A Very Good WW2 Pilot's Luftwaffe Dagger With Hanging Straps. When Mark Hawkins Met General Adolf Galland, He Confirmed The Pommel + Crossguard of the Luftwaffe Dagger Was Made From Messerschmitt Alloy

You would have to go a long way to find a better complete original example in better condition. With deluxe amber wirebound grip, and a very good blade stunningly bright. Aeronautical alloy pommel and crossguard to dagger. Overall in excellent+ + condition, with usual signs of light wear etc. It is an especially nice original dagger.

Although, strictly speaking, pilots and officers were not allowed to carry their daggers on board their planes, many indeed did. And there are a few in British museum collections, that were recovered or captured from downed pilots, from during the blitz of London and the Battle of Britain on the south coast. This is the pattern most commonly worn by the Battle of Britain pilots in Goring's Luftwaffe. Aero alloy hilt mounts, amber grip wire bound, and as a war souvenir of WW2 by a British combatant.
It was in a fascination and informative brief meeting with world renown German WW2 fighter hero and ace, General Adolf Galland, during his visit to Brighton, Sussex, while giving a lecture with a British RAF Air Marshal, at Mark Hawkins alma mata. At that meeting, many decades ago, General Galland replied, when asked, and confirmed, that the alloy hilt of the second pattern daggers of those that had the alloy pommel and crossguard, instead of nickel were made with the same alloy as used in the Messerschmitt fighter planes.

This is a most fine 2nd Pattern Luftwaffe Dagger by Alcoso of Solingen; measuring 431 mm with the scabbard on, this dagger features a diamond shaped 250 mm steel blade, with nice edges, remaining bright and crisp, and having very sharp tip. The blade's reverse ricasso is maker marked Alcoso Solingen with the company's stylized logo. The leather washer at the crossguard junction remains intact and the blade only exhibits light wear from extraction and return to the scabbard, with natural shine, with slight surface wear and extremely fine. The aeronautical alloy hilt fittings are very nicely detailed, including the embellished pommel, eagle crossguard and quillon surfaces, with very light contact marks. The traditional Third Reich swastikas are on both sides of the pommel. It has the deluxe, optional, amber coloured celluloid grip, along with ten rows of tightly wound wire around the grip that are free of interruption and in overall very good shape. Silvered iron metal scabbard, now surface worn as usual. measures 295 mm, with a traditional pebbled finish, crisp ball finial. The throat is retained by two mounted screws, oak leaf bands with hanging rings, all free of denting. Accompanied by a set of extra fine Luftwaffe dagger hanger straps - Two straps, each with two rows of silver bullion wire and bluish-grey embroidered uppers, and black velvet backers, attached to the hanger bar via stitching at the ends, steel hangermounts with an ornate oakleaf design, each has an adjustable rectangular buckle with sliding metal adjustment, hanger is marked with the RZM insignia, maker marked "U.E. 10" and marked "D.R.G.M." (Deutches Reichsgebrauschsmuster), all three spring-loaded clips are functional, buckles, extremely fine.

It has been the tradition of soldiers of all nations for thousands of years to claim trophies of war, for it was once written

"Man thirsts more for glory than virtue. The armour of an enemy, his broken helmet, the flag ripped from a conquered trireme, are treasures valued beyond all human riches. It is to obtain these tokens of glory that Generals, be they Roman, Greek or barbarian, brave a thousand perils and endure a thousand exertions".

Decimus Junius Juvenalis, known as Juvenal, Roman poet, Ist Century AD. Translated from the original Latin

The luftwaffe dagger is one of the most collectable of the German WW2 daggers for several reasons, firstly the romance of the fighter pilot, secondly it was a far smaller force so much fewer made than the SA or Army dagger, and the beauty of the dagger's design is unquestioned.

Code: 24398