On one of the metal detecting forums on Facebook a girl posted this key and stated her Grandfather was a high ranking British General during WWII and the key was in his belongings. She was asking for help in finding out it's purpose and value. It looks like a humped up key to me but has anyone seen any thing like it? What about the date? Thanks, Dale
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It looks believable to me--possibly to some official Gau building. It could be a made up item but I don't see anything that screams fantasy. The swastika looks separately applied but that makes sense, since it's not a normal, hardware store key blank.
ErichFestina lente! -
Date is March 15, 1937. Here’s what Wikipedia has for that date:Comment
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Hi,
I found some mention of the dedication of a new regional party office in Münster, Germany on March 15, 1937.
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Yes, but why would a British General have a key to a pre-war, American event? I think that date match is just happenstanceComment
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Or the story from the girl on the metal detecting forum is. I’m not suggesting it necessarily was, but I generally either ignore or disregard most things that begin with “this was found in an Alsatian barn..” or “this was my uncles..” - I just look at the piece. No reason to eliminate possibilities based on a secondhand story just yet imho. Just my opinion on it, of course.Originally posted by Brig View PostComment
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I share the opinion expressed by Erich B. and elaborated by Justin Holmes. Münster was the seat -- the headquarters city -- of Gau Westfalen Nord, so it is quite possible that the British general who supposedly "liberated" this key was part of the British forces which occupied or passed through Münster, and while he was passing through, he visited what was probably an impressive Nazi building there and he saw a little object which was both portable and expressive of the war in which he was deeply involved, and he simply picked it up and put it into his pocket...about 75 years ago!
If you could find out who that British general was, it would be possible to see whether he was in the Münster area during his time in service...
Who among us wouldn't have done the same?! Cheers,
Br. JamesComment
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