WW1 / WW2 / 20th Century

A Pair of Doppelfernrohr Very Scarce SS Panzer Commander's Type 10x 50 Binoculars

Maker coded 'bmj' M.Hensoldt & Sohne AG Wetzlar 10 x 50 with serial number. In military leather case. A distinctive characteristic of the Panzer manufacturer supplied synthetic outer body covering They are in superb condition. Although a souvenir of WW2, they are not just a simple war trophy or a booty item.

bought by Carl Zeiss in 1928 but the company still continued using the company name of Hensoldt & Sohne

Panzer commanders relied on 10x50 Dienstglas binoculars (often made by manufacturers like Hensoldt Wetzlar with code bmj) for high-magnification reconnaissance and target identification from the hatch of their armored vehicles.

The 10x magnification allowed commanders to spot enemy anti-tank guns, infantry positions, and rival armor at much greater distances A 50mm objective lens diameter ensured a bright image even in low-light or dusty conditions, which was vital in environments like the Russian Front or North Africa
Unlike heavy tripod-mounted flak optics, the handheld 10x50 configuration struck a balance of power and portability, making them easier to maneuver inside a cramped turret.

3 Photos in the gallery show an SS Panzer with a Panzer Commander and a Panzer Officer, both sitting atop, and both with the highly distinctive Panzer binoculars being worn, and a superb photo from the bundesarchive of a closeup of a Tank commander with his binoculars in good detail


Also in the gallery, a photo of Heinrich Himmler with his 10 x 50 panzer binoculars, standing next to Hitler, and an SS-Panzer grenadier-Regiment 25 (12. SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend") at the Ardennes Abbey/Normandy, late June 1944. On the left is regimental commander SS-Obersturmbannführer Heinz Milius, in the centre (with compact close quarter use binoculars) and standing to his left and slightly behind, his subordinate officer, carrying, over his left shoulder, his 10 x 50 SS tank commander binoculars, and lastly a U-Boot commander using his at sea. Photos for information only  read more

Code: 26381

Aircrew Europe Six Medal Group, With Africa Star and 1942-43 Bar, 13th Squadron Observer, Operation Jubilee, 19/8/1942, the Dieppe Raids, One of the Top Five Most Secret Operations of WW2 with His Observer Wing {x 2} Dog Tags, Cap Badge & Silver O Wing

Of Sgt F.H. Westbrook -(Observer-13 Sqn)-

Operation Jubilee or the Dieppe Raid (19 August 1942) was an Allied amphibious attack on the German-occupied port of Dieppe in northern France, during the Second World War.

For over 60 years it has been thought by many of the world's historians that it was a foolhardy raid, with extraordinarily optimistic intentions, that failed, costing thousands of lives, numerous aircraft and ships, possibly, pointlessly .

In truth, it was in fact, one of the most top, top, top secret operations of the entire war. The whole event was an operation to capture for Bletchley Park a new, ultra top secret 4 rota enigma machine, kept in a German HQ safe, containing the new upgraded German enigma machine, plus several months worth of future German codes and cyphers. Even the special forces commanders of the raid where kept completely in the dark, and barely a dozen highest level top intelligence officers had even the remotest clue as its intentions. It was meant to look like a rehearsal for an allied invasion, so the German High Command wouldn't have the remotest clue as to its main objective. Thousands of allied soldiers died, not in vain as has been thought, but in order to, potentially, save hundreds of thousands of lives.

Over 6,050 infantry, predominantly Canadian, supported by a regiment of tanks, were put ashore from a naval force operating under protection of Royal Air Force (RAF) fighters.

The port was to be captured and held for a short period, allegedly to test the feasibility of a landing, and to gather intelligence on German coastal defences, port structures, and important buildings were to be demolished. The raid was intended as a boost for Allied morale, and to demonstrate the commitment of the United Kingdom to re-open the Western Front and support the Soviet Union, fighting on the Eastern Front. Little did anyone know for the past 60 years, just how important this raid truly was, it was in fact an incredibly costly diversion to hide an 'ultra' top secret operation.

Aerial and naval support was insufficient to enable the ground forces to achieve their objectives; the tanks were trapped on the beach and the infantry was largely prevented from entering the town by obstacles and German fire. After less than six hours, mounting casualties forced a retreat. The operation was a fiasco in which only one landing force achieved its objective and some intelligence was gathered (including electronic intelligence).

Within ten hours, 3,623 of the 6,086 men who landed had been killed, wounded or became prisoners of war. The Luftwaffe made a maximum effort against the landing as the RAF had expected, but the RAF lost 106 aircraft (at least 32 to anti-aircraft fire or accidents) against 48 German losses. The Royal Navy lost 33 landing craft and a destroyer.

Both sides learned important lessons regarding coastal assaults. The Allies learned lessons that influenced the success of the D-Day landings. Artificial harbours were declared crucial, tanks were adapted specifically for beaches, a new integrated tactical air force strengthened ground support, and capturing a major port at the outset was no longer seen as a priority. Churchill and Mountbatten both claimed that these lessons had outweighed the cost. The Germans also believed that Dieppe was a learning experience and made a considerable effort to improve the way they defended the occupied coastlines of Europe.

