THIS IS BEYOND SICK - ITS SAD destroying of NAZI items 1945

[Edelweisse]

My Father was also in ETO and he told me that they would enter homes and destroy some of the most beautifully engraved hunting rifles by smashing them against trees and bending the barrels. As stated by others.....we are so far seperated from what these soldiers experienced. All they wanted to do was live and make it home alive. Many had no interest at all in stuff/loot...they only wanted to make it home. My Father did bring back some items that I still have. His "BEST" was when he found a case of Lugers when he was out on patrol. Thinking...."I can't take all of them".....he handed them all out to the soldiers in his group and kept two. Pretty crazy but... He also tried to bring home a MP38/40 but they wouldn't let him bring it home so he threw it into the sea. In closing.....all they wanted to do was live and make it home alive.

[BROBS]

I'm begining to rethink the whole collecting thing. Fakes and rip-off artists, thousands of dollars lost, then combine that with the true meaning of the stuff....maybe it isn't for me.

No judgement being passed on anyone else, but I've really been thinking about it alot lately.

the "true meaning of the stuff" to me is that there were real people who fought on all sides of the war. Yes the German items are "Nazi" related items, but only because the Swastika was placed on everything. There were plenty of soldiers conscripted that did not agree with "Nazi" ideas. The items are from a real person, in a real time and place.

I also look at WW2 German items as "war booty" taken home by the victors. So to me, it's honoring the US soldiers who won the war for us... by displaying their "prizes".

[macleod]

I'm begining to rethink the whole collecting thing. Fakes and rip-off artists, thousands of dollars lost, then combine that with the true meaning of the stuff....maybe it isn't for me.

No judgement being passed on anyone else, but I've really been thinking about it alot lately.

Hi Crusader

I know what you mean. When I got married years ago, my wife convinced me there was something wrong with wanting to collect TR militaria. So I got rid off everything at a knock down price (not that I had that much anyway). She has since mellowed in her attitude, presumably happy that I'm not a closet Nazi, and so I'm back collecting again, hassle free. I still entertain doubts from time to time, and it feels a bit like hiding a guilty secret, but at the end of the day, collecting this stuff really ticks my boxes and I regard it as an aspect of my wider interest in WWII....you could do a lot worse with your disposable income

As for fakes and rip-off merchants, well, that's another issue that we all have to contend with...

regards

macleod

[Marcel Banziger]

Steinar,
If you think the destroying symbols of the Nazi Regime in 1945 just after the war that had raged through and destroyed much of Europe is sick, then you really have to sit back and think about what you are saying.

Mark

Well said.

[Steinar]

Well said.

Well of course I understand the anger, the war was insane and brutal, but after all, it wasnt the uniforms that fought the war. Its equipment, and it is very good looking and cool equipment as well.

For me as a collector it is sad to see and read that 'they' (maybe) destroyed 1000s of visor hats and tons of uniforms.

I cant be the only one getting sick seeing this.

[Danny70]

Steinar,
If you think the destroying symbols of the Nazi Regime in 1945 just after the war that had raged through and destroyed much of Europe is sick, then you really have to sit back and think about what you are saying.

Mark

I wholeheartedly agree. I'm sure that at the time no one considered it "very good looking and cool equipment".

[uscob]

Nobody was interested in Collectors need's and want's 70 Years later.
Everything want these guy's wanted was a warm butt and something to eat in the Stomach. That was the reason why they converted Helmet's into cooking Pots, Mask Carriers into coffee Pots, Wehrmacht Clothing to civy Clothing and so on. A Piece of Bread was worth a 100 times more as a Peaked Cap. It couldn't warm or feed you. Think about this.

[Darin S.]

Excellent footage. I used to work with a guy that grew up in Frankfurt during the war. His uncle was a bomb disposal technician. He told me as the fighting got nearer and nearer his uncle just went home and stayed there. He had my coworker and his mother take all of his items, uniforms, decorations, everything and toss them into the river before the Allies arrived. After the fighting stopped he turned himself in and was sent to a POW camp. At the camp he made trinkets and rings with swastikas for the G.I.'s as souvenirs. Horst, my coworker still has one of the rings made by uncle to this day.

Lots of stuff was thrown away and destroyed for a variety of reasons during the time.

[besslein]

im pretty sure this haul was complet destroyed,photo was taken im my town may 1945

[Crusader17]

Can you recognize where the photo was taken?

[besslein]

Can you recognize where the photo was taken?

yes,only one house left

[NZMark]

I have several tropical caps with blood on them. I am under no illusions where they may have come from and how they may have been souvenired.

Regards,
Mark
New Zealand

[Jan B]

Please give member Steinar a break...I'm sure he posted this from a collectors-point of view TODAY!

[Johnny R]

im pretty sure this haul was complet destroyed,photo was taken im my town may 1945

That probably was a mass surrender. They were allowed to keep helmets and gas masks until leaving a combat area and then usually threw them in piles like that and brought in Ammo and weapons.

[Jos L C]

If I had been a victim of this war and had suffered I would've burned it all, even my stuff ..
There's a rather thin line between all of this and therefor we've collect with a bit of respect, choose the right words and don't glorify the wrong people too much.
It's all about good balance.

Jos.