the condition, the year they were made, what company made them, if they had any providence associated with them (meaning, were they worn by a pilot of some reknown). He told me that he could not remember where he got them, but it was many years ago, and that they had been stored in one drawer of his tool box since he brought them home. And then he said that if anyone would know about them, or would appreciate them, it would be me. And he gave them to me!

So now I have a set of Pilot's Wings (US Army Air Corps/Forces) to go along with the USAAC officer's pilot pins (the ones with the USAAC emblem..gold wings and silver prop) and the near mint condition set of USAAF cold weather/high altitude flight pants and the rest of my WW2 collection.

OBIO
 
Congrats OBIO if anyone deserves them you do.

Somewhere in a drawer in my Mother's place in England there is an Iron Cross 1st class (complete with presentation case) and an original German version of 'Mine Kampf'. There was also a pair of brass German officer's binoculars in a leather case which my Grandmother had but as she died after I emigrated I have no idea where they are now. All the above were 'liberated' by my late father during his travels across Europe during WWII.

Probably of more interest to you is a sword that sits in a closet here. It's been handed down one side of my wife's family tree for many generations and she is the current 'caretaker' of it. It dates back to the war of 1812 between Canada/Great Britain and the USA. Her ancestor was an officer on the US side but became a 'Turncoat' and switched sides to fight for the Canadians/Brits.
 
That's very cool. All dads stuff is in storage on the East coast and I hope to be able to start sorting through it soon. I remember his wings and other medals I used to sneak in and look at when I was a kid. He kept them in a small box in a bedroom closet and never talked about them. He didn't fly as a pilot again until about ten years ago, with my brother. He sort of admitted he thought his luck held just long enough to get through the war and didn't want to chance it.
 
My father-in-law has another WW2 item that I would dearly love to add to my collection...but I have about 20 male family members who are in line before me to get it. A real deal Japanese sword. Leather wrapped wood scabbard. He has had it for years and all the boys in the family want it because they see it as a Samurai sword and what to hack things with it. Griff's older son Mike wants the sword because he knows how much he could get out of it on E-Bay or at an auction. I want the sword because I know what it is and it would look great as part of my WW2 collection.

OBIO
 
That's really cool Tim, I have a few WWII collectibles as well, although I focus on collecting mostly East German and Soviet Aviation related stuff, here's a pic showing some of my prized items, all original ... Mike :salute:
 
Prize those collectibles guys. My dad had just about everything stolen from him after he was injured on Okinawa during the battle. All we have is an Eisenhower jacket and his purple heart. We also can not find anybody who knew him in his unit and he never talked to us about it (he died in 1982). BTW if anybody here was in the 7th Infantry div 32nf INF reg Company F at Okinawa or had a parent in it pm me please.
 
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