A Very Good Original, WW2, Kriegsmarine Coastal Artillery Combat Badge Kriegsabzeichen für die Marineartillerie By Friedrich Linden of Lüdenscheid.

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

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  read more

Code: 25712

An Ancient Koto Period Samurai Sword, Almost 600 Years old, From The Sengoku Jidai. A Handachi Mounted Katana, With Beautiful Deep Red Ishime Urushi Lacquer Saya, Contrasted With Spectacular Green-Blue Silk Tsuka-ito, Set With Hammered Silver Onlaid Mount

Han-dachi mounted samurai swords originally appeared during the Muromachi period when there was a transition taking place from tachi to katana. The sword was being worn more and more edge up when on foot, but edge down on horseback as it had always been.

From the Muramachi and Sengoku period. The blade was made almost 600 years ago, in or around 1450, and it is fully mounted in a fine suite of Edo period, all matching handachi koshirae sword mounts, fitted upon the saya and tsuka, with a very scarce highly decorative hand finish, of hammered silver over copper, to represent reflections of moonlight in silvery puddles of water. A most impressive, beautiful and statuesque sword. The blade shows a most stunning and active hamon. The tsuka has its traditional, stunning, blue-green silk wrap, over black samegawa {giant ray-skin}, with two takebori iron dragon menuki.

The Sengoku period was initiated by the Ōnin War in 1467 which collapsed the feudal system of Japan under the Ashikaga Shogunate. The Sengoku period was named by Japanese historians after the similar but otherwise unrelated Warring States period of China. The era is beautifully depicted in Akira Kurowsawa’s films called Jidaigeki. The Sengoku Period (1467-1568 CE) was a lawless century-long era characterized by rising political instability, turmoil, and warlordism in Japan. During this period, field armies and soldiers rapidly rose in number, reaching tens of thousands of warriors. Many castles in Japan were built during the Sengoku Period as regional leaders and aristocrats alike competed for power and strong regional influence to win the favours of the higher-class Japanese at the time. Kurosawa’s film depiction of Macbeth, Throne of Blood, is set in this era of Japan’s feudal period. Original title 蜘蛛巣城, Kumonosu-jō, lit. 'The Castle of Spider's Web'

This then led to the creation of a more complex system within the military, the armoured infantry known as the ashigaru. Initiated by the collapse of the country’s feudal system during the 1467 Onin War, rival warlords or daimyō, continued to struggle to gain control of Japan until its reunification under Japan’s three “Great Unifiers” –– Nagoya Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and Ieyasu Tokugawa –– thus, bringing the war-stricken era to an end in the siege of Osaka
The handachi is a response to the need to be worn in either style. The samurai were roughly the equivalent of feudal knights. Employed by the shogun or daimyo, they were members of hereditary warrior class that followed a strict "code" that defined their clothes, armour and behaviour on the battlefield. But unlike most medieval knights, samurai warriors could read and they were well versed in Japanese art, literature and poetry.
Samurai endured for almost 700 years, from 1185 to 1867. Samurai families were considered the elite. They made up only about six percent of the population and included daimyo and the loyal soldiers who fought under them. Samurai means one who serves."

Samurai were expected to be both fierce warriors and lovers of art, a dichotomy summed up by the Japanese concepts of bu, to stop the spear, expanding into bushido (the way of life of the warrior) and bun (the artistic, intellectual and spiritual side of the samurai). Originally conceived as away of dignifying raw military power, the two concepts were synthesized in feudal Japan and later became a key feature of Japanese culture and morality.

The quintessential samurai was Miyamoto Musashi, a legendary early Edo-period swordsman who reportedly killed 60 men before his 30th birthday and was also a painting master.

The name katana derives from two old Japanese written characters or symbols: kata, meaning side, and na, or edge. Thus a katana is a single-edged sword that has had few rivals in the annals of war, either in the East or the West. Because the sword was the main battle weapon of Japan's knightly man-at-arms (although spears and bows were also carried), an entire martial art grew up around learning how to use it. This was kenjutsu, the art of sword fighting, or kendo in its modern, non-warlike incarnation. The importance of studying kenjutsu and the other martial arts such as kyujutsu, the art of the bow, was so critical to the samurai a very real matter of life or death that Miyamoto Musashi, most renowned of all swordsmen, warned in his classic The Book of Five Rings: The science of martial arts for warriors requires construction of various weapons and understanding the properties of the weapons. A member of a warrior family who does not learn to use weapons and understand the specific advantages of each weapon would seem to be somewhat uncultivated. European knights and Japanese samurai have some interesting similarities. Both groups rode horses and wore armour. Both came from a wealthy upper class. And both were trained to follow strict codes of moral behaviour. In Europe, these ideals were called chivalry; the samurai code was called Bushido, "the way of the warrior." The rules of chivalry and Bushido both emphasize honour, self-control, loyalty, bravery, and military training.

