Zeltbahn!?!?!?

[alter-art]

I have find this one.
100% original, but no holes and buttons.
End of the war?
Someone can help me?

ciao a tutti alter-art....................stefano

[alter-art]

2

[alter-art]

3

[alter-art]

4

[Glenn Barbaritz]

I was told these type of zelts were late war and to be used only for wear and not shelter therefore no buttons/ grommets. Glenn

[alter-art]

Thank you Glenn.

Anyone?

[Ranger]

Hello Stefano,
These SS zeltbahns were made at the end of the war, in the very last few weeks and days. There was one factory in the Munich area that made exactly this model. I knew a women who had done war work as a young girl in that German war materiel factory making these. The reason these were without buttons and withoutgrommets, etc., according to her was because that factory had run completely out of parts, and doubted they would get more grommets and buttons. They were under pressure to ship what they could to The Front, ASAP. They cut and sewed what they could at the factory and shipped them this way, ie. unfinished. Other zelts were made with simple slits cut into the zelts, but no reinforcing for the buttonholes. The factory was forced to send them out unfinished; and it was up to the individual soldiers at the Front to finish sewing the zeltbahns, if they could find, beg, or borrow the parts needed/required.

In the late 1970s and 1980s, I was stationed at Bad Toelz, and southern Bavaria. I was able to find and buy many of these zelts from Germans who had direct access to old WW2 warehouses and old factories. The SS zelts still in mint condition. They were still being stored in the factory and warehouse when the war ended. I shipped many hundreds of pounds of these interesting, mint condition SS zeltbahns back the the U.S.A.; along with literally tons of other items of German militaria I was able to buy, back to my collection, which I had left stored in the States while I was off living in Germany in the 1970s, 1980s, early 1990s.

I put the items into storage with my collection in the States, which was in long term storage in the U.S.; while I returned to and remained in Bad Tolz and southern Bavaria full-time, climbing the Alps, jumping out of airplanes, and earning the really "big bucks" (hazardous duty pay), working for my "uncle sam". While I was volunteering to serve and keep the world safe, "Big Al Harges" and his adult son, were back in the states gaining access to my sealed and stored collection, and they were illegally removing all my valuables by the car load at a time, (stealing me blind), and going thru my collection and stealing my personal collection which consisted of tens of thousands of items. Over a 5-year period, they: ("Big-Al", and his adult son) cleaned out my collection, (and cleaned me out), sold those stolen items for a fraction of their fair market value in order to dump the hot merchandise, and enriched themselves well into the high 6 figures.

Some of the items that they stole from me, and then sold off were these same type SS unissued Zeltbahns. They stole dozens and dozens of these SS Zeltbahns from me, along with the rest of my lifelong collection.

Many, many dozens of collectors, and dealers all across the USA, but especially in the Southern USA were able to buy, month in and month out, year after year, from this dirty duo in the 1980s and early 1990s the items from my collection. "Big Al" & his son sold very cheap. Their prices were pennies on the dollar to "blow-out" the "hot merchandise". I do not think the buyers knew they were buying stolen property. Probably, They merely thought they had stumbled into deals "too good to be true!!!" And for a number of years the good times rolled for "Big Al". When I returned to the USA, and I found out in the 1990s I had been robbed, I was devastated beyond belief.... I felt as if my family had been kidnapped, raped, and murdered.

I still see some one-of-a-kind items that had been stolen from my collection years ago, show up for sale from time to time, being offered by dealers and collectors. It still breaks my heart. I will no doubt be on my deathbed still suffering from this wounding that has never healed. It has physically and mentally devastated me. It has also shortened my life. Unfortunately, I will probably die younger than many of my peers due to the stress "Big Al" and his son forced on me....


The moral of the story, 2 points to learn and bear in mind as you go thru life:

#1. In the USA we, the good honest citizens, do NOT have a Justice System. We only have a "Legal system", and a poor one at that. There is no real or true "justice". The Legal system is set up to protect the rights of the thieves, and all criminals. It does not protect the criminal's victims, those of us who come seeking protection and legal recourse. The "System" in the USA victimizes the good citizens who come seeking help from this joke of a "U.S. Legal system".

#2. Crime DOES pay, CRIME PAYS VERY, VERY WELL. Especially, if you are a heartless, selfish, compassionless, bold criminal who is without morals. The more the criminals enjoy looking people in the eyes and lieing to them, with a smile, the more profitable their crimes are.

God Bless all the good people out there.

[alter-art]

Hello,

many thanks for your answer.
I'm very afraid for your story.

Ciao a tutti alter-art..................stefano

Hello Stefano,
These SS zeltbahns were made at the end of the war, in the very last few weeks and days. There was one factory in the Munich area that made exactly this model. I knew a women who had done war work as a young girl in that German war materiel factory making these. The reason these were without buttons and withoutgrommets, etc., according to her was because that factory had run completely out of parts, and doubted they would get more grommets and buttons. They were under pressure to ship what they could to The Front, ASAP. They cut and sewed what they could at the factory and shipped them this way, ie. unfinished. Other zelts were made with simple slits cut into the zelts, but no reinforcing for the buttonholes. The factory was forced to send them out unfinished; and it was up to the individual soldiers at the Front to finish sewing the zeltbahns, if they could find, beg, or borrow the parts needed/required.

