The Tippco Toy Company made these vehicles between 1934 and 1939. Tippco was a German-Jewish owned company whose owner was forced to sell for pfennigs on the reichsmark and emigrate to England. This one is called a Kübel and tows a Pak-36 AT Gun. The crew is made of Elastolin. The engine still winds and it has a forward and reverse gear and steerable wheels. Makes me want to go and invade Miniature Poland.
I never get sick of the overt racism inherent in the US response to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Here is the sheet music for the December 23rd 1941 hit by the Murphy Sisters, “You’re a Sap, Mister Jap”. On a side note the A-B-C-D that the song refers to is the joint alliance of America, Britain, China and the Dutch, most of whose naval assets were sent to the bottom of the South Java Sea by the Japanese in early 1942.
You’re a sap, Mr. Jap, you make a Yankee cranky
You’re a sap, Mr. Jap, Uncle Sammy’s gonna spanky
Wait and see before we’re done
The A, B, C and D will sink your rising sun*
You’re a sap, Mr. Jap, you don’t know Uncle Sammy
When he fights for his rights, you’ll take it on the lammy
For he’ll wipe the Axis right off the map
You’re a sap, sap sap, Mr. JapYou’re a sap, Mr. Jap, you make a Yankee cranky
You’re a sap, Mr. Jap, Uncle Sammy’s gonna spanky
Wait and see before we’re done
The A, B, C and D will sink your rising sun
You’re a sap, Mr. Jap, oh what a load to carry
Don’t you know, don’t you know, you’re committing hari-kari
For we’ll wipe the Axis right off the map
You’re a sap, sap, sap, Mr. JapYou’re a sap, Mr. Jap, oh it makes a Yankee cranky
You’re a sap, Mr. Jap, Uncle Sam’s gonna spanky
Wait to see before we’s done
The A, B, C and D will sink your rising sun
You’re a sap, Mr. Jap, oh you don’t know Uncle Sammy
When he fights for his rights, you’ll take it on the lammy
For he’ll wipe the Axis right off the map
You’re a sap, sap sap, Mr. JapYou’re a sap, Mr. Jap, oh what a load to carry
You’re a sap, Mr. Jap, you’re committing hari-kari
For we’ll wipe the Axis right off the map
You’re a sap, sap sap, Mr. Jap
This group of SA figures was made by the Lineol company sometime between 1933 and 1945. Interestingly these are not made out of plastic but rather from a combination of wood waste and resin. You can identify Lineol brand vs their competitor Hauser by looking for rectangular bases on the figures. In this case I was lucky enough to find a set with their original boxes. Wonderful, now I just need to find a little über-brat who wants to recreate Kristallnacht.
British-made, celluloid-covered metal cover designed to hold a box of wooden matches. Front shows hand with thumb and fingers labeled “China/Britain/America/Russia/Free French” squeezing Hitler’s neck. The one side panel of the piece reads “The Greatest Enemy In History Against Humanity Is At Last In The Allies Grip.” The back of the piece has verse “Mussolini’s Note To Hitler/Why Oh! Why, Must I Die, All Through You, Oh! The Pity Of It All. With One Sharp Twist/Of That Wrist,/We’ll Both Be Through/I’m Sure We’re Heading For A Fall/Yours Broken-Heartedly,/Mussolini.”
Such fun!
Here’s a fun little item. This is a Daily Sketch parody of the well-known German children’s book, Struwwelpeter. Der Struwwelpeter is a German children’s book by Heinrich Hoffmann. It comprises ten illustrated and rhymed stories, mostly about children. Each has a clear moral that demonstrates the disastrous consequences of misbehaviour in an exaggerated way.
In this version, printed in 1941 or before judging from the content, the writers parody Hitler, Stalin and Germans in general. Struwwelhitler: A Nazi Story Book by Dr. Schrecklichkeit was written by Robert & Philip Spence to benefit the War Relief Fund of the Daily Sketch, a now-defunct conservative British tabloid.