Samurai have been describes as "the most strictly trained human instruments of war to have existed." They were expected to be proficient in the martial arts of aikido and kendo as well as swordsmanship and archery---the traditional methods of samurai warfare---which were viewed not so much as skills but as art forms that flowed from natural forces that harmonized with nature.
Some samurai, it has been claimed, didn't become a full-fledged samurai until he wandered around the countryside as begging pilgrim for a couple of years to learn humility. When this was completed they achieved samurai status and receives a salary from his daimyo paid from taxes (usually rice) raised from the local populace.


40.5 inches long overall, blade 24.25 inches long  read more

Code: 25722

A Very Rare WW1 German Airship Bataillon 'Luftschiffer' Regt. Nr.1 Officer’s Sword, of the Elite Imperial German Kaiser's Zeppelin and Airship Guarde Infantry, Only The Second We Have Seen in 30 Years

Probably one of the rarest German swords available, from the iconic German Zeppelin force of WW1. A duluxe quality blade bearing the Luftschiffer Battalion no 1, a Luftschiffer observation balloon and the Imperial German Kaiser's Garter Star symbol, plus a troop of horses pulling the balloon limber. Airship Battalion officer's swords are so rare as to be virtually unavailable, we have only seen one other in the past 40 years or so. We have not even heard or seen of another example in over 30 years. The German Airship Battalions were a small yet vital part of the Kaiser's Imperial German war machine. It was a mix of old and new technology that created the amazing new air services which in turn resulted in the iconic and hugely successful psychological warfare, of the highly feared and indomitable, so called, Hun in the Sky. The very beginning of true aerial warfare as we know it today. Some of the most famous stories of the war were based around the German Airships Zeppelins and the like and their continued use by Hitler's Third Reich right up to the late 1930's as can be seen, impressively and incredibly depicted, in the third of the Indiana Jones movies shows just how important they were considered. Any souvenirs or militaria from those early services are incredibly sought after, and very scarce indeed. All the weaponry connected with those services are particularly rare and very highly prized. At the start of World War I the Imperial German Army had five Luftschiffer (airship) battalions and one airship company. They were used as frontline observation posts and the larger ships as long range bombers. Fatalities of the crews were very high indeed due to their vulnerability. This sword is the best you could possibly hope for, as, not only does it have a deluxe etched blade, with two blued panels regimentally marked for the Luftschiffer Battalion No1, It also bears the Imperial Garter Star to represent this battalion was part of the Guard Infantry. The most elite part of the Imperial German armed forces, based in Berlin and assigned to the front lines in France and Belgium. The Luftschiffer became the backbone of German aerial warfare in the first years of the War, conducting reconnaissance flights as well as the first bombings of cities, including Paris and London.

Upon the outbreak of World War I, the Luftschifftruppe numbered around 20–25 zeppelins in service. The Luftschifftruppe began aerial surveillance early on in Belgium and France, but often came under fire by anti-aircraft guns. Because of their slow speed, they were very vulnerable. After three Zeppelins were shot down in the first month alone, the Luftschiffer were switched to naval surveillance, observing British ship movements, in which capacity they played a decisive role in the Battle of Jutland. Tests were done of dropping bombs from Zeppelins in order to increase their potential. Zeppelins had a typical carrying capacity of almost 9 metric tons, making them useful enough for this operation. Following the Christmas truce, Kaiser Wilhelm II approved of the Luftschifftruppe's bombing of England. On January 19, 1915, the first bombs fell over Britain, when two Zeppelins dropped 50 kg explosives on villages outside Great Yarmouth. Five people died in the first raid; 18 more raids that year would end in almost 900 casualties. Following the terror, the British government began taking measures to stop the bombings. Anti-aircraft guns were set up all over south-eastern England, as well as spotlights for night time.

The bombings in 1916 were more intense than in 1915. After an accidental bomb-dropping on London, the Kaiser approved of raids directly against the city's urban center. Twenty-three raids on London resulted in around 1,800 casualties. Despite safety precautions, civilians were still unprepared for the raids and zeppelins were still able to avoid defenses. By 1917 and 1918 the threat the Luftschifftruppe posed to London was diminished. Large-scale introduction of fighter planes caused nearly half of the planned bombings to end in failure. Only eleven successful raids occurred in the last year of the war. Nearly 80 zeppelins had been built for the Luftschifftruppe during the war; around 60 of them were shot down, including Peter Strasser's own zeppelin, with himself on board. The hilt is plated steel with wire bound fishskin grip. A blackened steel scabbard with slight denting.  read more

Code: 23637

A Magnificent 18th Century Anglo French Indian War To Revolution Period All Silver Hilted Small Sword with Colichmarde Blade. Probably By William Kinman. A Stunning Museum Piece, A Near Pair to General George Washington's Sword in Amazing Condition

