Any DAK items

[NCO]

Hi Greg,
Spectacular , what comes to mind , you are a lucky guy.
Thanks for sharing.
Cheers
nco

[Greg B]

Appreciate all the kind comments guys. I'm a visual kind of person and always enjoy seeing items posted here that other like minded Dak/ tropical collectors have aquired. This morning I couldn't get up earlier enough to view the cap again ( as it only arrived yesterday) My wife said I used to look at her once with the same intencity. I said to her I'm sure I will again once she arrives at the same grand age of 70 odd years as the cap needless to say I got a good thump for that

Mark you have nothing to be Jealous Mate , you have some supperb items in your collection and I love that Pz officers m40 cap of yours! I've a very long way to go compared to many collections out there however I'm enjoying the journey. It took me a long time to realise to build a collection takes a no' of things , Time, patiance, money, Networking and friendships and especially knowlege and a keen eye. Both from a historical and a collecting view this ia a great hobby we have no matter what focus guys specialise in.

Yannick thanks for showing the extra pics of the book...definately one I will keep my eyes open for.

Cheers
Greg

[barry1954]

Super new additions Greg
Barry

[NZMark]

Looks great, Greg, especially with the crusher.
Being an officer's tunic it wasn't so hard to let go as I much prefer salty NCO's or EM's tunics, which I have.
Never fear - the funds went to very good use
Take Care,
Mark
NZ

[Greg B]

Thanks Barry and Mark, yes a salty/faded NCO 1st pattern is very high on my 2014 hit list as well. Dam theres always something isn't there

Greg

[Paul l k]

Hi Greg,,

What a beautiful officer display, you couldn't hope for a better paring with the colour tone of the crusher, amazing job, I always love those mannequins of yours.. You mentioned a faded sun hat so I have added a couple my old faded Tropenhelm , the pics make it look a little darker than it is but if you look at the top you can see the fade line before the chin strap broke ...

Yannick, thank you for posting the images of the inside of the book, beautiful drawings

Cheers
Paul ...

[Paul l k]

2

[Greg B]

Beautifull example Paul, love the been there worn faded look and in nice condition as well...couldn't ask for better....how would you prefer payment

[Tim O'Keefe]

Paul thats an outstanding sunhelmet, really like the fading & wear to it.

When the DAK first arrived in Afrika everyone was wearing the tropenhelm, with a few exceptions like Pz troopers wearing their black sidecaps from Europe. A photo of a DAK solder with an M40 in Feb/March is very rare to see. The photos from the Tobruk Battles in April/May '41 still show the tropenhelm widely used as the main everyday headgear and the photos of the M40 are still very scarce. When the 8th Pz Regt, 15Pz Div arrived around Tobruk in May, they too were still wearing the tropenhelms not the M40's. Operation BattleAxe in June is really where you first start to see the M40's being worn instead of the tropenhelms.
The tropenhelm at some point became the official formal headgear instead of the everyday headgear that it had been. Still being worn at formations, mail-call, awards & funerals etc. & it appears the M40 was not widely worn as an everyday cap until June....for me the tropenhelm is the definative DAK headgear

Heia Safari !

[Tim O'Keefe]

Here you go Greg

[Paul l k]

Thanks Tim & Greg,,

Tim your captured Tropenhelm certainly is an interesting piece, speaks volumes from both sides and also of course a well used desert veteran..

You spoke of the battles in Tobruk, so I have added a scan of an Afrika Death Card I recently received, soldier " Ignatz Langeder " who died 23rd of Dezember 1941 and is buried in a Cemetery in " Tobruk "...

Cheers
Paul ...

[Tim O'Keefe]

Thanks Paul

Sorry the pics don't really do it justice, as it's a much more faded yellow than the photos show. When in hand, it does make you appreciate the original owner and the day when those eleven GI's signed it

Thats a great photo. Ignatz would have passed from wounds received during the Sidi Rezegh Battles Nov 18 - Dec 9 '41. As the DAK had retreated back almost to their starting point at Agedabia on Dec 23, 1941. Artillery too

Cheers
Tim

[90th Light]

Excellent stuff has been added to this thread lately, it is hard to keep up with it all

I found these two on the "Uniforms I Wouldn't Buy" thread

There is so much to discuss about each of them it is hard to know where to start.

Talk about period variations from the text-book norm

Chris

[PAOLORUBENS]

good to see ...

last and not least

A very special and just as salty/used Black Afrikakorps CT

Greg

good to see my old baby with great new friends ... thank you again Greg and don't forget my italian headgear research

[msteve21]

Merry Christmas

Some amazing items and informative discussions posted throughout the year , all made possible due to the generosity of the WAF, DAK collecting community.

A BIG THANK YOU to all the 2013 contributors, looking forward to 2014

Have a Merry Christmas everyone

Mark S