This is the rarest of the propaganda items put out by Fieldings of Staffordshire, England in 1940 to take advantage of the, then recent, “Violation of Poland” by Hitler’s armies. On the top it says “Caught In The Allies Web” while down below says “Drop Your Ashes On Old Nasty”. Inside is a cartoon image of Hitler, probably by David Low, a prominent political cartoonist of the period. The design is a tongue in cheek one executed by the outstanding designer Enoch Boulton. These items were viewed as being a little bad taste at the time, especially the faux chamber pots.
These ash trays are very hard to find in good condition. This one took me three years to find.
This is a 1960 commemorative medal, issued through the Dunkirk Veterans Association (now disbanded) and subsequently managed by the French National Association of Veterans of the Fortified Sector of Flanders and of Dunkirk. This is my second example and I like it better because, surprisingly, I think the other one is an accursed fake! This one has much better quality characteristics.
I don’t know what to say here. Basically I think, in WW2 USA you could stick an anti Japanese or anti German statement on a turd and someone would say I’ll buy it. This pair is stamped U.S Navy and has the message “Shoot the Pants off the Japanazi”. So Kitsch.
This is the Emergency Service Medal 1939-1946 issued by the Republic of Ireland. For service with good conduct between 3 September 1939 and 31 March 1946 this medal came in eleven variations depending on the unit or branch of service. I have four of these, this one is for AN CAOMNAORI AITIULA : the Local Security Forces.
This small group belongs to 1076673 Eric Birchall, Sergeant, RAFVR. Eric flew on Lancasters of 44 Squadron and was killed in action on December 24th 1943. Eric was a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner. He trained in 1654 Heavy Conversion Unit and was posted to 44 Squadron on 12th August 1943. He flew 13 sorties including two to Berlin, two to Hannover and one to Munich. On his 14th sortie, again to Berlin, he was part of group of 379 aircraft, mainly Lancasters. They took off at 0034hrs on the 24th and had a troublefree outer leg due to bad weather. His aircraft was en route home to Dunholme Lodge when it was attacked by a night fighter at 0315 hours and set on fire. It was observed to crash 30 miles NE of Limburg. The entire crew was killed. Eric is buried in the Hannover War Cemetery along with the rest of his crew.
A little while ago I picked up the Hitler ashtray from this set. Then recently someone emailed me to say they had the full set with it’s cardboard box.
This is a set of three Anti-Axis ashtrays manufactured in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States by the Kemper Thomas company and aimed at Hirohito, Mussolini and of course Adolf. Still with it’s original box although that’s in a bit of shaggy condition.
I have always had an interest in the Indian Wars and especially the Custer Battlefield. This is a 45-70 Government round with a Winchester Repeating Arms headstamp.
This is a Walther PPK 7.65mm automatic pistol, manufactured in Germany by Walther in 1943 and issued as a police sidearm. The holster is marked Otto Sindel, Berlin, 1943. The two magazines are original to the pistol with matching serial numbers. The receiver and frame are marked Eagle N which indicates acceptance by the Wehrmacht post 1940 and the left hand side of the frame is marked with the Eagle and a C following, indicating police issue. This pistol was reputedly acquired in Normandy by a Lieutenant Stagg, adjutant of the Oxford Rifles, from the body of a German SS officer he had just shot. Well at least that’s the tale that came with it. However upon researching I discover that the Oxford Rifles didn’t get shipped to Europe until January 1945. This is not to say that Stagg could not have been in France in July 1944, just not as adjutant of the Oxford Rifles. This will provoke some further investigation.
Further snooping reveals a Major Kenneth Stagg, P38758, in the Oxford Rifles in 1945. He was born in 1899 which makes him 45 in 1944.
Remember Kids! Buy the item, not the story!
The full set of three stamps in the memory of Archduke Ferdinand & Princess Sophie. These rare stamps issued 1917 during the period of Austro-Hungarian Empire (Austria-Hungary-Bosnia).On 28th of June 1914 (written in the stamps) Serb terrorists group assassinated Archduke Ferdinand (see his portrait in the stamps along with his Hungarian wife princess Sophie) while visiting the army in Sarajevo. First World War started directly after that assassination.
Here’s another very ordinary Birchall. In this case it’s Albert Birchall, Private, 38249. He served originally in the East Lancashire Regiment and later in the North Lancashire Regiment. His medal card shows an entry for the Silver Wound Badge.