A combination of the finest 18th century artisan's skill of both a silversmith and bespoke swordsmith. Circa 1759 possibly by William Kinman of London. no silver hallmark was required due to The 'Act of 1738' the Plate Offences Act 1738, & the 1738 exemptions, which exempted the requirement of an assay mark for gold and silver mounts of swords, daggers, pistols and guns

General George Washington, later the first President of the United States, had a near identical sword that he used during his service as commander of the new American Army in the American War of Independance from 1776 onwards. Born in the Colony of Virginia, Washington became the commander of the Virginia Regiment during the French and Indian War (1754–1763). He was later elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses, and opposed the perceived oppression of the American colonists by the British Crown. When the American Revolutionary War against the British began in 1775, Washington was appointed commander-in-chief of the Continental Army. He directed a poorly organized and equipped force against disciplined British troops. Washington and his army achieved an early victory at the Siege of Boston in March 1776 but were forced to retreat from New York City in November. Washington crossed the Delaware River and won the battles of Trenton in late 1776 and Princeton in early 1777, then lost the battles of Brandywine and Germantown later that year. He faced criticism of his command, low troop morale, and a lack of provisions for his forces as the war continued. Ultimately Washington led a combined French and American force to a decisive victory over the British at Yorktown in 1781. In the resulting Treaty of Paris in 1783, the British acknowledged the sovereign independence of the United States. Washington then served as president of the Constitutional Convention in 1787, which drafted the current Constitution of the United States.

Ideal in its day for duelling or close quarter combat, as well as being a simply fabulous, finest quality sword of immense beauty.

Fine cast and chased silver hilt in the elegant rococo style with double shell guard single knucklebow and pas dans. The grip has silver banding interspersed with herringbone pattern twisted silver wire.

The guard has enchanting workmanship with a scrolling, pierced, rococo Arabesque pattern. Colishmarde blade with part bright steel finish.
The highly distinctive colishmarde blades appeared in 1680 and were popular during the next 40 years at the royal European courts. The colichemarde bladed swords had a special popularity with the officers of the French and Indian War period. Even George Washington had a very fine one just as this example.

The colichemarde sword descended from the so-called "transition rapier", which appeared because of a need for a lighter sword, better suited to parrying. It was not so heavy at its point; it was shorter and allowed a limited range of double time moves.The colichemarde in turn appeared as a thrusting blade too and also with a good parrying level, hence the strange, yet successful shape of the blade.

This sword appeared at about the same time as the foil. However the foil was created for practicing fencing at court, while the colichemarde was created for dueling. With the appearance of pocket pistols as a self-defense weapon, the colichemardes found an even more extensive use in dueling.
This was achieved thanks to a wide forte (often with several fullers), which then stepped down in width after the fullers ended. The result of this strange shape was a higher maneuverability of the sword: with the weight of the blade concentrated in one's hand it became possible to maneuver the blade at a greater speed and with a higher degree of control, allowing the fencer to place a precise thrust at his/her adversary. This sword is a true work of art, in it's beauty form, quality and balance. One photo in the gallery is of General Burgoyne surrendering his similar gilt sword after the Battle of Saratoga in October 1777. Another portrait of George Washington with his very similar solid silver sword sword. The 1767 Silver-Hilted Smallsword
One of Washington's most beautiful swords, this sword appears in many famous Washington paintings.  read more

Code: 24960

An Incredibly Rare, 1000 Year Old, Original Viking-Norsemen Warrior’s, Four Plate Iron Helmet From the Late Viking Raids Era and The King Harold & William the Conquerer Battle of Hastings, & The Same Helmet Used By Knights Throughout The Early Crusades

An incredible museum piece of most notable rarity. Also dominantly used by the Danish Huscarls, the incredibly loyal Norse warriors that formed the personal guard of King Harold.

A fabulous and rare surviving original helmet of the Viking age, around a thousand years old.

In Greenland there is a bronze statue of renown Viking leader Erik the Red wearing his identical helmet. This amazing survivor of a warrior race, famed throughout the world for their extraordinary maritime skills, and notorious acts of raiding throughout most of Europe, and a battle helmet that was made and used a thousand years ago, from the 11th to 12th century AD.