Fighter Command claimed to have inflicted many losses on the Luftwaffe for an RAF loss of 106 aircraft, 88 fighters (including 44 Spitfires), 10 reconnaissance aircraft and eight bombers; 14 other RAF aircraft were struck off charge from other causes such as accidents. Other sources suggest that up to 28 bombers were lost and that the figure for destroyed and damaged Spitfires was 70. The Luftwaffe suffered 48 aircraft losses, 28 bombers, half of them Dornier Do 217s from KG 2; JG 2 lost 14 Fw 190s and eight pilots killed, JG 26 lost six Fw 190s with their pilots. The RAF lost 91 aircraft shot down and 64 pilots; 47 killed and 17 taken prisoner, the RCAF lost 14 aircraft and nine pilots and 2 Group lost six bombers. Leigh-Mallory considered the losses "remarkably light in view of the number of Squadrons taking part and the intensity of the fighting" noting that the tactical reconnaissance suffered heaviest with about two casualties per squadron. The Luftwaffe in France was back to full strength within days of the raid. Copp wrote that Dieppe failed to inflict the knockout blow against the Luftwaffe that the RAF sought. Although the Allies continued to lose on average two aircraft for every one German aircraft destroyed for the rest of 1942, the output of fighters by the United States, Britain and Canada combined with better Allied pilot training, led to the Luftwaffe gradually losing the war of attrition in the skies above France. Copp concluded that: "The battle for air superiority was won on many fronts by continuous effort and August 19, 1942 was part of that achievement". The Forward Air Controller, Air Commodore Adrian Cole, was injured when Calpe was attacked and was awarded the DSO for gallantry. Of course Copp had no idea as to the real objective of the raid

Every single item from The Lanes Armoury is accompanied by our unique Certificate of Authenticity. Part of our continued dedication to maintain the standards forged by us over the past 100 years of our family’s trading, as Britain’s oldest established, and favourite, armoury and gallery  read more

Code: 24973

An Amazing WW1 British Trench Howitzer Maker Marked and Dated 1915, An Intriguing and Fascinating Souvenir of The Great War's Trench Warfare. Known as The Infamous ‘Toffee Apple Mortar’.

What an amazing display and conversation piece!
This is only second example in such great condition we have had in twenty years as almost every WW1 surviving example was disposed of on site at the wars conclusion, as they were so specific for the area of its use, and likely more dangerous to the operator than to its ‘hoped for’ enemy recipient, {ie; the Germans}.

Imagine using a piece of ordnance with almost the same destructive power of a 9” Battleship shell, that was fired and detonated within less than a couple of hundred yards of its operator, using only the flimsiest and incredibly fragile of percussion detonation heads at its point of impact. The very thought of operating such a piece of incredibly powerful, yet highly sensitive ordnance, must have been terrifying.

See photo 9 in the gallery, the very young infantryman is smiling next to the head of an unexploded mortars head, yet his head is just a few inches away from the small protective cylindrical cap at the shells impact point. When that safety cover was removed it revealed just a simple percussion cap detonator, no complex timing head for safety, just a cap that could detonate the massive explosion with just a few pounds of pressure!.

Trench mortars were the army’s most forward artillery, right up on the front line. These short range weapons were able to throw large, high explosive projectiles, short distances across No Man’s Land at the enemy trench system opposite.

Llewelyn Wyn Griffith, a captain with the 15th Royal Welch Fusiliers, described a battery of 2 inch mortars opening fire on enemy lines:

“A pop, and then a black ball went soaring up, spinning round as it went through the air slowly; more pops and more queer birds against the sky. A stutter of terrific detonations seems to shake the air and the ground, sandbags and bits of timber sailed up slowly and then fell in a calm deliberate way. In the silence that followed the explosions, an angry voice called out in English with a distinct German accent no doubt across No Man’s Land, ‘YOU BLOODY WELSH MURDERERS.’

Somewhat ironic, since the Kaiser invaded France and Belgium, slaughtered the allies, both civilians and combatants, in their hundreds of thousands, yet when the British -Welsh have the temerity to fight back, and thus kill the German invaders, they are called the murderers by the German combatants… sound familiar?

The 2 inch mortar named for the size of the rod not the huge explosive head was considered accurate out to 350 yards with a maximum effective range out to just under 600 yards.

Introduced in 1915, the 2 inch mortar was originally crewed by men taken from the battalion it was stationed with, along with some specialists from the Royal Artillery. However, with the introduction of the 3 inch Stokes mortar which was operated by the infantry themselves the 2 inch mortars became the sole responsibility of the Royal Field Artillery.

The British Army entered the First World War with very few mortars, and certainly none at the battalion level. As the stalemate of trench warfare set in and the effectiveness of enemy mortars became clear it was decided that trench mortars of various sizes would be needed.

Nicknamed ‘plum pudding’ or ‘toffee apple’ mortars after their projectile’s characteristic shape, the 2 inch Medium Mortar or 2 inch Trench Howitzer, was one of Britain’s first effective light trench mortars to be introduced.

Mortar positions were often in secondary trenches just behind the infantry’s frontline. This was to help protect the infantry from potential counter-battery fire. The trench mortars were often deployed to sectors to provide counter battery fire against German minenwerfers or in the run up to an offensive or local action. A British Army report on artillery use, drawn up in February 1917, noted that “Owing to their liability to be destroyed by hostile artillery fire it may often be advisable to defer opening fire with these mortars till the last day of bombardment.” The mortars were also tasked with keeping gaps made in the wire clear and with supporting any feint attacks made by infantry during gaps in the bombardment running up to a larger offensive.

Llewelyn Wyn Griffith, a captain with the 15th Royal Welch Fusiliers and later a novelist, recalled in his war memoir:

“At night a trench mortar officer set his guns in a derelict trench about twenty yards behind the line and carried up his ammunition, heavy globes of iron with a little cylindrical projection like a broken handle. In the morning I moved the men from the bays between the trench mortars and their target, to lighten the risk of loss from retaliatory fire.”

