#65605
10/29/2006 02:14 PM
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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 621
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OP
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 621 |
Just posted this also on the collector's showcase page. It took me 20 years to complete this guy, with the Normandy camo helmet, the gauntlets, the belt, gravity knife and soldbuch coming from US veterans. The rest cost a lot, in terms of time, money and trades. But I finally got it done.
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#65606
10/29/2006 05:00 PM
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 244
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 244 |
Sweet! Please show us some more pics!
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#65607
10/29/2006 08:19 PM
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Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 64
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Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 64 |
Yes....more pictures please !
Very nice !
Regards, Steve
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#65608
10/30/2006 01:40 AM
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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 621
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OP
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 621 |
Here's a closer view of the helmet. It was taken at Hells Corner near the la Barquette lock above Carentan, France on 7 June, 1944. An officer of the 501PIR, 101st Airborne kept this as a souvenir of the defeat of the 1st Bn FJR6. 150 jagers were killed, 350 taken prisoner and only 25 escaped by circling around the long way to Carentan. They had walked into a large U-shaped ambush above Hells Corner.
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#65609
10/30/2006 01:51 AM
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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 621
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OP
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 621 |
On another subject-the grouping pictured here was taken 1/2 mile north of Dead Man's Corner on 7 June, 1944. Retreating German troops circled a hill, which had a supply depot cut into the side of it. In it were crates of ammunition and canned meat. Barney Becker a paratrooper of 1/506th chased two Germans into this maze of crates and dispatched them with a B.A.R. His buddy Rich Brinkley, thinking it was now safe, wandered in there and was fired upon by a FJ officer armed with a Luger. Brink shot him with a Thompson SMG and liberated the items shown here-a officer's peaked cap with bullion insignia, a pair of FJ gauntlets (he lost one side of the pair after the war), the officer's byf41 Luger with holster, and the officer's Luftwaffe issue wristwatch. Having no place to carry the cap, he crushed it and stuffed it into the cargo pocket of his jump trousers. I own all these items now and much of the stitching in the cap is broken. Brink wore the dead officer's wristwatch for many years after the war and had the original straps replaced. He also wore the officer's ring, which has since been lost. Because we know the location and date this happened and we know the officer was a member of FJR 6 because of the FJ gauntlet, I'm hoping someone who attends the FJ reunions will be able to learn the name of this officer. The 506th withdrew to Beaumont, France that night but re occupied the same area the following day. At that time, the three bodies had been removed, as well as the ammunition. The meat, which was in blue metal cans, was still there. We surmise that the 2 retreating Germans knew this officer was in amongst those crates on June 7th and they detoured in their retreat to warn him that American troops were about to overrun the area. This cost them their lives. There couldn't have been too many officers from the 6th Para Rgt killed that day, so, knowing the location and circumstances, it should be possible to discover his identity.
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#65610
10/30/2006 04:25 AM
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 205
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 205 |
Geez, 20 years..That is a very long time.
Looking for DAK 1st or 2nd model Tunic in Large size. Also looking for Italian camo trousers in medium size.
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#65611
10/30/2006 02:29 PM
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 244
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 244 |
Yes, but assembling a quality collection is a lifetime project. So many new collectors today think you can "point and click" your way to a collection in a year or two. In fact, networking and decades of learning and effort are the only things that work.
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#65612
11/01/2006 04:21 AM
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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 621
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OP
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 621 |
The reason my mannequin took so long to complete is that I didn't just go shopping with a lot of cash-I was trying to get all the components directly from US veterans. I knew a 502nd officer that had a FJ helmet and TWO camo jump smocks. For 15 years he assured me I would someday get them and told me to be patient. Then he died and his family seems to know nothing about where his WW2 stuff went. Finding real FJ ttousers and boots proved to be difficult and I'd guess that even a collector with the requisite money in hand would have to wait awhile before a pair of either of those items becomes available. I got both via some costly trades and it just took a long time for things to come together. Hell, even finding an enlisted fliegerblouse with flight-colored tabs and piping in a human size (large enough to fit a mannequin) took awhile. None of these items grows on trees any more. Anyhow, I began this project around 1984 and finished it around 2004.
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#65613
11/01/2006 01:11 PM
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 3,439
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 3,439 |
Great job though!
I am still working on mine, sadly I had THREE frikin' pairs of FJ pants over the years, and I got rid of them about a year before I decided to do a manaquin (I never thought I'd get a smock, but I fell into that one) Boots are tough too, for now I am using a well worn set of US Army LPC's.
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#65614
11/08/2006 12:45 AM
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Very Nice Mark
Thanks for sharing the photos and the history.
Matt
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#65615
01/15/2007 08:58 AM
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Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 832
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Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 832 |
Very nice Sometimes it takes time to complete a grouping!Congratulations! Geoff.
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#65616
01/16/2007 04:37 PM
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 244
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 244 |
Any other Fallschirmj�ger mannequins out there members would like to share?
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#65617
01/17/2007 10:04 PM
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 201
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 201 |
Cheers
Gerd
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#65618
01/18/2007 02:08 AM
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 5,344
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 5,344 |
very nicely done guys,thanks for sharing,,,,robert
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#65619
01/18/2007 04:23 AM
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 244
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 244 |
Beautiful, Gerd! I love the Fliegerbluse, too.
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#65620
01/18/2007 07:03 AM
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 201
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 201 |
quote: Originally posted by Chris M: Beautiful, Gerd! I love the Fliegerbluse, too.
Thanks! I'll post some more views later this day. You can see, that I'm not a mint collector. I love the real "battle" look, so the smock shows wear and has some (period) repairs as 99% of my other field gear. I tried to fill the pockets with period goodies. So the FJ display-dummy has all what I soldier would need....from ammo, PO8, 98K, stick grenades, down to cigarettes, pictures of the girlfriend, personal papers and last but not least dog tag. Smock and helmet came out of the H�rtgenwald area.
Cheers
Gerd
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#65621
01/18/2007 08:12 PM
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 201
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 201 |
Cheers
Gerd
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#65622
01/18/2007 08:14 PM
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 201
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 201 |
Cheers
Gerd
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#65623
01/18/2007 08:15 PM
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 201
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 201 |
Cheers
Gerd
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#65624
01/18/2007 11:47 PM
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Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 64
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Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 64 |
Super set-up Gerd ! Love the used look too .
Regards, Steve
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#65625
01/19/2007 04:05 PM
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 244
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 244 |
Those elbow pads are fantastic, and really rare!
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#65626
03/28/2007 11:22 AM
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 24
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 24 |
Very nice mannequin Mr. bando!! Have you got a good photo of the face, it looks really really nice!!
thanks in advance rene
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#65627
04/15/2008 02:31 PM
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Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 3,977 Likes: 33
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Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 3,977 Likes: 33 |
Hi outstanding group....what is a mint/un-issued 1944 dated pair of gauntlets worth? I saw a worn pair sell for $1400.00 on Collectors Guild. Thanks and cheers, Ryan
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#65628
05/21/2008 03:37 PM
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 2,115
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 2,115 |
How I can enjoy these pictures! Wunderbar!
Fred
"Panzer vorwärts!"
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#65629
05/31/2008 11:00 AM
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 380
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 380 |
Very nice !
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