Helmets of this form would have a working life of likely well over 100 years, until styles changed and thus so did helmet forms. An original Viking-Norseman Normannus four-plate iron helmet constructed from curved sections of triangular form, converging at the apex; the bowl contoured so that the back and front plates overlap the side-plates by 1/2 to 1 inch, with iron rivets passing through each overlap to secure them in position; the rivets worked flat into the surface of the helmet, almost invisible from the outside but detectable on the inner surface; the plate-junction at the apex supplied with a small hole, allowing a plume or horsehair streamer to be inserted through a ring; mounted on a custom-made stand. Effectively this is also what is known as a kuman warrior style form of Viking four plate helmet. Helmets of four plate construction came in two distinct forms with or without nasal bar. Erik Thorvaldssona (c. 950 – c. 1003), known as Erik the Red, was a Norse explorer, described in medieval and Icelandic saga sources as having founded the first settlement in Greenland. He most likely earned the epithet "the Red" due to the color of his hair and beard. According to Icelandic sagas, he was born in the Jæren district of Rogaland, Norway, as the son of Thorvald Asvaldsson. One of Erik's sons was the well-known Icelandic explorer Leif Erikson. Vikings, were essentially the direct ancestry of the northern French settled Normans, for, as those as are known today as Normans were not effectively French at all, but the settled Vikings of northern France in Normandy, original from the latin, Normannus land of the Norse or North Men

On 14 October 1066, King Harold fought Duke William's army at the Battle of Hastings

The English army, led by King Harold, took up their position on Senlac Hill near Hastings on the morning of the 14th October 1066. Harold’s exhausted and depleted Saxon troops had been forced to march southwards following the bitter, bloody battle to capture Stamford Bridge in Yorkshire only days earlier.

William's Norsemen attacked with cavalry as well as infantry; in the classic English manner, Harold’s well trained troops all fought on foot behind their mighty shield wall.

The fighting continued for most of the day with the shield wall unbroken. It is said that it was the sight of retreating Normans which finally lured the English away from their defensive positions as they broke ranks in pursuit of the enemy.

Once their carefully organised formation was broken, the English were vulnerable to cavalry attack. King Harold was struck in the eye by a chance Norman arrow and was killed, but the battle raged on until all of Harold’s loyal bodyguard were slain.

The Vikings arrived from Denmark and began raiding in the territory today known as France around 830AD. They found that the current rulers were in the midst of an ongoing civil war. Because the current weakness of the Carolingian empire made it an attractive target, there were several groups, including the Vikings, who were prepared to strike and conquer land and people.

The Vikings used identical strategies in France as they did in England – plundering the monasteries, demolishing markets and towns, imposing taxes or ‘Danegeld’ on the people they conquered, and killing the bishops, which disrupted religious life and caused a severe decline in literacy.

Obtaining the direct involvement of France’s rulers, the Vikings became permanent settlers, although many of the land grants were merely an acknowledgment of actual Viking control of the region. The principality of Normandy was established by Rollo (Hrolfr) the Walker, a leader of the Vikings in the early 10th century. The Carolingian king, Charles the Bald, relinquished land to Rollo in 911, including the lower Seine valley, with the Treaty of St. Clair sur Epte. This was extended to include ‘the land of the Bretons,’ by 933 AD, and became what is known today as Normandy when the French King Ralph granted the land to Rollo’s son, William Longsword.

This battle of Hastings changed the entire course of not just English, but European history. England would henceforth be ruled by an oppressive foreign aristocracy, which in turn would influence the entire ecclesiastical and political institutions of Christendom.

William was crowned king of England on Christmas Day 1066, but it took years more fighting to conquer the whole country. His cruellest campaign was the 'Harrying of the North' in 1069, where he slaughtered the inhabitants of the north-east and destroyed their food stores so that even the survivors starved to death.

The Norman Conquest changed the face of England forever. William ruled as unquestioned conqueror and the Saxons became merely an unpaid workforce for their new lords.

The Norman Conquest also changed the history of Europe – adding the wealth of England to the military might of Normandy made the joint-kingdom a European super-power.
In warfare, it was the start of the age of the knight-on-horseback.
See Curtis, H.M., 2,500 Years of European Helmets, North Hollywood, 1978; Denny, N. & Filmer-Sankey, J., The Bayeux Tapestry, London, 1966; Kirpicnikow, A. N., Russische Helme aus dem Frühen Mittelalter, Waffen- und Kostamkunde, 3rd Series, vol.15, pt.2, 1973; Nicolle, D., Byzantine and Islamic arms and armour; evidence for mutual influence, in: Warriors and their weapons around the time of the Crusades, relationship between Byzantium, the West and the Islamic world, Padstow, 2002, pp.299-325; Menghin, W., The Merovingian Period - Europe Without Borders, Berlin, 2007, pp.326-7, item I.34.4.; D’Amato, R., ‘Old and new evidence on East-Roman helmets from the 9th to the 12th centuries,’ in Acta Militaria Medievalia, 2015, XI, pp.27-157, fig.23, nn.1-2 and pl.1.2.6 kg total, 47cm including stand, helmet: 16cm (18 3/4”"). Helmets of this general profile and form are a long-lived military fashion in the Black Sea region, as evidenced by elements of a 7th-8th century Khazar saddle from the Shilovskiy grave field (Samara region"). A similar helmet is housed in the St. Petersburg Museum (inventory reference PA72), for which D’Amato (2015, pp. 65ff.) proposed an Eastern-Roman origin, based on the interchange of Roman and Khazar military technology. Based on a similar 7th century helmet found with a coin of Heraclius, D’Amato proposed that these helmets were a product of the introduction of Steppe technology in Byzantium. This form of helmet is certainly evident in the iconography of 9th-12th century Eastern-Roman helmets. Fair condition, some restoration. it comes complete with our certificate of authenticity. Picture 9 in the gallery is from an old depiction from the First Crusade of Robert of Normandy at the Siege of Antioch 1097-98 note he wears the same traditional four plate Norman crusades helmet just as this one, followed by an old black and white photo of the tomb of a Knight Hospitaller, Bernard de Faixa, also with the same four plate Norman helmet. The First Crusade to the Holy Land; In what has become known as the Princes' Crusade, members of the high nobility and their followers embarked in late summer 1096 and arrived at Constantinople between November and April the following year. This was a large feudal host led by notable Western European princes: southern French forces under Raymond of Toulouse and Adhemar of Le Puy; men from Upper and Lower Lorraine led by Godfrey of Bouillon and his brother Baldwin of Boulogne; Italo-Norman forces led by Bohemond of Taranto and his nephew Tancred; as well as various contingents consisting of northern French and Flemish forces under Robert II of Normandy eldest son of William the Conqueror, King of England, Stephen of Blois, Hugh of Vermandois, and Count Robert of Flanders. In total and including non-combatants, the army is estimated to have numbered as many as 100,000.