The 2 inch medium mortar entered service in spring 1915 and remained in use into 1917 with British and Empire troops. It was used on the Western Front and in Mesopotamia. Over 800 were ordered initially with 675,000 bombs, many of the mortars were made in railway and agricultural machinery workshops, allowing larger factories to focus on more complex weapons. The 2 inch mortar was superseded by the larger bore Newton 6 inch mortar later in the war. Some of the remaining 2 inch projectiles were re-purposed as makeshift anti-tank mines, buried in no man’s land in anticipation of possible German tank attacks.

Not suitable for export, inert, safe and perfectly harmless, but of substantial heft. UK mainland delivery only. 34 inches long overall head 9 inch diameter.  read more

Code: 24389

Most Rare, For Over 60 Missions, WW2 Issue, Frontflugspange für Schlachtflieger. The Luftwaffe Squadron Combat Clasp, Awarded For Ground-Attack Pilots, For Air-to-Ground Support. Established by Reichmarshal Hermann Göring in 1944

Silver grade, awarded for over 60 combat missions, with single riveted centre. A most rare Frontflugspange fuer Schlachtflieger Front Flying Clasp for Heavy-Fighter pilots of the Luftwaffe, not maker marked, as usual as it is a late war zinc issue. Its retaining bar was detached as the commando pulled the combat award off the pilot's tunic during his raid.

A souvenir of a Special Ops, British, 'X force' Commando looted during an intelligence commando raid on a German airfield.

Third Reich WWII military decoration award of Nazi Germany air force. Damaged. The pin is seperated from old repair, and hair line crack by oak leaf branch as it meets the wreath. However, priced accordingly. Due to their rarity, and being issued so late in the last year of the war 1944-45, they are one of the most collectable Luftwaffe awards granted for combat missions specifically to Ground Attack pilots

Established in April 1944 as the war demanded specialized recognition for ground-attack units; prior to this, these aircrews received the general Front Flight Clasp with an inverted winged arrow.
Features a pair of crossed swords encircled by a laurel leaf wreath, set between stylized oak leaf wings with a swastika at the base.
• Bronze: Awarded for 20 operational flights.
• Silver: Awarded for 60 operational flights.
• Gold: Awarded for 110 operational flights (though baseline general clasps started gold at 110/100 depending on early/late criteria).

Hans-Ulrich Rudel: The most decorated German serviceman of World War II and the premier ground-attack pilot, credited with destroying over 500 tanks, a battleship, and hundreds of ground vehicles while flying over 2,000 combat missions in the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka and Focke-Wulf Fw 190

Alfred Druschel: A prominent ground-attack leader and commander within Schlachtgeschwader 1 (SG 1) and SG 4, who flew over 800 to 1,000 missions and earned the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords before going missing in action on January 1, 1945.

German Luftwaffe pilot and ground-attack aviation commander Dr. Ernst Kupfer. He flew 636 combat missions on the Eastern Front and in other major theatres, commanding Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 (StG 2) "Immelmann" during the Kuban bridgehead and Operation Citadel.

Primary Aircraft: Included the rugged biplane Henschel Hs 123, the twin-engine tank-buster Henschel Hs 129, the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka, and later ground-attack variants of the Focke-Wulf Fw 190

Originally taken by a commando of 30 Commando, X troop, while on clandestine missions as part of 30 Commando reconnaissance and sabotage.

From a former special engineering unit {Ian Fleming’s so called ‘Red Indians} in wartime Europe were a vital part of clandestine warfare, and all parts of the units combat service were then trained in recognising enemy mines, booby traps, handling of explosives, demolitions, counter-demolitions, bomb disposal, and combined with recognition of enemy uniforms and equipment for intelligence gathering. Reporting all elements of their findings back to Co CO, and by then to the Admiralty. Fleming referred to such brave men as his ‘Red Indians’. See text within his first James Bond novel Casino Royale for his referral to Bonds connection to the WW2 Red Indians.

The brain child of naval commander Ian Fleming & Lord Louis Mountbatten, 30 Commando, this wartime unit was a secret well kept for over 50 years after the war by the Official Secrets Act, some remains classified. At the time, officially, they didn’t exist. The members of this unit were forbidden to discuss or document their activities, a pledge that many of the men kept even many years after the war was over, or even for their entire lives!
Due to the fact these men operated in very small groups on ‘need-to-know’ basis it is very difficult to get clear picture of everything they were doing.
Fleming’s/NID30AU secretary Miss Margaret Priestley (a history professor from Leeds University) played a vital role in the running and administration of 30AU and became his inspiration for Miss Petty Pettaval - the original character name that became Miss Moneypenny.
As revealed here for the first time! (see Beau Bête)

Miss Preistley transferred over to NID30AU during the winter of 1943-44 from DNR - (Department of Naval Research) where she worked as a civilian, although there were obvious links between DNR and NID30AU as intelligence on enemy targets was collected for Fleming’s ‘Black List’.

Also Known as: Fleming's 'Red Indians'
Fleming himself referred to the men of the unit as behaving like 'Red Indians'. (A reference he also used when referring to his character, James Bond, four times in his first novel Casino Royale. Which effectively makes this unit the ‘literary James Bond’s wartime unit’.)
Formerly:- (NID30 Command Office at Admiralty),
Special Engineering Unit.
'RED' Marines.
Latterly:- 30 Assault Unit,
 30 Advanced Unit, 30AU
 and incorrectly as 30th Assault Unit.
The number '30' was used for no better reason than it was NID/Miss Priestley’s Office Door number at the Admiralty. (Fleming’s Office was No. 39, see photo in the gallery of Fleming in room 39 of the Admiralty) 'Assault Unit' was 'overt' cover for the fact that they were intelligence gathering.
Date Founded: 30 September 1942
Date Disbanded: 26 March 1946
Date Reformed: February 2010 - 30 Cdo IXG
Mission When Founded:
The collection of technical intelligence and personnel from enemy headquarters and installations. Ahead of allied advances and before enemy could destroy it, to ‘Attain by Surprise’.

