List of WWI artifacts you've always wanted

[joegertler]

Willi;
Have you checked your Private Messages?
In the Spirit of approaching Christmas time, and in recognition of the enthusiasm in your forum postings, I had asked for your regular mailing address and offered to send you a gift of a WWI aviation artifact for your collection. I tried to PM you, rather than do it publicly on the forum, but have received no answer.

[Chock]

Originally Posted by Jim

You need to be really careful about buying bronze RFC cap and collar badges. For every one that is real there are at least a thousand in the market place that are fakes. They are all quite well made as well and it is really hard to tell the real from the fake.

That is in fact why I said that I'd been 'after one for a while', as I had very specific condition in mind for the example I would buy, the propensity of copies being the other reason. I knew I could have bought one instantly at a second's notice, and that's where one has to be careful. In fact many of the really good condition genuine ones to be found are those sourced from stores, which were never actually supplied to anyone, so that was another thing, because I didn't want one of those either, I wanted one that had been actually issued and used. The one I bought is from a very reputable militaria dealer, although to be honest, even decent dealers can mistakenly sell fakes on occasion, but I'm as sure as I can be that one is the real deal.

What helps it to be after the bizarre stuff that would not be worth faking, which I'm in luck with for something else I'm after, that being a 1930s German issue FAA extended glide badge. Not too many of those around, although I have found one or two, but the price has got to be right. Even so, being that those date from the Nazi period in Germany, that really is where a lot of the faking goes on. I have a few Nazi artifacts (not really my thing, they were given to me), but I do keep an eye on the prices of stuff like that, since if somebody wants to offer me stupid money for the ones I have, I'll happily oblige, and they really are the real deal!

Al

[LeicesterTiger]

I've been quite lucky in what i've got already - most of my stuff, uniforms, webbing etc is reproduction, but original stuff include a Brodie (used by my grandma as a flower pot!), 18 pounder shell, an RFC message streamer and a 1916 Royal Flying Corps technical notes book which is fantastic. I've got some fabric off a Sopwith Pup - Shuttleworth's to be precise, when they recover an aircraft they chop the fabric into bits and have it in a box for a donation, a few friends of mine have the lozenge off the LVG which i'm jealous of!

I'd love anything off an aircraft, ideally one of my favourites ie the FE2B, Airco DH4, DH9 and the Handley Page trio, or anything from a crew member/squadron related to them

[Willi Von Klugerman]

I bet you that somewhere (UK or Aussieland) in an attic(s),there is a trunk that has fabric of MVRs DR1.Its very possible and are just waiting to be discovered again!To us WW1 aviation enthusiasts,any part of MVR's aircraft is a holy grail

['14-'18aviationcollector]

Hi Willi,

There are plenty of pieces of fabric from MvR's triplane here in Australia. I have seen countless pieces in various museums and private collections. I recently followed a lead which was supposedly for a piece of MvR's triplane, but it turned out to be a cross on 4 colour lozenge instead. Many or even most of the pieces of MvR's triplane are original. Fakes are usually easy to identify.

Regards,

David.

[Croix de Guerre]

If I were wishing,,I'd like to find a nice pair of fug boots, a RFC leather flying coat or a Sidcot suit to display with my RFC uniform group.

['14-'18aviationcollector]

Hi,

I have seen all of those for sale on eBay, but they sell for a reasonable amount of money of course, otherwise I would have bid on them myself!

Oh, and very very nice RFC uniform group of course! I am not jealous ..... no not at all! .... maybe a touch ... one day I will get something similar.

Cheers,

David.

[LeicesterTiger]

I'm currently pooling together a number of people (at the minute consisting of living historians, museums and vintage aircraft owners) and will be making a batch of reproduction Sidcot suits, the WW1 type. They will be perfect replicas of the real thing - if interested, let me know

[bristol scout]

Originally Posted by LeicesterTiger

I'm currently pooling together a number of people (at the minute consisting of living historians, museums and vintage aircraft owners) and will be making a batch of reproduction Sidcot suits, the WW1 type. They will be perfect replicas of the real thing - if interested, let me know

Hi guys,
A Company called Blue Swallow Aircraft are making 1920's Sidcots--is there any difference between W.W.1 dated and 20's dated I wonder..? Seem very similar in photos.

Dave.

[LeicesterTiger]

Yep - I was interested in them initially as were others, so was dissapointed to find out they were 1920's ones. Definitely missed a trick (and lots of sales) there