The crusaders marched into Anatolia. While the Seljuk Sultan of Rûm, Kilij Arslan, was away resolving a dispute, a Frankish siege and Byzantine naval assault captured Nicea in June 1097. In marching through Anatolia, the crusaders suffered starvation, thirst, and disease before encountering the Turkish lightly armoured mounted archers at the Battle of Dorylaeum. Baldwin left with a small force to establish the County of Edessa, the first Crusader state, and Antioch was captured in June 1098. Jerusalem was reached in June 1099 and the city was taken by assault from 7 June to 15 July 1099, during which its defenders were massacred. A counterattack was repulsed at the Battle of Ascalon. After this the majority of the crusaders returned home.
The popular image of the Vikings is one of fearsome warriors wearing horned helmets. Many depictions of the Vikings display this particular attribute. However, there is one preserved helmet from the Viking Age and this does not have horns. It was found in the Norwegian warrior’s burial at Gjermundbu, north of Oslo, together with the only complete suit of chain mail from the period.

Parts of helmets have been found in Denmark, including “brow ridges” to protect the warrior’s face in battle. The lack of helmet finds may also be partly due to the fact that no tradition existed of placing them in graves. In addition, helmets were not sacrificed like spears and swords, so we do not come across them in this context either. It is also possible that relatively few Vikings wore helmets and therefore only a small number are found
Helmets with horns?
Depictions of an Iron Age date exist featuring people with horned helmets/heads, such as upon the Golden Horns. Similar images are also known from the Viking period itself.

In the Oseberg burial from Norway, which dates to the early Viking period, a tapestry was found on which horned helmets are also depicted. Does this prove that all Vikings wore the famous helmets with horns? The answer is probably not. However, there is some evidence to suggest that certain warriors wore such headgear. The horned figures on the Golden Horns are berserkers. These were wild warriors, who threw themselves into battle in a trance-like fury. We are also familiar with them from the Icelandic sagas, in which they are amongst the most feared of all Vikings.

It is also possible that such headgear was worn for display or for cultic purposes. In a battle situation, horns on a helmet would get in the way. Such helmets would also have caused problems on board the warships, where space was already at a premium. In addition, none of the contemporary sources mention Vikings wearing horned headgear.

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 gallery  read more

Code: 23530

A Most Handsome Shinto O-Tanto, Around 300 years Old Circa 1720 With a Most Impressive and Beautiful Large Blade Used As A Powerful Close-Combat Small Sword and Suitable as a Post Combat 'Head Cutter'

All original Edo period koshirae with a superb urushi lacquer saya of dark red with black angular overstriping and black banding at the top section, a fine takebori tetsu sayajiri mount, with a shakudo and gold kozuka utility knife with decoration of takebori zodiac animals, including a deer, rabbit, dragon, pony, snake, dog, rat, phoenix, hare etc.

It has very nice o-sukashi tetsu tsuba with a fine tsuka with Higo school fuchi kashira of iron decorated with takebori whirling clouds. The menuki under the tsuka ito are super quality of a pure gold sun and a shakudo crescent moon.
O-Tanto


The blade is long wide and very elegant with a great gunome hamon in beautiful polish. It has mighty strong thickness and size perfectly suitable as a samurai's close combat weapon, but also to double up, post combat, as a samurai's 'head cutter', if a kubikiri a solely dedicated head cutter, used by an attendant, was not available.