30 Commando consisted of Royal Marine, Army and Royal Navy elements that were organised into three Sections: No. 33, No. 34 and No.36 respectively. Initially code-named the Special Engineering Unit, the unit reported to the Chief of Combined Operations, though the Admiralty retained ultimate control of No.36 Section. No.35 Section was left vacant for the RAF to utilise but they never raised a troop to participate in 30 Cdo. Although they did supply intelligence officers and specific targets to pursue after D-Day for ‘Operation Crossbow’.
Unit members were given general commando skills and weapons training, and were then trained in recognising enemy mines, booby traps, handling of explosives, demolitions, counter-demolitions, recognition of enemy uniforms and equipment. Parachute training, small boat handling, recognition of enemy documents, search techniques including lock picking and safecracking, prisoner handling, photography and escape techniques were also taught.
A significant number of the initial recruits were formerly policemen. Although at least one ‘expert’ was recruited straight from prison, thought by the police to be the best safe-breaker in England at the time.
30 Cdo’s operational tactic was to move ahead of advancing Allied forces, or to undertake covert missions into enemy territory by land, sea or air, to capture intelligence, in the form of equipment, documents, codes or enemy personnel. 30 Cdo often worked closely with the Intelligence Corps' Field Security sections. More often than not each team consisted of two special operations Jeeps (As used by the SAS and 30AU) manned by one Naval Commander in possession of a ‘Black Book’ which listed targets from Ian Fleming’s famous ‘Black List’. The Naval Commander was the only man in each team who knew where and what the targets actually were. This Naval Commander was usually accompanied by at least one weapons expert or scientist who he relied on to evaluate the information or equipment they encountered. There were also usually at least six Royal Marines and one RM Officer whose main job was to do any fighting required and to keep the Naval Commander and any experts alive and out of trouble. (For details Reading section.)
The individual Sections served in all the Mediterranean and NW European operational theatres, usually operating independently, gathering information from captured facilities. The unit served in North Africa, the Greek Islands, Norway, Pantelleria, Sicily, Italy, and Corsica, 1942-1943 as 30 Commando.

As the Allies broke through 30AU split into many ‘Field Teams’ and these were responsible for capturing many and varied targets throughout Germany.
Team 2 under Curtis captured Prof. Helmut Walter, designer of the Me163 Rocket Plane and Midget Submarines at Kiel. (Kept by the British!).
Team 5 under USN Lambie captured Prof. Herbert Wagner (Handed to US Agents) designer of the guided flying bomb Hs293, already used to sink HMS Egret and to kill over 1000 troops on HMT Rohna. He went on to work for the US Navy. He did not surrender in Bavaria with Dornberger and the von Braun brothers as the Allied military would have us believe..
The capture of Prof. Magnus von Braun (Martin) V2 fuel chemist. (Handed to US Agents). He did not surrender in Bavaria as the Allied military want us to believe.
The capture of the designer of the Nazi V2 (who went on to the NASA Saturn V), Prof. von Braun and his brother. (Some men were convinced they were some of the scientists they caught!) Did they surrender in Bavaria as the Allied military want us to believe or was that staged afterwards? (see Beau Bête for details and FREE preview PDF, in Reading)
Team 55 under Glanville captured the entire Nazi Naval records collection at ‘Tambach Castle’.
Team 4 under Job(e) captured the Bremen dockyards with type 21; 25 submarines and destroyers. Then took the surrender of Bremerhaven and captured Naval HQ SS Europa and Z29 Destroyer. (All handed over to US Agents).
Team 2 Postlethwaite captures the Torpedo testing facility at Ekenförde.
Another team captured Admiral Dönitz (as Führer).

Portrait photo of German Luftwaffe pilot and ground-attack aviation commander Dr. Ernst Kupfer in the cockpit of his fighter.  read more

Code: 26382

Original Four Medal Group Soviet WW2 Combat Veteran. Medal for Combat Merit, Medal for Victory Over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-45, USSR Leningrad Medal of 1942, Medal for 30 Years of the Soviet Army and Navy 1948

WW2 Soviet medal for Combat Merit, excellent condition with light wear traces. The red hot enamel is mostly present Award issued in October-November of 1944.
The medal for the victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-45 was established by the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on May 9, 1945.
The Russia - USSR Leningrad Medal 1942, also known as Медаль за оборону Ленинграда in its original name, is a commemorative medal that was awarded during World War II. It was established to honor the defenders of Leningrad (now known as St. Petersburg) during the intense and prolonged Siege of Leningrad by the German forces. This medal was awarded to military personnel, partisans, and civilians who participated in the defense of Leningrad from the enemy forces. The city endured a brutal siege that lasted for over 870 days, resulting in severe shortages of food, water, and supplies. Despite the harsh conditions, the residents of Leningrad showed great resilience and courage in defending their city. The Russia - USSR Leningrad Medal 1942 is a gilt medal measuring 32 mm in diameter and is accompanied by its original ribbon. It holds historical significance as a symbol of the bravery and sacrifice of those who fought to protect Leningrad during one of the most challenging periods in Russian history. This medal serves as a reminder of the strength and determination of the people of Leningrad and their unwavering commitment to defending their city against the enemy forces. It is a testament to the resilience and heroism displayed during the Siege of Leningrad, a pivotal moment in the history of World War II.

