Problems viewing videos?

voxant.com

Rick Stumbo is a Worthologist, one of the experts at WorthPoint, and he owns a store in Upperville, Virginia that specializes in militaria. In this video he discusses a colorful dress uniform worn by the Spanish Civil Guard.

WorthPoint – Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Of all WWII US Airborne military collectibles, Original helmets are one of the hardest items to obtain for a collection. There were three main types used in WWII. A fiber (cardboard) liner was used early on. This was soon replaced by high pressure (fiberglass) liners made by Inland and Westinghouse.

Original fiber airborne liners are so rare, they are virtually nonexistent. Inland liners are also quite rare. According to www.toppots.com, of the 1,900,000 Inland liners produced from 1942 to 1943, approximately 75,000 were converted to airborne configuration. It’s safe to assume that many of these left in Europe and other theaters.

Westinghouse manufactured liners appeared later in the war and they are the most common, but finding original airborne Westinghouse liners is not easy because of the high demand for airborne militaria. It is unknown how many airborne configured liners Westinghouse made.

Due to the popularity of WWII airborne collectibles and the scarcity of original helmets, the market is minefield of forgeries. That is why I was elated when my friend agreed to sell me my first Inland para liner. It took several years of coaxing, but we eventually agreed on a price and I am delighted to own it.

The kicker is where my friend found this piece of rare headgear; it was rescued from his relative’s costume rental store! When my friend found the helmet, it had General stars hot glued to the front, which he carefully removed (with no loss of paint). The store had also hot glued a bevo weave store tag inside the crown of the helmet over the Inland stamp. I debated over removing this label, but eventually I carefully removed the tag and kept it with the helmet.

The liner has been repainted, but it looks wartime. Strangely, there are traces of 6th Army Div decals beneath the paint. Creases in the khaki web A-straps indicate they have been folded up inside the liner from use as an infantry helmet. It is very fortunate they were not cut off like many Airborne Inland liners I’ve encountered.

With my Inland sitting proudly in my collection, I will now search to find an original leather chin cup for it, and an original M2 or M1-C shell to mate this liner with. In the meantime, I’ll use a regular fixed-bale M1 shell, which was appropriately used by airborne personnel as well.

Chris Hughes is a WorthPoint Worthologist specializing in 20th century militaria and the owner of Rally Point Militaria and Vietnam Uniform – Military Collectibles sites.

My favorite antiques and collectibles tell a story. It’s been my experience that unearthing the story is more rewarding than the challenge of obtaining the item. My most recent “story” began at the Hastings, Nebraska military collectibles show in March 2008. I had just set up my dealer table and started walking the floor to see what other dealers brought to sell. A fellow Omaha dealer was loading a garment rack with several US WWII uniforms, so I walked over to take a look.

My eyes were drawn to a green wool USMC blouse and trousers with a 6th Marine Division patch, corporal chevrons, an honorable discharge patch, and matching EGA (Eagle, Globe, and Anchor) collar devices. I looked inside the blouse to discover an unusual name penned inside the shoulder (where size and date are marked on WWII USMC uniforms). The dealer had no information about the veteran, nor did he recall how he acquired the uniform, but he was sure it was a local find.

We agreed on a price, and I walked away with the uniform and a gut feeling that I was going to find information about this soldier. When I returned from the show, I began my research and quickly discovered the veteran was born in Grinnell, Iowa and had attended college at Grinnell University. After college, he entered the Marines and later became an editorial writer for the Omaha World Herald newspaper.

I was on a roll! Further research revealed that he and his wife were living in a retirement community a few miles from my home and his children published a book in 2000 containing a large selection of their father’s World Herald editorials. The book was available at Amazon.com and the first chapter exclusively detailed his experiences as a Scout with H Company, 29th Marines, 6th Division during WWII. Before attempting to contact the veteran, I ordered a copy of his book and read every passage about his experiences being a Marine.

One story that is difficult to forget addresses the randomness of death and injury in combat. It explains how the veteran earned his Purple Heart Medal for a gunshot wound, while simultaneously losing a fellow Marine who had been lying beside him. The two Marines were ahead of their platoon scouting enemy movement on Sugar Loaf Hill (located on the island of Okinawa), when a Japanese machine gun crew flanked them and opened fire on their position. Had the Japanese flanked from the opposite direction fate may have reversed the outcome of these men.