Samurai usually had to chop off their enemy’s head in order to prove to their daimyo or master that they actually killed the right person, not a woman or child.
Additionally collecting more heads meant getting more stipend and promotion.
However, after chopping the head, the samurai would always clean and put some light make up to the face to pay their respect to the dead person.
At the same time, every samurai also usually put incense within the inside their helmets knowing that they may get killed and their head's odour, due to the stress of battle, must not offend their killer.
In situations when the samurai did not have time to chop off the enemy’s head, they then used to cut off the upper lip (to distinguish if the head is male or female).
Tanto first began to appear in the Heian period, however these blades lacked artistic qualities and were purely weapons. In the Early Kamakura period high quality tanto with artistic qualities began to appear, and the famous Yoshimitsu (the greatest tanto maker in Japanese history) began his forging. Tanto production increased greatly around the Muromachi period and then dropped off in the Shinto period. Shinto period tanto are quite rare. Tanto were mostly carried by Samurai; commoners did not generally carry them. Women sometimes carried a small tanto called a kaiken in their obi for self defence.It was sometimes worn as the shoto in place of a wakizashi in a daisho, especially on the battlefield. Before the 16th century it was common for a Samurai to carry a tachi and a tanto as opposed to a katana and a wakizashi.

Blade 35.5 cm inches long, 3cm wide at the habaki, overall in the saya it is 51 cm long.

A solely dedicated kubikiri would normally have its cutting edge on the inside, and carried by attendants of high ranking samurai, but curiously the kubikiri would also be used for bonsai trimming.

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: 24340

A Superb, Medieval & Most Rare, 12th-13th Century Crusader Knights Iron Flanged Battle Mace & Scorpion Flail Mace Head

A rare example of mace, and, apparently, not many surviving examples of this type of flanged mace are still in existence.
An offensive battle mace that would be an amazingly effective piece against armour, helmet or shield. In almost spherical form with multi layered protruding flanges in hollow-cast iron that could be mounted on a haft, or with a chain and haft and used as a battle flail. They were also carried as a symbol of power and rank, as it is so now, for example such as the cosmetically huge parliamentary mace and the Queen's great mace of state being just two examples. In the Crusades era this was, on occasion, also an ecclesiastic weapon used by Bishops Popes, for an ecclesiastical warrior was not allowed to draw blood in combat a most novel distinction but far more usually used by mounted knights in noble combat. a flail mace for extra reach on horseback. Unlike a sword or haft mounted mace, it doesn't transfer vibrations from the impact to the wielder. This is a great advantage to a horseman, who can use his horse's speed to add momentum to and underarmed swing of the ball, but runs less of a risk of being unbalanced from his saddle.
It is difficult to block with a shield or parry with a weapon because it can curve over and round impediments and still strike the target. It also provides defense whilst in motion. However the rigid haft does have the advantage as the flail needs space to swing and can easily endanger the wielder's comrades.

Controlling the flail is much more difficult than rigid weapons.On a Flail it had the name of a Scorpion in England or France, or sometimes a Battle-Whip. It was also wryly known as a 'Holy Water Sprinkler'. King John The Ist of Bohemia used exactly such a weapon, as he was blind, and the act of 'Flailing the Mace' meant lack of site was no huge disadvantage in close combat. Although blind he was a valiant and the bravest of the Warrior Kings, who perished at the Battle of Crecy against the English in 1346. On the day he was slain he instructed his Knights both friends and companions to lead him to the very centre of battle, so he may strike at least one blow against his enemies. His Knights tied their horses to his, so the King would not be separated from them in the press, and they rode together into the thick of battle, where King John managed to strike not one but at least four noble blows. The following day of the battle, the horses and the fallen knights were found all about the body of their most noble King, all still tied to his steed.

During the Middle Ages metal armour such as mail protected against the blows of edged weapons. Solid metal maces and war hammers proved able to inflict damage on well armoured knights, as the force of a blow from a mace is great enough to cause damage without penetrating the armour. Though iron became increasingly common, copper and bronze were also used. Pictures in the gallery, some medieval, showing them used in combat. The mace head is approximately the size of a slightly flattened tennis ball.  read more

Code: 22686

A Beautiful Antique Indian Sword Shamshir Shikargar, With An impressive and Scarce 'Naga' Serpentine Blade

Beautifully artisan hand cleaned and polished, and what has been achieved is once more remarkable. It looks like it did when acquired in the 19th century to come back to England.

It has a pistol shaped khanjar style hilt, matching engraved to the blade. A shikargaha hunting sword with exotic flowers engraved and two dancing figures, as used in a typical Moghul hunt, deeply engraved on both sides of the blade, with silver darts inlaid between the back edge engraving. Also with a brass inlaid panel with a dancing figure. Its condition for its age is now very good indeed, and the snake form serpentine blade form is most beguiling and rarely seen in swords.