The Jubilee Medal "30 Years of the Soviet Army and Navy" (Russian: Юбилейная медаль «30 лет Советской Армии и Флота») was a state military commemorative medal of the Soviet Union established on February 22, 1948 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to denote the thirtieth anniversary of the creation of the Soviet Armed Forces.The Jubilee Medal "30 Years of the Soviet Army and Navy" was awarded to all the generals, admirals, officers, warrant officers, sergeants, petty officers, soldiers and sailors, who were members of the Armed Forces of the USSR, of the troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs or of the Ministry for State Security on 23 February 1948.

The medal was awarded on behalf of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR by commanders of military units and institutions  read more

Code: 25636

A Very Good Original, WW2, Kriegsmarine Coastal Artillery Combat Badge Kriegsabzeichen für die Marineartillerie By Friedrich Linden of Lüdenscheid. From One Of Ian Fleming’s Naval Intelligence Section’s So Called ‘Red Indians’ 30 Commando Special Engineer

An original Kriegsmarine Coastal artillery badge by by FLL 43 – Friedrich Linden of Lüdenscheid constructed in zinc with nice gilt finish. . A zinc produced piece with a great amount of gold finish remaining. The Kriegsmarine maintained a large ground force, organized along the same lines as the German Army, which was known as the Marine-Infanterie . Kriegsmarine naval artillery and anti-aircraft crews were considered as shore personnel. Artillery units were organized into either regiments or sections while flak units were maintained in brigades and regiments. Both types of units were assigned to various ports and harbors and thus were under the direct operational authority of both the port commanders as well as the commander harbour security forces. During actual invasion of coastal regions by enemy forces, these units became part of the sea defense zones.
The Naval Artillery War Badge or War Badge for the Coastal Artillery (German: Kriegsabzeichen für die Marineartillerie) was a World War II German military decoration awarded to the crews of Kriegsmarine land-based marine artillery and anti-aircraft units. It was presented to personnel of coastal defense units, and anti-aircraft units. The award was instituted on 24 June 1941 by Grand Admiral Erich Raeder to reward the actions of both individuals and crew members. It was also awarded to those killed in action in said units.
Originally taken by a commando of 30 commando X troop while on clandestine missions as part of 30 Commando reconnaissance and sabotage.

From a former special engineering unit {Ian Fleming’s so called ‘Red Indians} in wartime Europe were a vital part of clandestine warfare, and all parts of the units combat service were then trained in recognising enemy mines, booby traps, handling of explosives, demolitions, counter-demolitions, bomb disposal, and combined with recognition of enemy uniforms and equipment for intelligence gathering. Reporting all elements of their findings back to CoCO, and by them to the Admiralty. Fleming referred to such brave men as his ‘Red Indians’. see Casino Royale for reference.

There were seven active Marinekustenten-Bataillons or MKBs consisting of two to six companies each, prior to the invasion of Norway. These battalions were charged initially with protecting the coasts and harbors of Germany. With the fall of Norway, France, and the Low Countries, these units were expanded to include four large-caliber naval batteries between Calais and Boulogne. These were to be used during the planned invasion of Britain to provide the initial shore bombardment of the Dover Area and prevent the Royal Navy from interfering with the invasion fleet.

When the invasion was scrubbed in late 1940 in favor of starving Britain into submission, additionally Navy Artillery and Flak companies were formed to protect the many U-Boot bases being built along the Atlantic Coast. In mid-1941, battalions were formed to fortify the Channel Islands and the coast of Norway.

Artillerie of HKB was responsible for “Filling-In” the coastal areas between these points by covering possible landing sites. The Navy Artillery units were normally situated directly on the coast and used as direct fire control procedure similar to that used on ships, with the Army positioned further inland, which protected them from Allied “Air” and “Naval” attack, but limited their ability to track and engage enemy ships and landing craft. Navy artillery battalions were separate from the Heer, under the Navy.

Battery organization generally depended on the weapon system to which Fuhrer Directive 40, March 1942, provided detailed instructions for the construction and defense of what became known as the Atlantic Wall. This meant a massive expansion of the Naval Artillery, with some 100 Battalions* created by the end of the war.

Navy (Kriegsmarine) units were primarily deployed to defend, important ports, or harbors, rivers, estuaries, and other points critical to naval operations.
The brain child of naval commander Ian Fleming & Lord Louis Mountbatten, 30 Commando, this wartime unit was a secret well kept for over 50 years after the war by the Official Secrets Act, some remains classified. At the time, officially, they didn’t exist. The members of this unit were forbidden to discuss or document their activities, a pledge that many of the men kept even many years after the war was over, or even for their entire lives!
Due to the fact these men operated in very small groups on ‘need-to-know’ basis it is very difficult to get clear picture of everything they were doing.
Fleming’s/NID30AU secretary Miss Margaret Priestley (a history professor from Leeds University) played a vital role in the running and administration of 30AU and became his inspiration for Miss Petty Pettaval - the original character name that became Miss Moneypenny.
As revealed here for the first time! (see Beau Bête)

Miss Preistley transferred over to NID30AU during the winter of 1943-44 from DNR - (Department of Naval Research) where she worked as a civilian, although there were obvious links between DNR and NID30AU as intelligence on enemy targets was collected for Fleming’s ‘Black List’.