After reading the book, I decided to call the veteran and our conversation went well. He was intrigued that I took the time to find him. After explaining my methodologies in locating him he proclaimed that, “I knew his whole life story.” With a laugh I replied, “That’s what happens when you publish a book about yourself!”

I asked about this uniform and apparently it was sold when he and his wife liquidated their house to move into a smaller apartment. After a nice talk over the phone, we agreed to meet in person. He was kind enough to offer me a copy of his discharge papers, military photos, as well as other ephemera from his days as a Marine to put with the uniform. I listened as he talked about Marine life, his career as a writer, and his family. Being the first generation in my family to finish college, I was amazed to hear the veteran’s father and grandfather had also graduated from college.

As I prepared to leave, I pulled my copy of his book from my bag and asked if he wouldn’t mind signing it. He smiled and wrote inside the cover, “To Chris: Best Wishes & Semper Fi!!” I thanked him for the sacrifices he made for our country and for taking the time to share his experiences with me. I am deeply honored to be the caretaker of his uniform and his stories.

Chris Hughes is a WorthPoint Worthologist specializing in 20th century militaria and the owner of Rally Point Militaria and Vietnam Uniform – Military Collectibles sites.

“Pre – SPR” is a term commonly read on web boards, or heard from the mouths of militaria collectors at shows. It signifies a romanticized time period prior to the 1998 release of the movie Saving Private Ryan (or SPR). This Spielberg masterpiece revived so much interest in WWII and military history that overnight, countless new collectors were born. Soon all the affordable WWII militaria dried up to be replaced with skyrocketing prices.

Many assumed that SPR had only spiked the market like other good military movies have in the past. The dust would settle and the hoards of new collectors would eventually move on to new fixations. However, July 24, 2008 marks the 10-year anniversary for the release of SPR and prices haven’t dropped. They continue to rise. A common US M1 fixed-bale helmet with high-pressure liner went from being a $40.00 item in 1998 to a current value of $275.00 or more in today’s market. Rare and elite items have appreciated even more aggressively.

Fake German and Civil War militaria has existed for a long time, but after SPR, fake US WWII militaria began to flood the market at an increasing rate, especially for elite units.

SPR cannot take 100% of the credit. The 2001 HBO series Band of Brothers has been a contributing factor in recruiting masses of new collectors and single handedly making 101st Airborne memorabilia a white collar collectable.

Many speculated that Clint Eastwood’s 2006 releases Flags of Our Fathers and Letters From Iwo Jima would create insane demand for USMC and Japanese militaria. Their value has increased, but Eastwood’s films haven’t touched the impact SPR has had on militaria collecting.

I can reminisce about Pre-SPR just like the next guy, but I also see the value in a growing collecting community. With this new breed of collectors came more websites, web boards, discussion groups, and better networking. Worse things can happen to a hobby than increasing prices and fakes. I know of too many other hobbies that are dying off due to lack of young blood or interest. Who will these people sell their collections to over the next several years? This is something militaria collectors won’t have to worry about for a long time.

Chris Hughes is a WorthPoint Worthologist specializing in 20th century militaria and the owner of Rally Point Militaria and Vietnam Uniform – Military Collectibles sites.

There is rampant misuse of the term “crusher cap” in reference to US visor caps in the WWII militaria collecting market. A crusher cap is a type of visor cap that is intended to be soft and pliable. Germans also had a crusher cap designed for field use, but that is another topic. US crusher caps were designed for pilots and air personnel to comfortably wear under their headset.

The distinguishing feature of a crusher cap is that the bill is made from a single layer of leather with a leather bead around it. Other visor caps typically have two layers of leather fused or sewn together, with a machine-stitched brim. A double ply visor stiffens the cap, making it less than ideal for wearing with a headset.

The quintessential US crushers coveted by collectors are Bancroft “Flighter” caps, offered in both tan and dark green wool. Luxembergs and Flight Weights are also desirable.

If you surf the net looking for a crusher, you will find a lot of mislabeled visor caps. True crushers command many times more money than even the nicest regular visors, so when you are buying a crusher cap, make sure you are actually buying a true crusher and not an overpriced visor cap.

