Wartime Fakes

[James Clark]

I went to the Imperial War Museum at the weekend. They currently have a small display on the SOE. Part of this explains how German uniforms and insignia were made for use by SOE agents in occupied countries. On display are a roll of bevo army cap eagles and a roll of taliors' labels for inside uniforms.

I wonder how many of these survived to be cut up into individual badges and sold as original? There is a picture in Robin Lumsden's "Detecting the Fakes" which shows a very similar roll of Death's Head insignia, for example.

I also wonder if this practice extended beyond uniforms and insignia to medals and badges. If it did, then there must be fakes made using contemporary wartime methods and materials which are so good that someone's life could depend on them.

Does anyone know any more about this? The museum is well worth a visit by the way. If, like me, you haven't been for a few years, you might be pleasantly surprised by how good the exhibitions are, in addition to which it is now free to visit.

James

[Rick Research]

I always assumed they just used captured uniforms and equipment for that sort of cloak and dagger stuff!

[DJT]

Hi James,

I saw that roll of bevo insignia at the IWM too! Very interesting as they looked genuine to me which is kinda scary! Weird that they are fake but at the same time authentic WW2 articles. I think the SOE used captured German uniforms and equipment but perhaps did reproduce smaller articles like cap badges and the like.

Regards,

Des

[Mark S.]

If you consider the articles that were made by the POW's at Colditz, I suppose such items would be spectacular without the confines of a POW camp, or castle, as the case may be.