This is not militaria I know but one has to make some fun in the middle of hyper-inflation! This is the 100 Trillion Dollar bill, issued prior to 2009 when they basically gave up and stopped using their own money. Back then it would not have bought an egg or a bus ticket.
Here’s a lonely single to Private Jonathan J. Birchall of the South Lancashire Regiment (No 39159). John Joseph Birchall was born in Salford in 1885 and appears in the 1911 census as single, living with his Mum Elizabeth and working as a general labourer. The census has their address as 16 Anderson St, Salford. This house and street no longer exist as they were flattened during the Blitz in WW2 and never rebuilt.
This little leaflet, interspersing rhymes about attacking tanks with a bloody Panzerfaust, was produced in 1944. Instructions fail to include bending over and kissings ones arschloch auf wiedersehn.
This is a voting ballot form for the March 5th Reichstag elelction, in this case for the Wahrkreis Hessen-Nassau district. Although the voter in this case chose the Social-Democrat candidate, the election was ultimately won by the Nazi Karl Weinrich (he later served 10 years in prison for crimes during the regime and died in 1973).
Karl Weinrich, Gauleiter of Hesse-Nassau seen here at the Reichskreigstag June 1939. He sits beside Hitler. He was removed from office in 1943 following the disastrous air raid on Kassel.
Kassel city center following the RAF bombing raid in October 1943
This is another one of a series of faux chamber pots put out by Fieldings of Staffordshire, England early in 1939 to take advantage of the, then recent, “Violation of Poland” by Hitler’s armies. This is the largest one I have seen, I include one of the more usual examples beside it to compare.
Inside is a cartoon image of Hitler, this one is by David Low, the cartoonist responsible for the Hitler caricatures on the other pots. The design is a tongue in cheek one executed by the outstanding designer Enoch Boulton. They got some stick for these pots as they were plainly chamber pots and they were accused of poor taste.
This memorial plaque (also called a Dead Man’s Penny) commemorates the death of Private Alfred William Burchell 8121. Alfred, born in Tottenham, London, was a member of 2nd Battalion Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry and was killed on the 17th of November 1914 during the last stages of the 1st Battle for Ypres in Belgium. His body was not recovered and he is commemorated on the 47th panel of the Menin Gate Memorial in Ypres. Also shown is the original wax cardboard sleeve these plaques were shipped in.
This fun little pinback, manufactured in the US, originally had a piece of red cotton thread attached to the lever on Uncle Sam’s hip. When you pull it Hitler’s head was raised as though he was being hung from the tree. Just wonderful!
This is the second of the badges of this type I have. This badge, depicting a lion attacking a snake with Hitler’s head, obviously belongs to some obscure British jingoist “club”. A lot of Home Front propaganda items were produced in the first year of the war, partly to stir up pro-war fervour, mostly to generate a profit. The badge has the words “Protected Design” on the rear. Despite using my l33t googling skills I have not been able to discover an origin for the badge. This example is intended for women as it has the pinback attachment. There is a men’s buttonhole version as well.
This is another one of a series of faux chamber pots put out by imitators of Fieldings of Staffordshire, England. Made early in 1939 to take advantage of the, then recent, “Violation of Poland” by Hitler’s armies. It is much larger in size than the other examples I have here. On the back of the inside rim it says ‘What would you do chums?”.
Inside is a caricature image of Hitler, this one not by David Low, the cartoonist responsible for the Hitler images on the other pots. They got some stick for these pots as they were plainly mini-chamber pots and they were accused of poor taste. This one has Ash Tray stamped rather prominently on the front, I am guessing in an attempt at deniability.
This group belongs to Thomas William Burchell. They are unnamed except for the Naval LSGC which is impressed to D/J109394 Petty Officer T.W.Burchell, H.M.S. Valiant. The LSGC was issued on June 12th 1941. I have his papers up until 1929 and can see that when he was made P.O. in May 1941 he was on the Valiant. In this case he would have had an action packed war with convoy runs to Gibraltar, the defeat of the Italian Fleet at Cape Matapan and the Greek Campaign.