In the late 1970s and 1980s, I was stationed at Bad Toelz, and southern Bavaria. I was able to find and buy many of these zelts from Germans who had direct access to old WW2 warehouses and old factories. The SS zelts still in mint condition. They were still being stored in the factory and warehouse when the war ended. I shipped many hundreds of pounds of these interesting, mint condition SS zeltbahns back the the U.S.A.; along with literally tons of other items of German militaria I was able to buy, back to my collection, which I had left stored in the States while I was off living in Germany in the 1970s, 1980s, early 1990s.

I put the items into storage with my collection in the States, which was in long term storage in the U.S.; while I returned to and remained in Bad Tolz and southern Bavaria full-time, climbing the Alps, jumping out of airplanes, and earning the really "big bucks" (hazardous duty pay), working for my "uncle sam". While I was volunteering to serve and keep the world safe, "Big Al Harges" and his adult son, were back in the states gaining access to my sealed and stored collection, and they were illegally removing all my valuables by the car load at a time, (stealing me blind), and going thru my collection and stealing my personal collection which consisted of tens of thousands of items. Over a 5-year period, they: ("Big-Al", and his adult son) cleaned out my collection, (and cleaned me out), sold those stolen items for a fraction of their fair market value in order to dump the hot merchandise, and enriched themselves well into the high 6 figures.

Some of the items that they stole from me, and then sold off were these same type SS unissued Zeltbahns. They stole dozens and dozens of these SS Zeltbahns from me, along with the rest of my lifelong collection.

Many, many dozens of collectors, and dealers all across the USA, but especially in the Southern USA were able to buy, month in and month out, year after year, from this dirty duo in the 1980s and early 1990s the items from my collection. "Big Al" & his son sold very cheap. Their prices were pennies on the dollar to "blow-out" the "hot merchandise". I do not think the buyers knew they were buying stolen property. Probably, They merely thought they had stumbled into deals "too good to be true!!!" And for a number of years the good times rolled for "Big Al". When I returned to the USA, and I found out in the 1990s I had been robbed, I was devastated beyond belief.... I felt as if my family had been kidnapped, raped, and murdered.

I still see some one-of-a-kind items that had been stolen from my collection years ago, show up for sale from time to time, being offered by dealers and collectors. It still breaks my heart. I will no doubt be on my deathbed still suffering from this wounding that has never healed. It has physically and mentally devastated me. It has also shortened my life. Unfortunately, I will probably die younger than many of my peers due to the stress "Big Al" and his son forced on me....


The moral of the story, 2 points to learn and bear in mind as you go thru life:

#1. In the USA we, the good honest citizens, do NOT have a Justice System. We only have a "Legal system", and a poor one at that. There is no real or true "justice". The Legal system is set up to protect the rights of the thieves, and all criminals. It does not protect the criminal's victims, those of us who come seeking protection and legal recourse. The "System" in the USA victimizes the good citizens who come seeking help from this joke of a "U.S. Legal system".

#2. Crime DOES pay, CRIME PAYS VERY, VERY WELL. Especially, if you are a heartless, selfish, compassionless, bold criminal who is without morals. The more the criminals enjoy looking people in the eyes and lieing to them, with a smile, the more profitable their crimes are.

God Bless all the good people out there.

[Glenn Barbaritz]

MAN!!! do I FEEL for you. I hate to put materialistic things on such a high pedestal but I know even when I was a young 20 year old with a minute collection I treasured each piece as if it were something sacred. strange how militaria collectors (of any period) are not only consumed but are also so protective of their collection to such a point that I do not know if I could give it up even at loaded gunpoint. in some ways its sad and I often wonder if at some point in my "being" will I be punished for such beliefs. I can only hope (pray) not. I, as with most collectors consider Myself a good natured, honest, hard working taxpayer/ citizen and remember the days of telling even My closest friends to be very weary of who they tell of My collection for I know "evil" thoughts run thru the heads of Us serious collectors on thoughts of our pieces being taken or abused. I too would feel "raped" and I honestly dont think I would ever be the same. My deepest regrets and sorrows go out to you and the others who have had the unfortunate experiences you speak of. I can only hope those who do such acts receive thier just dessert both here on Earth and in the hereafter. Glenn

[Gary Wood]

I was told these type of zelts were late war and to be used only for wear and not shelter therefore no buttons/ grommets. Glenn

Glenn,
I have also seen this type of Zelt in the past at shows in Germany, some had the metal grommets some did not all were devoid of button holes and buttons it was my understanding that they were just unfinished examples, I know one dealer bought quite a few and had button holes added to them.
cheers,
Gary