chinstrap
Active member
What a great idea for a thread.
I think the first thing I collected was as a very young school-boy in England in the late 1950 's , when another lad brought some badges and medals to school to sell. I bought a Belgian 1914-18 commemorative medal. I'm working on an ipad just now and I don't know how to include a photo, but it's a very elegant, bell-shaped medal, featuring the helmeted head of a Belgian soldier. Still my favourite design. He also brought in a 3rd Reich flak- gunner's badge and Japanese battle flag, belonging to his Dad, which I think were confiscated by the teacher. I recall that both of us thought that owning a picklehaube would be as good as it could ever get!
Other memories:
1.My Mum keeping my brother and me quiet during a school holiday by buying two bayonets. ( ten shillings/ 50 p each ) from a junk shop. He got the French 19th century Gras, and I got the German WW1 saw-back.
2. An old lady in our village giving me a small collection of badges and buttons she'd been given by local lads during WW1. These included a Royal Flying Corps badge.
3. As a young teenager, trekking into Manchester by train to spend my Christmas and Birthday money at the ' Old Curiosity Shop' and walking back through the streets of the city with pockets full of medals and badges, and with bayonets wrapped in newspaper-probably a jail sentence now. The shop was full of military headgear, all way beyond my means, but I vividly remember the beautiful shiny German helmet with the big eagle on top, which meant nothing to me then!!! Anyone for time travel?
I could go on, but I'll spare you. Happy collecting.
Patrick
I think the first thing I collected was as a very young school-boy in England in the late 1950 's , when another lad brought some badges and medals to school to sell. I bought a Belgian 1914-18 commemorative medal. I'm working on an ipad just now and I don't know how to include a photo, but it's a very elegant, bell-shaped medal, featuring the helmeted head of a Belgian soldier. Still my favourite design. He also brought in a 3rd Reich flak- gunner's badge and Japanese battle flag, belonging to his Dad, which I think were confiscated by the teacher. I recall that both of us thought that owning a picklehaube would be as good as it could ever get!
Other memories:
1.My Mum keeping my brother and me quiet during a school holiday by buying two bayonets. ( ten shillings/ 50 p each ) from a junk shop. He got the French 19th century Gras, and I got the German WW1 saw-back.
2. An old lady in our village giving me a small collection of badges and buttons she'd been given by local lads during WW1. These included a Royal Flying Corps badge.
3. As a young teenager, trekking into Manchester by train to spend my Christmas and Birthday money at the ' Old Curiosity Shop' and walking back through the streets of the city with pockets full of medals and badges, and with bayonets wrapped in newspaper-probably a jail sentence now. The shop was full of military headgear, all way beyond my means, but I vividly remember the beautiful shiny German helmet with the big eagle on top, which meant nothing to me then!!! Anyone for time travel?
I could go on, but I'll spare you. Happy collecting.
Patrick