Here are pics of a Bancroft Flighter from my collection that is part of an 8th Army Air Corps Bombardier group. Notice the single ply brim and relaxed shape.

Chris Hughes is a WorthPoint Worthologist specializing in 20th century militaria and the owner of Rally Point Militaria and Vietnam Uniform – Military Collectibles sites.

I recently acquired my first M42 Reinforced jump jacket. This jacket was even CC-2′d (Chemical impregnation to protect skin from gas), which led me to believe that it was used on the Normandy jump. Based off the canvas used and the rigger sewing construction, I could tell that it was 82nd Airborne.

The jacket was not attributed to a vet when I got it, but there were two matching laundry stamps inside the garment. On enlisted men, the laundry ID is the first letter of the soldier’s last name and the last four digits or his ASN (Army Serial Number). Identifying a vet with a laundry ID number is a like finding a needle in a haystack, but I felt that this jacket merited the research.

I used the power of Wiki and posted my jacket and the laundry ID number on several militaria boards I subscribe to. In little time, I was contacted by an airborne collector who had a database containing the names and ASN’s for 43,000 WWII 82nd Airborne vets. He ran my information and came up with exactly one match. The soldier was T4 Gordon P. Hannan of Regimental HQ&HQ Company, 504th PIR, 82nd Airborne.

The 504th PIR fought and made two combat jumps in Italy prior to arriving in England (4-22-1944) with the intent of participating in the Normandy jump. However, their numbers were depleted and they did not have enough men to participate in the jump. Note: A handful of 504th troopers did volunteer as pathfinders and Pathfinder Security Teams (T4 Hannan was not one of them).

The 504th PIR were issued the same reinforced M42 jump suits as all the other regiments that were jumping into Normandy, but since they didn’t jump, they did not have to turn their jump suits in when everyone returned to England. In fact, the 504th were the only regiment to wear reinforced M42s in the Holland jump (Operation Market Garden). So, it is likely that T4 Hannan wore this jacket on the Holland jump.

This is a firsthand example of how the power of the Internet and “collective intelligence” can be a real benefit to collecting and research. I encourage everyone to post and let the world hear your stories and share in your research projects.

Chris Hughes is a WorthPoint Worthologist specializing in 20th century militaria and the owner of Rally Point Militaria and Vietnam Uniform – Military Collectibles sites.

Until recently, little was known or published about MACV-SOG, an elite US Special Forces reconnaissance unit in Vietnam. SOG was under joint command by 5th Special Forces Group and CIA with an objective to recon and disrupt the Ho Chi Minh trail by running cross-border operations into denied areas, primarily Laos and Cambodia. SOG recon teams were small, typically 6 to 8 men. They had a 1-0 (pronounced “One Zero”) who was the team leader, a 1-1 assistant team leader, and a 1-2 radioman. The remaining personnel were indigenous mercenaries. Depending on region, they could be Chinese Nungs, Montagnards, Cambodes, or Vietnamese.

The 1-0 was a leader with innate skill coupled with experience. Rank was irrelevant on SOG teams. Being “good in the woods” is what ultimately determined survival or failure. 1-0’s commanded respect from all of the Special Forces community. The 1-0 jacket was a symbol worn at camp to distinguish themselves from other SOG personnel. The 1-0 jacket was awarded to 1-0’s after completion of the Recon Team Leader course at Long Than. Initially, they were intended to be worn in the field. Photographic evidence verifies this. However, the nylon material was noisy in the brush, so 1-0’s opted to wear them in camp only. Often times, jackets were modified with direct embroidery bearing the wearers name and SOG related themes like recon team names, “shell burst” skulls, etc.

There were three patterns of 1-0 jacket. The first pattern (shown here) is a pull over with a removable hood. There are two front slash pockets, single snap cuffs, and a rear map pocket in the lower back with a snap closure. There is a small oilskin tagged marked “M” inside the hood and collar to denote size (medium). The second and third patterns are not pullover and do not have a removable hood. SOG was a relatively small unit, so these jackets are extremely rare and often overlooked as being a simple windbreaker.

Chris Hughes is a WorthPoint Worthologist specializing in 20th century militaria and the owner of Rally Point Militaria and Vietnam Uniform – Military Collectibles sites.