Also Known as: Fleming's 'Red Indians'
Fleming himself referred to the men of the unit as behaving like 'Red Indians'. (A reference he also used when referring to his character, James Bond, four times in his first novel Casino Royale. Which effectively makes this unit the ‘literary James Bond’s wartime unit’.)
Formerly:- (NID30 Command Office at Admiralty),
Special Engineering Unit.
'RED' Marines.
Latterly:- 30 Assault Unit,
 30 Advanced Unit, 30AU
 and incorrectly as 30th Assault Unit.
The number '30' was used for no better reason than it was NID/Miss Priestley’s Office Door number at the Admiralty. (Fleming’s Office was No. 39, see photo in the gallery of Fleming in room 39 of the Admiralty) 'Assault Unit' was 'overt' cover for the fact that they were intelligence gathering.
Date Founded: 30 September 1942
Date Disbanded: 26 March 1946
Date Reformed: February 2010 - 30 Cdo IXG
Mission When Founded:
The collection of technical intelligence and personnel from enemy headquarters and installations. Ahead of allied advances and before enemy could destroy it, to ‘Attain by Surprise’.

30 Commando consisted of Royal Marine, Army and Royal Navy elements that were organised into three Sections: No. 33, No. 34 and No.36 respectively. Initially code-named the Special Engineering Unit, the unit reported to the Chief of Combined Operations, though the Admiralty retained ultimate control of No.36 Section. No.35 Section was left vacant for the RAF to utilise but they never raised a troop to participate in 30 Cdo. Although they did supply intelligence officers and specific targets to pursue after D-Day for ‘Operation Crossbow’.
Unit members were given general commando skills and weapons training, and were then trained in recognising enemy mines, booby traps, handling of explosives, demolitions, counter-demolitions, recognition of enemy uniforms and equipment. Parachute training, small boat handling, recognition of enemy documents, search techniques including lock picking and safecracking, prisoner handling, photography and escape techniques were also taught.
A significant number of the initial recruits were formerly policemen. Although at least one ‘expert’ was recruited straight from prison, thought by the police to be the best safe-breaker in England at the time.
30 Cdo’s operational tactic was to move ahead of advancing Allied forces, or to undertake covert missions into enemy territory by land, sea or air, to capture intelligence, in the form of equipment, documents, codes or enemy personnel. 30 Cdo often worked closely with the Intelligence Corps' Field Security sections. More often than not each team consisted of two special operations Jeeps (As used by the SAS and 30AU) manned by one Naval Commander in possession of a ‘Black Book’ which listed targets from Ian Fleming’s famous ‘Black List’. The Naval Commander was the only man in each team who knew where and what the targets actually were. This Naval Commander was usually accompanied by at least one weapons expert or scientist who he relied on to evaluate the information or equipment they encountered. There were also usually at least six Royal Marines and one RM Officer whose main job was to do any fighting required and to keep the Naval Commander and any experts alive and out of trouble. (For details Reading section.)
The individual Sections served in all the Mediterranean and NW European operational theatres, usually operating independently, gathering information from captured facilities. The unit served in North Africa, the Greek Islands, Norway, Pantelleria, Sicily, Italy, and Corsica, 1942-1943 as 30 Commando.

As the Allies broke through 30AU split into many ‘Field Teams’ and these were responsible for capturing many and varied targets throughout Germany.
Team 2 under Curtis captured Prof. Helmut Walter, designer of the Me163 Rocket Plane and Midget Submarines at Kiel. (Kept by the British!).
Team 5 under USN Lambie captured Prof. Herbert Wagner (Handed to US Agents) designer of the guided flying bomb Hs293, already used to sink HMS Egret and to kill over 1000 troops on HMT Rohna. He went on to work for the US Navy. He did not surrender in Bavaria with Dornberger and the von Braun brothers as the Allied military would have us believe..
The capture of Prof. Magnus von Braun (Martin) V2 fuel chemist. (Handed to US Agents). He did not surrender in Bavaria as the Allied military want us to believe.
The capture of the designer of the Nazi V2 (who went on to the NASA Saturn V), Prof. von Braun and his brother. (Some men were convinced they were some of the scientists they caught!) Did they surrender in Bavaria as the Allied military want us to believe or was that staged afterwards? (see Beau Bête for details and FREE preview PDF, in Reading)
Team 55 under Glanville captured the entire Nazi Naval records collection at ‘Tambach Castle’.
Team 4 under Job(e) captured the Bremen dockyards with type 21; 25 submarines and destroyers. Then took the surrender of Bremerhaven and captured Naval HQ SS Europa and Z29 Destroyer. (All handed over to US Agents).
Team 2 Postlethwaite captures the Torpedo testing facility at Ekenförde.
Another team captured Admiral Dönitz (as Führer).
And many other things yet to be revealed by the government!
Ref; https://www.30au.co.uk
An amazing historic collection of information, including. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Beau-B%C3%A9te-assigned-Flemings-intelligence/dp/B08R7XYHXW

Every single item from The Lanes Armoury is accompanied by our unique Certificate of Authenticity. Part of our continued dedication to maintain the standards forged by us over the past 100 years of trading  read more

Code: 25712

Royal Gurkha Rifles, Pouch Belt Badge & Plate - Silver Plate "Come and fight a Gurkha!" Gurkha Lachhiman Gurung VC Who Single Handedly Fought Off & Beat 200 Japanese With One Hand Blown Off & Blinded in 1 Eye By Grenade

Large post 1953 pattern Gurhka Regt. silver plated cross-belt plate, with backing mount plate, in excellent condition. Large post 1953 pattern Gurhka Regt. silver plated cross-belt plate, with backing mount plate, in excellent condition.

From a Gurkha, Falklands War veteran. Gurkha soldiers from the 1st Battalion 7th Duke of Edinburgh's Own Gurkha Rifles deployed to the South Atlantic in May 1982 as part of the British task force during the Falklands War

Considered to be one of the greatest and bravest regiments in the world. The very finest men to fight alongside, and the very, very worst to fight against.

