"Beehive Find" - What Was It?

[DonC]

All, came across a few references to a "Beehive Find/Cache" when looking at tropical caps. I confess I have no idea what it was exactly - can someone please share the story?

Thanks,

Don

[Tim O'Keefe]

All, came across a few references to a "Beehive Find/Cache" when looking at tropical caps. I confess I have no idea what it was exactly - can someone please share the story?

Thanks,

Don

Hi Don

Here are a three threads with dicussions about the beehive find...

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...&highlight=400

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...&highlight=400

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...hlight=beehive

[DonC]

That's what I needed - thank you, Tim!

Don

[Gene]

Why is the cache known as the "beehive find"? I see the references but don't know why it's called that.

[Cyrano]

Can't remember it exactly, but wasn't it something like--A beehive was located in a house and during the removal it was discovered that the insulation for the walls were bundles of DAK sidecaps.

I remember a picture showing the bundles still in the wall. Wish I could find it.

edit: Seems like there was also a second railroad beehive cache of DAK material. Which begs the question, were they Africanized ?

[DonC]

Why is the cache known as the "beehive find"? I see the references but don't know why it's called that.

That's what I was really after as well, Gene - I love those "hoard" stories - it keeps my hopes alive that more is still out there.

Don

[Dmv]

I remember a picture showing the bundles still in the wall. Wish I could find it

Would love to see such photo, anybody?

[Tim O'Keefe]

Ok as i have more time guys gather around and hear the story of the beehive cache. In Austria back in the early 70's there was an abandon railroad car on a spur near several farms, some of which had large beehives. Inside the railroad car there were over a thousand original unissued tropical caps, some tunics and webb gear as well, mainly sidecaps and some M40's too. The locals had known of the find and some local farmers had gathered up some of the caps and cut them up and used them for insulation in some of the beehives etc. Have seen some nice ties made up from the the cut up insigina too. They also used some of the webb gear on their farm machinery etc.

Eventually a more enterprising individual learned of the Beehive cache and soon there were collectors filling up their car trunks with unissued tropical caps & the few remaining tunics & driving away.

Over 1200 sidecaps were found. Approx 400 without soutache, another 400 with various soutache, just about all colors were found except Cav gold. & another 400 or so damaged caps but still with good insignia etc.

Most of the soutached caps were purchased by one far sighted collector and squirrled away for over 20 years. Then farily recently the fellow released almost all the soutached caps for sale.

The majority of non soutached caps have been released over the years in batches of around 20 per year back in the 80's several hundred appeared. Picked up my first non soutached Hans Brandt sidecap back in '87 in LA, its an 842.

Since then many of the non-soutached caps were bought up and another enterprising individual who then had the soutache's applied post war. In many cases its very well done and very hard to tell its been done post war....

The above threads i mentioned go into alot of the detail of the original soutached caps vs the caps with the post war added soutache. Basically if the cap is dated prior to Aug '42 its likely ok. If the cap is dated after Aug '42 the its very likely done post war. The real debate still remains how many of the caps dated Aug '42 have original or post war added soutache. As many of the Hans Brandt caps are dated 842 ? However these days you will see many Hans Brandt caps dated 1042, 1142, 1242, & even with rbn# 0/0265/5044 with a postwar added soutache for sale on dealers sites

Some tropical/DAK collectors dismiss the beehive caps as they are all unissued but a great deal has been learned from them and they are still an honest piece of tropical headgear at an affordable price. The photo shows all the different colored soutache's on the beehive sidecaps, the red arrows point at original Hans Brandt 842's with original factory applied soutache.

If anyone can ad or correct part of this story please feel free to do so ?

[-Ray-]

Great narrative and photo Tim.

-Ray-

[DonC]

And now I know "the rest of the story". Thanks, Tim!

Don

[Gene]

Thanks Tim. Does anyone have pics of the tunics that were part of the hoard?

[stonemint]

The only thing us visor collectors have that is comparable was the Berchtesgaden HPC GJ visor find in the early 70's. I sincerely doubt there will be any more major bulk headgear discoveries ever again.....

[RGD51]

Hard to talk about the "Beehive" and not mention Johannes Floch. He was "the man" at the early MAX and SOS shows back in 80's with a table full of bundled sidecaps from the hive. Chances are he'll be at SOS next week.

Robt.

[busterz111]

The only thing us visor collectors have that is comparable was the Berchtesgaden HPC GJ visor find in the early 70's. I sincerely doubt there will be any more major bulk headgear discoveries ever again.....

Could you elaborate on this story...sounds interesting and do you have any visors from this hoarde thanks in advance

[hs132]

The only thing us visor collectors have that is comparable was the Berchtesgaden HPC GJ visor find in the early 70's. I sincerely doubt there will be any more major bulk headgear discoveries ever again.....

Hi, this find was pretty magnificent. Best, Bill

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=780665