Likely 19th century but possibly 18th.
In the Renaissance period and beyond in Europe serpentine blades were occasionally seen, and they were named a 'flamberge' or flamboyant form blade.
Some similar types of the Islamic serpentine bladed swords are in the Imperial collection in the Topkapi Saray Museum in Istanbul, Turkey.

See "Islamic swords and swordsmiths" by Unsal Yucel. A most unusual sword in many ways, not least that it was never actually made nor worn with a scabbard. It was worn through a belt and carried without one, to be used in ceremonies or on the hunting parties. There were five Indian/Nepal swords in the collection and four have the matching ensuite decoration patterning, but all need many many hours of cleaning and conservation so they will be added individually over time and sold seperately.  read more

Code: 22396

An Interesting Collection Of Original German Third Reich Luftwaffe & Kriegsmarine Combat Badges & Awards & An SS & Army Buckle, Collected During WW2 By A British Bomb Disposal Officer. Untouched Since 1945, & Stored As Is For 80 Years

Bomb disposal sections of special engineering units {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.


KRIEGSMARINE HIGH SEAS FLEET BADGE BY ADOLF BOCK AUSF SCHWERIN BERLIN
A nice early Kriegsmarine High Seas Fleet Badge by Adolf Bock Ausf Schwerin, Berlin (Flottenkriegsabzeichen) constructed in tombac. The obverse of the badge has a nice gilt finish and patina with sharp detail. The reverse of the decoration has t


The maker’s mark “FEC. ADOLF BOCK AUSF. SCHWERIN BERLIN” complete with a vertical block hinge and flat wire catch. The badge has no damage or repairs in very good condition by desirable maker.
The design was created by the well known artist Adolf Bock of Berlin and the design was approved and adopted in 1941 by the then Grand Admiral Raeder, Commander in Chief of the German Navy. Although the award was instituted in 1941, awards could be rendered in retrospect of service from the beginning of World War II.

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

Photos in the gallery of;
Fleming in his wartime office, Room 39 of the Admiralty, Whitehall.

Admiral Otto Ciliax
Generaladmiral Oskar Kummetz
Fregattenkapitän Ernst Dominik

All the above Kriegsmarine officers are wearing the High Seas Fleet Badge.  read more

Code: 25708

The Lanes Armoury Welcomes Thousands Upon Thousands of Personal Visitors To The Store In Brighton Every Day {But Not Sundays} . Fabulous Pre-Historic, Archaic, Ancient, Antique, & Vintage Treasures, Artifacts, & Collectables Are Added Every Single Day

We are told, most generously, every single day, when the gallery-shop is open, by literally dozens of our thousands of visitors, that we are their favourite shop in the whole of the U.K. Many, when they are returning to England for another visit, tell us they make a point to make another visit to us every single time as part of their UK travels. Just the other week one of our regular visitors from China diverted his journey from Beijing to Paris, to go via London Gatwick Airport, in order to just to visit us for a couple of hours, and then return to Paris. This very week lots more incredible treasures arrived including an 18 item German badge and buckle collection of a WW2 combat bomb disposal officer. A section of the special engineering units {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. Plus 3 fabulous pistols, A Polish WW2 pistol Third Reich period, A Punjab Irregular Horse pistol, and a stunning Crimean War cavalry officer’s pistol. And a wonderful samurai horse riders armour, early Edo period, of the Matsunaga clan plus, dozens of Museum Grade original antique collectibles such as cased pistols, samurai tantos, etc.

The story so far of the Hawkins Brothers and "The Lanes Armoury" written by Francis Taylor;

Sadly it is likely the last, true, original 'armoury' shop left in the whole of Britain. Defining the original term of an historical 'Armoury' as a building containing all forms of militaria, arms and armour, from all of the eras of mankind from the stone age culture, to all the civilizations of antiquity, both pre-history, and historic, on into the medieval, the post medieval and later, to WW1 and WW2. Effectively covering from 300,000 years b.c. until WW2. Not including their fossils of course that can be up to 100 million years old.

They were described as one of the most highly recommended visitors attractions in the whole of the UK by the New York Times. It is also regularly featured by many other world wide publications. Hundreds of thousands of tourists and regular visitors come to see them every single year, including, in the 1970's such erstwhile luminaries as President Ronald Reagan, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. They evolved their company from one of the oldest established family businesses in Sussex, spanning over 100 years, with a client base that includes museums, heads of state, presidents, princes and kings. But whether you are a movie star, a head of state or a student, all will be treated with the same courtesy and respect. Every sale is important to them, albeit a £5 badge a £5,000 rare book, or a suit of armour for £50,000.
Every day they are told that to some, this is their favourite shop in the world, with some foreign visitors returning year in year out for 40 years or even more, so they truly believe they have a great responsibility to their customers, their reputation, and to the amazing city of Brighton.
Their oldest customer has incredibly been a regular buyer, for an amazing, near 70 years.