"Ayo Gorkali" the battle cry of the Gurkhas, "The Gurkhas Are Coming", has been known to instill terror in any confronted enemy of the Gurkhas. Many battle hardened Japanese infantrymen in WW2, and Argentinian soldiers in The Falklands were known to have run and fled or surrendered immediately upon that battle cry being heard.

The Royal Gurkha Rifles (RGR) is a rifle regiment of the British Army, forming part of the Brigade of Gurkhas. Unlike other regiments in the British Army, RGR soldiers are recruited from Nepal, which is neither a dependent territory of the United Kingdom nor a member of the Commonwealth.

Just one example of Gurkha heroism is Corporal Dip Prasad Pun of the 1st battalion (1 RGR) was awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross for an act of bravery during the War in Afghanistan in 2010. He alone defended his outpost against a force of up to 12 Taliban fighters. He fired more than 400 rounds, 17 grenades, and one mine. He resorted to fighting with his machine gun tripod after his ammunition had run out

The battle honours of the Royal Gurkha Rifles are as follows:29

Amboor, Carnatic, Mysore 1792, Assaye 1803, Ava 1852, Burma 1885–87, Bhurtpore, Aliwal, Sobraon, Delhi 1857, Kabul 1879, Afghanistan 1878–80, Kandahar 1880, Tirah, Punjab Frontier, Afghanistan 1919
First World War: La Bassée 1914, Festubert 1914–15, Givenchy 1914, Neuve Chapelle, Aubers, Loos, France and Flanders 1914–15, Egypt 1915, Tigris 1916, Kut al Amara 1917, Baghdad, Mesopotamia 1916–18, Persia 1918, Baluchistan 1918, Helles, Krithia, Suvla, Sari Bair, Gallipoli 1915, Suez Canal, Egypt 1915–16, Khan Baghdadi, Mesopotamia 1916–18, Persia 1916–1918, North West Frontier India 1915–17, Egypt 1915, Megiddo, Sharon, Palestine 1918, Shaiba, Kut al Amara 1915–17, Ctesiphon, Defence of Kut al Amara, Baghdad, Sharqat, Mesopotamia 1915–18
The Second World War: Tobruk 1942, El Alamein, Akarit, Tunis, Cassino 1, Poggio Del Grillo, Gothic Line, Tavoleto, Coriano, Santacangelo, Monte Chicco, Bologna, Medicina, Italy 1944-45, Jitra, Slim River, Sittang 1942, 1945, Kyaukse 1942, 1945, North Arakan, Imphal, Tuitum, Bishenpur, Tengnoupal, Shwebo, Kyaukmyaung Bridgehead, Mandalay, Myinmu Bridgehead, Fort Dufferin, Meiktila, Irrawaddy, Rangoon Road, Chindits 1943,44 & 45, Tamandu, Maymyo
Falklands War.

Picture 8 in the gallery is of Jemadar Jangia Bullets Thapa, 5th Gurkha Regiment, 1890

One of Major-General Frederick Roberts's orderlies during the 2nd Afghan War (1878-1880), Jemadar Jangia Thapa was nicknamed 'Bullets' because regimental tradition had it that he had once been hit on the forehead by a bullet which had been completely flattened without causing him the least discomfort. Thapa was admitted to the Second Class of the Order of British India in April 1897 and was selected as one of the representatives for India at the inauguration of the Australian Commonwealth in January 1901.

One of the most famous Gurkhas in the British Army

Lachhiman Gurung VC ( 30 December 1917 – 12 December 2010) was a Nepalese–British Gurkha recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He is best known as the "Gurkha who took on 200 soldiers with only one hand" because of his actions in World War II.

On 12/13 May 1945 at Taungdaw, Burma now Myanmar, Rifleman Lachhiman Gurung was manning the most forward post of his platoon which bore the brunt of an attack by at least 200 of the Japanese enemy. He hurled back two hand grenades which had fallen on his trench, but the third exploded in his right hand after he attempted to throw it back, blowing off his fingers, shattering his arm and severely wounding him in the face, body and right leg. His two comrades were also badly wounded but the rifleman, now alone and disregarding his wounds, loaded and fired his rifle with his left hand for four hours (all while he screamed "Come and fight a Gurkha!"), calmly waiting for each attack which he met with fire at point blank range.

His citation in the London Gazette ends with...

...Of the 87 enemy dead counted in the immediate vicinity of the Company locality, 31 lay in front of this Rifleman's section, the key to the whole position. Had the enemy succeeded in over-running and occupying Rifleman Lachhiman Gurung's trench, the whole of the reverse slope position would have been completely dominated and turned.

This Rifleman, by his magnificent example, so inspired his comrades to resist the enemy to the last, that, although surrounded and cut off for three days and two nights, they held and smashed every attack.

His outstanding gallantry and extreme devotion to duty, in the face of almost overwhelming odds, were the main factors in the defeat of the enemy.1

He received his Victoria Cross from the Viceroy of India, Field Marshal Lord Wavell at the Red Fort in Delhi on 19 December 1945

Four threaded mounting screw posts, with two affixing rounded nuts present.
93mm x 75mm  read more

Code: 24442

A WW2 German, Third Reich Period, Police Ordnungspolizei Helmet Complete with Original Liner and Chinstrap

The pattern of helmet designed for service in the German Police. Complete with its original leather liner and its chinstrap present and spring clip-buckle. Interior skull stamped Din 1494 with maker monogram logo stamp used for traceability on industrial hardware components in WW2.

