List of WWI artifacts you've always wanted

Willi Von Klugerman · 30 October 2009, 03:00 PM

For me...

1.Aircraft fabric: Would make an incredible addition to my mini "museum".Just too expensive though

2.Pilots letters/journals: Would love to have one of those in my collection!

3.Aerodrome "left overs": Ground crewmen tools,petrol lids,ect.

4.Kurt Wolff Sanke: Must have a Sanke card of my favorite ace

Whats your lists?

FOKKERJ · 30 October 2009, 03:34 PM

Greetings Herr Willi,

I always wanted a Fokker D.VII and a Dr.I, but I have become more realistic and would settle for a Siemens-Schuckert D.III/IV.

Cheers, FOKKERJ

AROTH · 30 October 2009, 06:42 PM

Well, now, that sounds like a perfectly reasonable request to me.....

Chock · 30 October 2009, 06:59 PM

Coincidentally, I actually bought a good example of a JR Gaunt RFC Officer's cap badge yesterday. I've wanted a decent original example of one of those for a while. It was bit pricey, but it is a very nice one, so it was worth paying a shade over the odds for it.

Al

stephen · 31 October 2009, 08:03 PM

Anything that I find - personally - in France, or items with a personal history. Original letters home, pieces of uniform... anything that has provenance.

Some of my favorites are the petrol cap I got from a farmer at the Izel le Hameau airfield, a bayonet I dug up at Verdun, and the shells from the artillery unit whose AA MG shot down Luke.

So I guess I don't always go for specific items. I just keep my eye out for whatever falls into those categories.

Fun topic, BTW.

Willi Von Klugerman · 31 October 2009, 11:44 PM

I plan to get glass display cabinets for my collections.One for models of various a/c and another for postcards,photos,and other artifacts.Each items would have its own description labels.Heck,maybe I'll thrown in a few Russell Smith prints for the walls!

stephen · 1 November 2009, 07:05 AM

Be sure to have Russell sign them before he becomes an artifact.

crankcase · 1 November 2009, 07:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stephen

... and the shells from the artillery unit whose AA MG shot down Luke.
...
Fun topic, BTW.

I hope those weren't live shells!

Wonder how many people keep live ordnance on their mantelpieces?

marc

stephen · 1 November 2009, 07:49 PM

Nope, they were spent by the 7th Prussian Reserve Artillery in Sept 1918. And the remaining shells weren't left behind either... they were detonated in two separate munitions piles and the holes in the ground are there to this day just outside of Murvaux.

On one of my previous trips I did find a live shell and a live grenade, but the wife was with me and would have none of it.

Digital-Audiophile · 2 November 2009, 08:35 AM

As a collector of WWI avaiation, my list is a long one.

I'm always hunting for anything related to great war aviation, but the items below are my true desires.

1. RNAS Tunic & Cap - These are impossible to find! Not that RFC tunics are a lot easier, but I have managed to gather a few of those but keep striking out on the naval side. I've tracked one down however and I have my fingers crossed that I will be able to land it before Christmas.

2. German pilots uniform - Once again another tough to find item. I've come across only two in in nearly a decade but both were in rather poor shape and I decided to wait to find the "right" one.

3. Log book from an ace - yeah, good luck on that one eh?

4. Along the same lines : A tunic belonging to an ace. - I do have a 1920's tunic that was worn by an ace, but I would love to find a wartime maternity or service jacket.

5. Propeller - I see these on a regular basis in Europe but the shipping will cost more than the prop itself.

6. Personal items of

Billy Bishop - Sure.. maybe he lied about his score but as a young boy reading Winged Warfare is what started my lifelong obsession with Military history.