To view just a flavour of the visual history one can view here, and their modus operandi during the past century of their business and store, please click the group photos to the left, and see just small aspects of their gallery, in photos taken recently, and from the distant past.
One is a photograph from the outside of their shop taken around 1920, another one from more recently, and another, of their 1920's vintage horse drawn pantechnichon that was still in use for local deliveries until 1969 and another photo one of their 'more modern' pantechnichons in the 1970's. The partners, Mark and David also regularly appear on the BBC and numerous UK TV channels, consulting on historical documentaries, and on various antique 'discovery' programs, and act as consultant appraisers and for notable private individuals and public companies. During Mark's 54 years personally trading in The Lanes, and David's 44 years {that's around 98 years combined} both within the family businesses, it is estimated they have had pass through their hands, and appraised, possibly more items than any other living dealers in the country, and their breadth of knowledge and experience is simply astonishing. While in his capacity as export director of the old family company, Mark was personally responsible for the sale and export of over 2,000 individual antique items every single week for nearly ten years. Shipping their treasures within a fleet of trucks and 40 foot container lorries, to the four corners of globe. If you can get Mark to describe some of his past professional trades, you will certainly be amazed. Just one part of his trade, back in the 1970’s was the selling and shipping of vintage classic cars to the States. Dozens of 20 foot containers were sent, containing either a vintage Rolls Royce, Bentley, Lagonda, Alvis, Aston Martin, and their like, with the interiors packed full of antique porcelains and silver and antique furniture stacked on top {in order to utilise every valuable space possible}. Mark’s first personal car was a BRG 1932 Aston Martin Le Mans. Originally raced by Sir Sydney Caffyn as an amateur {who was a friend of Mark’s father David senior}, which Mark bought from Sir Sydney’s brother, some while after Sir Sydney had died, for which he paid the princely sum of £325 in around 1971. He sold it to an Italian-American Las Vegas casino owner for £800 three years later, The last known example he knew of, the Aston Martin 1932 Le Mans LM8, and that he tried to buy {unsuccessfully I might add}, sold recently for €905,000 at Sothebys {somewhat in excess of Mark’s budget}. How times {and prices} have changed!

Of course, these days, after selling their wholesale antique export shipping companies, that were some of the largest of their kind in Europe, for the past 35 years the brothers have concentrated their devotion to being England's leading specialist antique arms and militaria dealers, focusing their core business from general antiques and fine art, to the finest, ancient, antique or vintage samurai weaponry, armour, and worldwide swords, firearms and militaria and historical books, covering the past three millennia. It is now said they are the largest samurai weapon dealers in the western world, and this website is the largest of it's type in the world, including over 17,000 full colour photographs of some of their items for sale.
A recent article, written about their business on 'City News Live' is copied here below, as published;**
"With so many different histories to offer, you can feel freer in Brighton than in most British cities to select trips which coincide with your interests and of course, you're much more likely to find in Brighton things to do which bring the history you love to life. For the lover of militaria, a visit to The Lanes Armoury is a must with a difference. The Armoury's housed in a three-storey 16th century building and is a real treasure trove, it's a museum which is not a museum as everything is for sale. It has been nominated and then short-listed for the British Antique & Collectors Awards as the best Antique Shop in Great Britain and is the latest incarnation of a much older business David Hawkins Brighton Ltd which was one of the earliest and largest dealers in Antiques and Collectibles within the whole of Europe in the last century."

It's their current specialisation in worldwide Arms, Armour, Militaria, and Books, which really marks them out and creates such a fascinating and fantastic place to visit. From antiquities from all the past ancient empires, including bronze-age swords, axes, helmets and daggers, to Roman Viking and medeavil weaponry, to suits of samurai and European armour, muskets, revolvers, duelling pistols, American civil war swords, right through to medals and World War II militaria, it's all there to be viewed and drooled over. For example they had in stock a signed 1st Edition book that once personally belonged to Winston Churchill detailing a story of combat in the American Revolutionary War. It was presented to him during WW2 and signed by it's author, Robert Graves, one of England's greatest WW1 poets and novelists. It was declared by Churchill, in a personal letter to Robert Graves thanking him for the gift, that it was one of only 6 or 7 novels that he had read during his premiership in the war, and subsequently this very book was used by him to advise the creation and modus operandi of the new British Commandos. Also the last time I visited I was shown their first edition The Great Gatsby, an absolute gem of a rarity, that must be valued at many tens of thousands of pounds. It's not a museum, but when you leave, you've had the same experience! I can honestly say the experience of a visit to the armoury, although not a vast premises by any means, is utterly memorable, and every single person that passed through their doors while I was there was either astonished, amazed, or both!

Francis Taylor

“With the passing of the generations that came before, all that is left, after the memories dim and fade away, is what that is physically left behind. To seek such manifestations of past generations, and preserve them for the future, is vital for all those generations yet to come”

Mark Hawkins  read more

Code: 19615