Reichsfuhrer-SS Heinrich Himmler was named Chef der Deutschen Polizei im Reichsministerium des Innern (Chief of German Police in the Interior Ministry) on 17 June 1936 after Hitler announced a decree which was to "unify the control of police duties in the Reich". Traditionally, law enforcement in Germany had been a state and local matter. In this role, Himmler was nominally subordinate to Interior Minister Wilhelm Frick. However, the decree effectively subordinated the police to the SS, making it virtually independent of Frick's control. Himmler gained authority as all of Germany's uniformed law enforcement agencies were amalgamated into the new Ordnungspolizei, whose main office became populated by officers of the SS.

The police were divided into the Ordnungspolizei (Orpo or regular police) and the Sicherheitspolizei (SiPo or security police), which had been established in June 1936. The Orpo assumed duties of regular uniformed law enforcement while the SiPo consisted of the secret state police (Geheime Staatspolizei or Gestapo) and criminal investigation police (Kriminalpolizei or Kripo). The Kriminalpolizei was a corps of professional detectives involved in fighting crime and the task of the Gestapo was combating espionage and political dissent. On 27 September 1939, the SS security service, the Sicherheitsdienst (SD) and the SiPo were folded into the Reich Main Security Office (Reichssicherheitshauptamt or RSHA). The RSHA symbolized the close connection between the SS (a party organization) and the police (a state organization). Police Battalions (SS-Polizei-Bataillone), for various auxiliary duties outside of Germany, including anti-partisan operations, construction of defense works (i.e. Atlantic Wall), and support of combat troops. Specific duties varied widely from unit to unit from one year to another. Generally, the SS Polizei units were not directly involved in combat. Some Police Battalions were primarily focused on traditional security roles of an occupying force while others were directly involved in the Holocaust. This latter role was obscured in the immediate aftermath of World War II, both by accident and by deliberate obfuscation, when most of the focus was on the better-known Einsatzgruppen ("Operational groups") who reported to the Reichssicherheitshauptamt (RSHA Reich Main Security Office) under Reinhard Heydrich.  read more

Code: 26377

Silver WW1 1915 German Christmas Medal, By Karl Goetz - August von Mackensen - {AKA The Last Hussar} Christmas on the Battlefield

WEIHNACHT IM FELD 1915 (“Christmas in the Field 1915”).

Anton Ludwig Friedrich August Mackensen (ennobled as von Mackensen in 1899; 6 December 1849 – 8 November 1945), was a German field marshal. He commanded Army Group Mackensen during World War I (1914–1918) and became one of the German Empire's most prominent and competent military leaders. After the armistice of 11 November 1918, the victorious Allies interned Mackensen in Serbia for a year. In 1920, he retired from the army. In 1933 Hermann Göring made him a Prussian state councillor. During the Nazi era (1933–1945), Mackensen remained a committed monarchist and sometimes appeared at official functions in his World War I uniform. Senior Nazi Party members suspected him of disloyalty, but nothing was proven against him.

Made in silvered metal  read more

Code: 25934

A Superb Officer's 'Bombay Bowler' Sun Hat, The Favourite Pith Helmet Sun Hat Type of Sir Winston Churchill, Made by the Bombay Hatworks In Bangalore. In Excellent Condition

Churchill famously donned his Bombay Bowler alongside his custom zip-up "siren suit" while inspecting troops at El Alamein, Egypt, in August 1942 and across Tunisia in 1943.

Churchill flew into Cairo, Egypt, on August 5, 1942, following a string of disastrous British defeats against German General Erwin Rommel.
Facing political pressure at home, Churchill took bold action to restructure the military command. He sacked General Claude Auchinleck as Commander-in-Chief Middle East. He replaced him with General Harold Alexander and placed Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery in command of the Eighth Army. This new leadership duo ultimately delivered victory at El Alamein.

Wearing his famous "siren suit," sunglasses, and Bangalore made Bombay Bowler sun hat, while carrying a walking umbrella to block the desert sun, Churchill toured the front lines. He visited the El Alamein positions, met with the 51st Highland Division, and somberly paid his respects at a rough graveyard for fallen New Zealand troops.

Following the expulsion of Axis forces from North Africa, Churchill returned for celebratory visits. In early 1943, he traveled to Tripoli shortly after Montgomery's Eighth Army captured it, delivering a stirring speech to the New Zealand Division

He visited Algiers, Tripoli, and ancient Carthage, famously waving to cheering crowds past captured German Tiger tanks and receiving grand salutes from Eisenhower, Montgomery, and American leaders

These visits, always adorned and protected by his Bangalore 'Bombay Bowler', marked the high water mark of his Mediterranean strategy, paving the way for the invasion of Sicily

The Bombay Bowler is a distinct, flatter style of pith helmet (or sola topee) that became an iconic symbol of the British Raj in India, evolving from a 19th-century civilian sporting hat into widely issued military headgear. Named slangily after the Indian city of Bombay (now Mumbai) due to its manufacture across the subcontinent, the hat is famous for its distinctive, low-profile silhouette that resembles a traditional Western bowler hat more than other bulbous military sun helmets.

The Bombay Bowler can track its design heritage back to the Cawnpore Tent Club Hat, a wide-brimmed sun hat popularized in India during the 1875–1876 tour of the Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VII)

By the onset of the First World War, production of the hat ramped up exponentially. During World War II, it became the most commonly issued style of sun helmet for forces in India and Southeast Asia.

Both Churchill's, and Field Marshall Auckinleck's Bombay Bowler's {see the photos of same in the gallery} were devoid of all military badging, just as this beauty. Military badging was only normally to seen on other ranks servicemen's sun hats.

Queen Elizabeth II stated
"the whole world is the poorer by the loss of his many-sided genius" when Sir Winston Churchill died in 1965.  read more

Code: 26374