American 'Occupational' War Trophies
This is how I look at all those cloth embroidered German Crosses.
They aren't "standard" so where did they come from? Were they
'field-made' by the regimental cobbler? He's the only one who would
have the sewing machine to fashion anything like this. He would
have the thread, cloth & possibly the "time" to make up a couple for
those who wanted to put their original piece in safe keeping & wear
one of these pieces into combat.
What about the ladies we've heard about that have "cottage businesses"?
Would someone approach one of these women sitting in her war torn
house & ask her to dig out her sewing machine & sew-up a couple of
these pieces? I hardly think so!
I believe all of these 'oddities' were made while the 'occupation' went on
& some enterprising GI's found a few people who worked in the factory
making these during the war & paid them "food money" or "cigarette
money" to sit down & crank these things out so the gullible GI's could
take them home along with everything else that was being fashioned
by these little 'after-hour' companies....They had the thread, they had
the machines but, they didn't have the metal wreath or the 'die' for it
& that's WHY we see everyone of these without the metal wreath.
Years back Mr. David Littlejohn in Scotland had the "white" background
version WITH the metal wreath & it was illustrated in one of the early
research books but it was so long ago I can't recall it's title.
No, I don't believe them....My view is they are 1945-1955 "made-up"
pieces for the gullible.
Ron.
This is how I look at all those cloth embroidered German Crosses.
They aren't "standard" so where did they come from? Were they
'field-made' by the regimental cobbler? He's the only one who would
have the sewing machine to fashion anything like this. He would
have the thread, cloth & possibly the "time" to make up a couple for
those who wanted to put their original piece in safe keeping & wear
one of these pieces into combat.
What about the ladies we've heard about that have "cottage businesses"?
Would someone approach one of these women sitting in her war torn
house & ask her to dig out her sewing machine & sew-up a couple of
these pieces? I hardly think so!
I believe all of these 'oddities' were made while the 'occupation' went on
& some enterprising GI's found a few people who worked in the factory
making these during the war & paid them "food money" or "cigarette
money" to sit down & crank these things out so the gullible GI's could
take them home along with everything else that was being fashioned
by these little 'after-hour' companies....They had the thread, they had
the machines but, they didn't have the metal wreath or the 'die' for it
& that's WHY we see everyone of these without the metal wreath.
Years back Mr. David Littlejohn in Scotland had the "white" background
version WITH the metal wreath & it was illustrated in one of the early
research books but it was so long ago I can't recall it's title.
No, I don't believe them....My view is they are 1945-1955 "made-up"
pieces for the gullible.
Ron.
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